Patterns of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplement use prior to and during pregnancy

At the antenatal clinic, 211 women were interviewed to assess vitamin, mineral and herbal use pre‐conceptually and in the three trimesters of pregnancy. The majority of women (62%) used both a vitamin or mineral supplement and a herbal preparation during the course of pregnancy. Folate (70%), iron (38%) and multivitamins (27%) were the vitamin and mineral supplements most frequently taken by pregnant women. Ginger (20%) and raspberry leaf (9%) were the most frequently used herbal preparations. Women relied on advice from friends and relatives in deciding to use herbal preparations.