Pregnacare Conception

Pregnacare Conception nutritional tablets are specially formulated to help support a healthy conception for women who are trying for a baby. The formula has been developed on the basis of worldwide studies showing that certain nutrients can play an important role in helping to build nutritional stores ready for pregnancy and support good reproductive health. Pregnacare Conception provides a carefully balanced comprehensive formulation of micronutrients including Inositol, Coenzyme Q10, N-acetyl Cysteine and Selenium. The formula also includes vitamin B12 and D plus folic acid at 400mcg, the exact recommended level by the Department of Health.

Pregnacare Conception should be used as soon as you start trying for a baby. To help build the body’s nutritional stores it can even be for 1-3 months before you start to try for a baby. Once you have confirmed you are pregnant, you can continue to use up any remaining Pregnacare Conception tablets, before moving on to Pregnacare Original or Pregnacare Plus with Omega-3, or Pregnacare Max with Omega-3 plus Calcium which are specially formulated for the remainder of your pregnancy.

Pregnacare Conception has been carefully developed by a team of experts including highly qualified pharmacists and nutritional consultants, and is based upon scientific research evidence, as a nutritional safeguard for women who are trying for a baby. Pregnacare Conception replaces your usual daily multivitamin.

Pregnacare Conception contains only moderate levels of essential vitamins and minerals without any drugs or hormones. Our comprehensive global literature searches have shown that it does not contain any nutrient that is known to cause irregularities or changes in the monthly cycle.

Hundreds of thousands of women in the UK will experience irregularities or delays with their cycle each year; out of these, the vast majority will never have used Pregnacare Conception, but of course a minority (though still a significant number) will be using it. Because of the large sample of users, for some women the timing of their problem may coincide with the start of using Pregnacare Conception. The consumer feedback we’ve received on delayed cycles between November 2021 and November 2022 equates to a very small percentage of around 0.002%, which is 1 in every 41,000 packs sold.

Please note this should not be regarded as a substitute to the professional medical advice provided by your doctor or other healthcare professionals and we recommend you consult your doctor for specific guidance.

A scientific review was carried out by senior obstetrician Prof Mark Brincat FRCOG, FRCPI, an expert in this area, to assess whether the regular use of Pregnacare Conception may be attributed to irregularities in the menstrual cycle. Vitabiotics played no role in the literature review process, in the assessment or writing of the expert report. The conclusion of this report (25 February 2019) states:

There is no evidence that the various components in Pregnacare Conception should cause an irregularity in cycle in normal cycling women. Its various components have been shown to be safe and of benefit.

Therefore, any irregularity in cycle whilst someone is on Pregnacare Conception is likely to be a chance finding and likely to highlight some other pre-existing condition. This warrants referral to a doctor and full investigation.

Further research has also been conducted by way of a systematic review of the effect of nutritional supplementation on menstrual cycle regularity by Dr Kathy Redfern BSc, MSc, PhD, RNutr Lecturer in Nutrition and Dr Gail Rees BSc, PhD, RD, RNutr Associate Professor of Human Nutrition, University of Plymouth.

The report (18 January 2021) concluded:

On the basis of this review, no evidence was found in the literature to suggest that any nutrients contained in Pregnacare® Conception disturb regularity or delay the menstrual cycle.

(This report has been conducted independently by the authors (Dr Kathy Redfern and Dr Gail Rees. Vitabiotics supported this research, but has played no role in the literature review process, interpretation of the results or writing of the report).

As well as hundreds of positive emails and reports over the years, Pregnacare Conception has also been the subject of a randomised controlled clinical trial published in 2011 in Reproductive BioMedicine.¹ This showed that women with difficulties conceiving had significantly higher pregnancy rates when taking Pregnacare Conception compared with those taking folic acid alone. This trial also showed that women taking Pregnacare Conception achieved pregnancy in significantly fewer attempts compared with women on folic acid alone. No negative effects on the monthly cycle were found. In fact, another study has shown that the female cycle was more regular during multivitamin supplementation.²

¹Prospective randomized trial of multiple micronutrients in subfertile women undergoing ovulation induction: a pilot study. Reprod Biomed Online Agrawal R, Burt E, Gallagher AM, Butler L, Venkatakrishnan R, Peitsidis P. 2011.

²The effect of preconceptional multivitamin supplementation on the menstrual cycle. Randomized Controlled Trial. Dudas I. Rockenbauer M. Czeizel AE. Archives of Gynecology & Obstetrics. 256(3):115-23, 1995.

The menstrual cycle can change over time and can be affected by other factors including weight loss, weight gain, excessive amounts of exercise, and physical or emotional upset. Research has shown that coming off the contraceptive pill can also cause irregularities for several months. A delay in the cycle could also be related to other underlying issues.

If you experience a delay or change in your monthly cycle, this may not necessarily mean you are pregnant and it is advised to take a pregnancy test and speak to your doctor or health professional for more advice and investigation.

As a general rule, Pregnacare Conception can be taken alongside medications because it contains only moderate levels of vitamins and minerals. However, if you are already taking prescribed supplements or medications or have an underlying condition, seek advice from your doctor or health professional first.

Yes, you will still need to take a supplement as fortification is only to improve the folic acid contribution from the normal diet. The government announced in September 2021 the good news that folic acid will be added to UK white flour in the future (the new rules will exclude gluten-free and wholemeal flour). This is to help increase the amount of folic acid in maternal diets, as low folic acid status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida. This will, however, not replace the need for mums-to-be to take a folic acid supplement, as the UK Department of Health continues to recommend that all women trying to conceive until the 12th week of pregnancy should take a daily supplement containing 400µg folic acid.

Pregnacare Conception contains 30 tablets per pack and it is recommended to take one per day.

Difficulty in swallowing tablets is quite a common experience. Vitabiotics have researched this extensively and recommend after chewing some food (e.g. banana), just before you swallow, pop the tablet into your mouth and swallow it together with the chewed food, followed by some liquid. The throat opens up wider to swallow the chewed food and so the tablet should go down with greater ease. Alternatively, the tablets may be swallowed with thicker liquids such as yoghurts or smoothies.  

The key nutrients found in our Pregnacare Conception product includes Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Biotin, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Inositol, N-Acetyl Cysteine and Coenzyme Q10. To see the full list of ingredients for this product please click on the nutritional information tab found on this listing.

One tablet per day is recommended with or immediately after your main meal, with water or a cold drink. Taking the tablet with a large meal maximises the absorption of the nutrients, and can reduce nausea which is sometimes experienced if multivitamins are taken on an empty stomach. Pregnacare Conception should only be taken on a full stomach. Always ensure that Pregnacare Conception is taken with plenty of liquid to wash down the tablet. We do not recommend chewing the tablets because they have not been formulated as chewable preparations. Chewable tablets usually include flavourings, sweeteners and/or added ingredients to help break the tablet up in the mouth. Pregnacare Conception tablets are suitable for vegetarians.

Pregnacare Conception has no known side-effects when taken as directed. Do not exceed the recommended tablet intake. In case of overdose, seek medical advice immediately.

Each Pregnacare Conception pack contains 30 days supply (1 month). We recommend subscribing to 1 pack every 1 month.