The Nurture Journey — Revive Supplements

Ideally three months before trying

Before

The window that closes before you know about it.

The neural tube — which becomes the brain and spinal cord — closes by about week six. For a lot of people that is before a positive test. Which is why folate status before conception matters more than folate status after it.

Amount	Nutrient	Why
400 µg	Folic acid	The amount recommended before conception and through the first twelve weeks.
10 µg	Vitamin D3	Recommended throughout, and most of the UK is short of it from October to March.
10 mg	Zinc	Contributes to normal fertility and reproduction.
55 µg	Selenium	Contributes to normal spermatogenesis.

What to avoid

Anything containing vitamin A (retinol). Check the label of any multivitamin you are already taking — most high-street ones contain it.

Worth knowing

Also suitable for partners. Zinc and selenium matter on both sides, and most couples only think about one.

First trimester

Weeks 1–12

Everything structural happens now.

By the end of week twelve the major organs are formed. This is the stretch where folic acid is not negotiable, and where the things to avoid matter as much as the things to take.

Amount	Nutrient	Why
400 µg	Folic acid	Through to week twelve without a gap.
10 µg	Vitamin D3	Continues for the whole pregnancy.
17 mg	Iron	Contributes to normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin.
140 µg	Iodine	Contributes to normal cognitive function and normal thyroid function.

What to avoid

Vitamin A (retinol), cod liver oil and liver. Do not take alongside another multivitamin — doubling up is the most common way retinol gets in.

Worth knowing

If you have had a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect, or are in another higher-risk group, you may need 5 mg folic acid. That is prescription only and Nurture is not a substitute for it.

Second and third trimester

Weeks 13–40

Growth rather than formation.

Blood volume rises by up to half over a pregnancy, which is why iron starts to matter more from here than it did at the start. The formula does not change — the reason for taking it does.

Amount	Nutrient	Why
17 mg	Iron	Demand climbs through the second and third trimesters.
10 µg	Vitamin D3	All the way through, and on into breastfeeding.
10 mg	Vitamin B6	Contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity.
15 mg	Zinc	Contributes to normal DNA synthesis.

What to avoid

Same as the first trimester. Take it with a meal — the iron is far easier on an unsettled stomach that way.

Worth knowing

Contains iron. Keep well out of sight and reach of children. Accidental iron overdose is one of the most common serious poisonings in under-fives.

However long it lasts

Breastfeeding

Now the stores being drawn on are yours.

The focus shifts. Vitamin D is still recommended daily throughout, and this is the stage where omega-3 source matters — because the obvious one is the one to avoid.

Amount	Nutrient	Why
10 µg	Vitamin D3	Recommended daily throughout breastfeeding.
200 mg	DHA	Algal oil. Maternal intake contributes to normal brain and eye development in breastfed infants.
150 µg	Iodine	Contributes to normal thyroid function.
2.5 µg	Vitamin B12	Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.

What to avoid

Cod liver oil, and any omega-3 that comes from liver oil. They are high in retinol. Ours is algal, which is also why it is vegan.

Worth knowing

Your baby needs their own vitamin D from birth if breastfed — yours does not pass through in enough quantity. That is what First is for.

From birth

0–12 months

Breastmilk is low in vitamin D. That is not a failing.

It is true regardless of how much the mother takes, which is why the recommendation is a separate drop for the baby rather than a bigger dose for the mother.

Amount	Nutrient	Why
10 µg	Vitamin D3	In sunflower oil, in a measured dropper. Contributes to normal growth and development of bone in children.

What to avoid

Never exceed the dose on the bottle. The margin between enough and too much is far narrower in a baby than in an adult.

Worth knowing

Formula-fed babies taking more than 500 ml a day generally do not need this — infant formula is already fortified. Confirm with your health visitor or GP before starting anything.

Through to the fourth birthday

1–4 years

The years when what they eat is anyone's guess.

Vitamins A, C and D, matched to the composition of the NHS Healthy Start children's drops — because that composition was decided by people who thought about it harder than any brand has.

Amount	Nutrient	Why
233 µg	Vitamin A	Contributes to normal growth, vision and immune function in children.
20 mg	Vitamin C	Contributes to normal immune function.
7.5 µg	Vitamin D3	Contributes to normal growth and development of bone in children.

What to avoid

Contains vitamin A, so it is not for adults and not for pregnancy. Do not give alongside another vitamin A supplement.

Worth knowing

Healthy Start drops are free from the NHS if you are eligible. Ask your health visitor before you buy anything from us or anyone else.

From three months before, to four years old.

Before

The window that closes before you know about it.

Weeks 1–12

Everything structural happens now.

Weeks 13–40

Growth rather than formation.

Breastfeeding

Now the stores being drawn on are yours.

0–12 months

Breastmilk is low in vitamin D. That is not a failing.

1–4 years

The years when what they eat is anyone's guess.

Some of this is free, and we would rather say so.

Healthy Start

What we add

Tell your midwife