What Do Preconception Vitamins Actually Do? A Simple Guide to Supporting Fertility Naturally

The Journey Begins Before Conception

You're ready to start a family—or maybe you've been trying for a while and wondering why it’s taking longer than expected. Either way, you're not alone. Many couples don’t realise that preparing for pregnancy before it happens can significantly increase their chances of success.

And no, this isn’t about doing everything “perfectly.” It’s about supporting your body, to do what it’s naturally designed to do.

So if you’re wondering what do preconception vitamins do and whether they’re worth the effort, let’s unpack how it works in simple, empowering terms—for both women and men.

What’s Happening in Your Body During the Preconception Phase

Think of preconception as a training period before the main event.

For women, this is when eggs are maturing inside the ovaries. Contrary to popular belief, egg development doesn't just happen at ovulation—it starts about 90-120 days beforehand. During this time, your follicles grow, hormones fluctuate, and your body prepares the ideal environment for fertilisation and implantation.

For men, the process is just as vital. Sperm takes around 74 days to develop, meaning what you eat and how you support your health today impacts sperm quality two to three months from now.

So while it might seem like nothing’s happening yet… everything is.

This is exactly why a well-designed preconception vitamin taken at least 3 months before trying to conceive can make such a difference.

The Building Blocks: How Preconception Nutrients Support Fertility

A quality preconception multi isn’t just a generic multivitamin. It’s tailored to support the specific processes that influence fertility—hormone regulation, egg and sperm quality, detoxification, and energy production.

Here’s how some of the most important nutrients work:

✅ Activated B Vitamins (like B6, B12 and Folate as Quatrefolic®)

These are powerful for energy metabolism, DNA synthesis, hormone balance, and reducing homocysteine—an amino acid that, when elevated, may affect implantation and miscarriage risk.

Activated forms mean your body can use them immediately, without needing to convert them first (which is especially important for people with MTHFR gene variants).

✅ Iodine

Supports healthy thyroid function—and the thyroid influences everything from ovulation to embryo development. Suboptimal iodine levels have been linked to menstrual irregularities and decreased sperm quality.

✅ Zinc

Zinc plays a key role in cell division, making it vital for egg maturation and sperm formation. For men, zinc supports testosterone levels and has been linked to improved sperm count and motility.

✅ Antioxidants (like selenium, vitamin C and E)

Oxidative stress is a major enemy of fertility. It can damage eggs and sperm, hinder fertilisation, and even affect embryo development. Antioxidants help neutralise free radicals, helping protect reproductive cells and DNA integrity.

✅ CoQ10 (often included in practitioner-grade multis - like NaturoBest)

CoQ10 supports mitochondrial function—aka the energy factories in your cells. Eggs are highly dependent on mitochondrial energy for successful fertilisation and division.

Why the 3+ Month Window Matters

If you’ve heard the advice to start preconception vitamins three months before trying to conceive, it’s not just an arbitrary number.

As mentioned earlier, both egg and sperm take around 90–100 days to mature, meaning the health of that future embryo is directly influenced by your nutritional status during this window.

Think of it as laying the foundation for a house. You wouldn’t pour the concrete after the walls are up. You’d start early—so everything built on top has the best chance of standing strong.

By starting early, you’re giving your body time to:

• Improve nutrient stores
  
  

• Reduce inflammation and oxidative stress
  
  

• Support hormone balance
  
  

• Optimise reproductive cell quality
  
  

And while there’s never a guarantee with conception, creating a well-supported internal environment significantly improves your odds of a healthy pregnancy.

The Shared Responsibility: Men's Health Matters Too

Fertility is often viewed as a “women’s issue,” but research shows that male factor infertility contributes to 40–50% of all cases.

Men’s nutritional status can impact:

• Sperm count and shape
  
  

• Motility (how well they swim)
  
  

• DNA fragmentation (which may affect fertilisation and miscarriage risk)
  
  

A dedicated Preconception Multi for Men helps support sperm development, testosterone production, and overall reproductive function. When both partners commit to this preparation period, it becomes a powerful act of teamwork—and love.

Following a Preconception Care Plan

Trying to conceive can be emotional. The hope, the waiting, the questions that spiral after every cycle.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially when you’re doing “all the right things” and still not seeing results.

But the beauty of this preconception window is that it gives you back a sense of control.

You’re not just waiting—you’re actively preparing.

You’re giving your body the nutrients it needs to do what it was designed to do.

You’re supporting your partner’s health too, creating a shared path forward.

And you’re planting the seeds—not just for conception, but for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Final Thoughts: Support That Starts Before the Positive Test

So, what do preconception vitamins do?

• They fuel the behind-the-scenes processes that determine egg and sperm health.
• They support hormonal harmony, thyroid health, and detoxification.
• They protect your reproductive cells from stress and damage.
  
• And they help lay the groundwork for a smoother, healthier fertility journey.

When you’re wondering how to get pregnant naturally, a targeted preconception multi, formulated with nutrients in their most absorbable forms, is one of the simplest, most impactful first steps you can take.

Whether you're just beginning or have been trying for a while, it’s never too early (or too late) to start supporting your body and your future baby.

Click here to learn more about Preconception Multi for Women and Preconception Multi for Men, and how they can support your journey to parenthood, naturally.