Let me say something that might ruffle a few feathers.
Most prenatals on the market are not good enough.
Not because they're harmful. But because they're doing the bare minimum in a window that demands so much more. A token dose of folic acid. Some iodine. A couple of B vitamins. Box ticked, product shipped.
And I get it - I'm a nutritionist, I know how expensive formulation is done properly. Cutting corners is easy. Margins are better. Most consumers don't know the difference.
But I do. And after years in clinic watching women prepare their bodies for conception and then going through my own extended conception journey, I couldn't keep recommending products I didn't fully believe in.
So let me tell you what actually matters in a preconception supplement. And why I formulated Natal Support the way I did.
The gap in the market
The problem starts with folic acid.
It's in almost every prenatal on the shelf, and yes - folate is non-negotiable in the preconception and early pregnancy window. Neural tube development begins before most women even know they're pregnant. This is not up for debate.
But here's what most formulas don't account for: up to 60% of women carry a variant of the MTHFR gene that impairs their ability to convert synthetic folic acid into its active, usable form, 5-MTHF. So they're taking their prenatal every day, feeling like they've got it covered, and their cells aren't actually getting what they need.
Natal Support uses methylfolate. The active form. Straight to the cells, no conversion required.
That's not a marketing claim. That's basic biochemistry.
What else your body needs preconception that most products skip
Iodine is chronically underrepresented in Australian prenatals despite being essential for foetal thyroid development and maternal thyroid function throughout conception and pregnancy. We included a meaningful, therapeutic dose.
Vitamin D3 - not a token gesture, an actual dose that moves the needle. Vitamin D receptor activity is involved in follicular development, implantation, and immune modulation in early pregnancy. Deficiency is endemic in women who are indoors, covered up, or living with chronic stress. Which, let's be honest, is most of us.
B6 in its active form, P-5-P — because again, conversion matters. B6 is critical for progesterone production and corpus luteum support in the luteal phase. If you're dealing with spotting before your period, short luteal phases, or PMS that floors you, B6 deserves a serious look.
Zinc - for oocyte (egg) quality, cell division, and immune function. Often depleted in women on hormonal contraception who are now trying to conceive.
The personal part
When I was going through IVF, I was taking Natal Support every single day.
Not because I thought it would override the medical process. But because I knew clinically and instinctively that my body was under significant physiological demand. Stimulated cycles, hormonal shifts, the sheer oxidative load of the process. My cells needed support. And I wanted to give them the best I had.
If you're in your preconception window right now, whether that's actively trying, preparing your body before you start, or navigating your own extended conception journey, Natal Support was made for this exact season.
Katherine x