Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures

Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures has been developed for mums-to-be who want maximum nutritional support from Pregnacare, with the benefits of Max plus 21 billion live cultures. This advanced formula helps to safeguard daily intake of nutrients important during pregnancy. It provides 400μg folic acid, incorporating the special, readily bioavailable form L-Methylfolate, together with other essential vitamins and minerals, including 10μg vitamin D, 660mg calcium, plus 300mg DHA. 

It is important to follow the directions and take the recommended two Pregnacare Max tablets per day, to ensure that you obtain the recommended level of 400μg folate (folic acid), plus the one Omega-3 and the one Live Cultures capsule.

Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures contains all of the benefits of Pregnacare Max, plus 21bn live cultures and additional calcium, which contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes.

Like Pregnacare Max, it therefore contains L-Methylfolate, Omega-3 DHA, plus a whole host of other supporting nutrients, vitamin D3 and magnesium. It contains 660mg calcium compared to the 500mg in Pregnacare Max, plus live cultures from six different strains.

Yes. Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures has an advanced formula to help to safeguard daily intake of nutrients important during pregnancy. With the benefits of Max plus 21 billion live cultures, it provides 400μg folic acid, incorporating the special, readily bioavailable form L-Methylfolate, together with other essential vitamins and minerals, including 10μg vitamin D, 660mg calcium, plus 300mg DHA.

Adults can obtain DHA and EPA indirectly through the conversion of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), present in vegetable oils such as linseed but this process is very inefficient. Fish oils provide a much more reliable, direct source of DHA and EPA. The foetus and infant in early life need to receive these fatty acids directly as they only have a limited capability to convert essential fatty acids to more active long chain fatty acids such as DHA. These fatty acids are especially important during pregnancy as maternal intake contributes to the normal foetal brain and eye development**

What the mother consumes has the potential to be passed on to the developing child, therefore only the purest pharmaceutical grade fish oil produced in Norway, has been used in Pregnacare Max capsules. To ensure maximum benefit the oil is carefully concentrated to increase its DHA and EPA content and further purified. Each batch is rigorously tested, certified, and fully compliant with stringent EC and WHO rules on environmental pollutants.

Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures is suitable to use throughout pregnancy and Breastfeeding, however, we would recommend using our Pregnacare Breastfeeding supplement which has been carefully formulated for postnatal wellbeing. Pregnacare Breastfeeding formula includes higher levels of calcium to help safeguard mums nutrition.

As a general rule, Pregnacare Max 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, seek advice from your doctor or health professional first. As Pregnacare Max contains vitamin K and Omega-3, if you are taking oral anticoagulants (blood thinners) do not take Pregnacare Max except on the advice of a doctor.

Pregnacare Max contains 56 prenatal micronutrient tablets, 28 Omega-3 DHA capsules and 28 Live Cultures capsules. It is recommended to take the 2 Pregnacare Max tablets one Omega-3 capsule and one Live Cultures capsule per day

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

Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures does not need to be refrigerated, as Triphase™ Stabilising Technology protects the level of live cultures for the life of the product, therefore there is no need to keep the live culture capsules in the fridge.

Difficulty in swallowing tablets and capsules is quite a common experience. Vitabiotics have researched this extensively and recommend after chewing some food (e.g. banana), just before you swallow, pop it 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 it should go down with greater ease. Alternatively, it may be swallowed with thicker liquids such as yoghurts or smoothies.

No, Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures is not suitable for vegetarians as it contains fish oil in a pharmaceutical grade gelatin capsule. Adults can obtain DHA and EPA indirectly through the conversion of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), present in vegetable oils such as linseed but this process is very inefficient. Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures contains fish oil as it provides a much more reliable, direct source of DHA and EPA.

Please see Nutritional Information 

NRV levels are calculated to help prevent the most basic vitamin and mineral deficiency states. The levels contained in Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures are specific to requirements in pregnancy. This is why some levels of nutrients in Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures are higher than the NRV (e.g. folic acid, the recommended level is 200% NRV). Importantly, all levels are safe for pregnancy and well within upper safety guidelines for daily self-supplementation.

Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures does not contain any vitamin A either in the Pregnacare multivitamin tablet or the special fish oil DHA capsule. The multivitamin tablet has been carefully formulated specially for pregnancy to contain a moderate (non-excessive) level of betacarotene instead of vitamin A. Betacarotene (pro-retinol) is converted into vitamin A naturally by body as required, and is safe and suitable for pregnancy. The Omega-3 capsule in Pregnacare Max is produced from fish oils that are certified free from Vitamin A and therefore safe to take throughout pregnancy. 

It is perfectly safe to take 400µg of folic acid per day throughout the whole of pregnancy. The U.K. Department of Health's Chief Medical Officer recommends that women planning a pregnancy should take a supplement containing 400µg folic acid daily, from the start of trying to conceive until the 12th week of pregnancy. Folic acid is vital during this period for the normal, healthy development of your baby's neural tube. However, folic acid can be taken throughout pregnancy, not just up to the 12th week of pregnancy and Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures gives the advantage of not only providing folic acid, but other essential nutrients and live cultures as well.

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.

A regular intake is recommended, but don’t worry, this will not have done any harm. Simply take Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures on the next day when you remember, and take as directed. You should not take more than the recommended amount on subsequent days to make up for any day(s) that you have missed. Whilst it is important to take a supplement every day, if you miss one day this is fine because the beneficial effects of the vitamins and minerals build over time.

Our gut microbiome is made up of trillions of bacteria. Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures contains 21 billion live cultures from six different live culture strains, including a Lab4B® blend, the group of gut bacteria with the most comprehensive research conducted in the UK, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 (HOWARU®) to help complement the bacteria naturally found in the gut.

This comprehensive formula replaces other Pregnacare multivitamins, there is no need to take an additional multivitamin. If you need extra support, please consult your GP or midwife.

Each Pregnacare Max + Live Cultures pack contains 28 days supply (4 weeks). We recommend subscribing to 1 pack every 4 weeks.