Nutrition is vital for a happy and healthy pregnancy for both the mother and the baby.

In our view, even if you have a healthy diet – which many people don’t these days, with missed, hurried and convenience meals – you may not be be sure you are getting the vitamins and minerals you need.

Not least because intensive food production has stripped many foods of a lot of their nourishment. In our opinion, a good multi-vitamin and mineral supplement is extremely valuable during pregnancy, if only as an insurance policy.

There are a number of key nutrients that are required throughout pregnancy, and especially in the second trimester. These perform a number of functions such as vitamin D which helps the development of bones, heart health and more, as well as B vitamins which contribute towards normal hormone activity.

There is no standard recommendation for how long you should take prenatal vitamins past the first trimester. However, taking a good quality supplement designed for the second trimester will not be harmful and could help support you and your growing baby.

Good nutrition is important for your baby’s development and for your own health during the pregnancy.

We recommend taking Vital Essence 2, which provides everything you need to safeguard your everyday diet, including 400ug of Folate (useful for a whole range of cellular activities, not just for helping to minimise the risk of spina bifida) plus lots of protective ingredients such as Beta Carotene, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese and zinc, all of which support normal cell division and help to protect DNA.

There are a number of other important nutrients that can support your second trimester. We recommend the Trimester 2 Support Pack, which contains Vital Essence 2, as well as other key vitamins and minerals to help best support you and your baby.

No more than 30mg of zinc is recommended during pregnancy