Preconception
Complete Preconception Course
A 12-week, step-by-step plan to get your body, lifestyle and practical plans ready before you try for a baby.
C$29.99Buy
Preparing for pregnancy: courses for the months before you conceive
What Health Canada advises before you conceive, from a daily multivitamin with folic acid to alcohol and fish, with checklists to take to your family doctor or nurse practitioner.
- 2 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
Health Canada advises that anyone who could become pregnant take a daily multivitamin containing 0.4 mg (400 mcg) of folic acid, and keep taking it through pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Starting before you conceive matters because the baby's neural tube forms in the first weeks of pregnancy, often before a pregnancy is confirmed. Some people at higher risk need a larger dose, so ask your health care provider whether that applies to you rather than adjusting the dose yourself.
The months before pregnancy are also a good time to settle into everyday habits: meals based on Canada's Food Guide, vitamin D from food or a 400 IU (10 mcg) supplement, and choosing fish that are low in mercury. Health Canada's limits on tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, escolar and orange roughy apply to people who may become pregnant, not only those who already are. On alcohol, Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health is clear that there is no known safe amount when you are trying to conceive.
A visit to your family doctor or nurse practitioner before you start trying is a chance to review your medicines, any long-term conditions and the supplements you take. Our courses help you prepare for that conversation. They are educational and do not cover fertility testing or treatment.
All preconception courses
Preconception
Vitamins Before Pregnancy (Folic Acid & Vitamin D)
Folic acid and vitamin D before pregnancy: how much, when to start, when to ask about a higher dose and how to check a label.
C$19.99Buy
Which preconception course suits you
- Planning ahead by a few months? The Complete Preconception Course covers food, supplements, activity, alcohol, caffeine and a doctor's visit, with a 12-week preparation planner that breaks it into weekly steps.
- Mainly want to get supplements right? Vitamins Before Pregnancy (Folic Acid and Vitamin D) explains what to look for on a multivitamin label, how to build a daily habit and which questions to ask about a higher folic acid dose.
Both courses are useful for partners too, especially the sections on alcohol, food and shared habits at home.
What the preconception tools do
- Pre-pregnancy checklist: the practical steps worth ticking off before you start trying.
- Supplement checklist and label checker: confirm a multivitamin has 0.4 mg of folic acid, and spot anything to ask a pharmacist about.
- Daily supplement tracker: a simple record that helps a new habit stick.
- Doctor's visit prep sheet: your medicines, conditions, family history and questions on one page.
- Lifestyle tracker and 12-week planner: food, activity, sleep and alcohol-free weeks, planned and recorded.
Who should see a doctor before trying
See a family doctor or nurse practitioner ahead of trying if you:
- take regular prescription medicines (do not stop them without advice)
- live with a long-term condition such as diabetes, epilepsy or high blood pressure
- think you may need a higher dose of folic acid
- have irregular or absent periods, or have been trying for a while without becoming pregnant
No family doctor? In most provinces, 811 connects you with a provincial health line that can tell you about services near you.
Preconception courses: your questions
When should I start taking folic acid?
Health Canada advises a daily multivitamin with 0.4 mg (400 mcg) of folic acid for anyone who could become pregnant, so ideally well before you start trying, then throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Can I get enough folate from food instead?
Folate-rich foods such as leafy greens, legumes and oranges are worth eating, but Health Canada's advice is to take the multivitamin as well, because the amount needed early in pregnancy is hard to be sure of from food alone.
Do I need a vitamin D supplement before pregnancy?
For people aged 2 to 50, Health Canada says vitamin D can come from food or a 400 IU (10 mcg) supplement. Many multivitamins already include it, so check the label before adding another product.
Is it okay to drink alcohol while trying to conceive?
Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health says there is no known safe amount of alcohol when you are trying to conceive or are pregnant, so the safest choice is not to drink.
Are the courses useful for partners?
Yes. Food, alcohol, activity and sleep habits are easier to change together, and the planners can be shared.
Can the courses advise on fertility treatment?
No. They focus on everyday health before pregnancy. Questions about fertility testing or treatment belong with your family doctor, nurse practitioner or a fertility clinic.
Official sources
- Canada's Dietary Guidelines: Advice on vitamin and mineral supplementation
- Canada's Food Guide: Healthy eating when pregnant and breastfeeding
- Public Health Agency of Canada: Healthy pregnancy guide
- Health Canada: Mercury in fish, questions and answers
- Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction: Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health
Get ready before you start trying
Check your multivitamin label for 0.4 mg of folic acid today, then start the 12-week planner.