A healthy diet around pregnancy and breastfeeding, which provides adequate nutrients for the mother and her developing baby, is important to ensure optimal health for both. Suboptimal nutrient intakes—or intakes that are too high—can have a detrimental impact on the mother
and her infant in both the short and long term. Even with a healthy diet, supplementation of some vitamins is recommended to meet requirements. This article discusses key vitamins required around the time of pregnancy and during breastfeeding—folate and vitamins A, B and D—exploring how adequate intake can be ensured.