Once you register for antenatal care in Nigeria, your doctor or midwife will usually start you on a set of “routine drugs”. These are not treatments for an illness. They are supplements and preventive medicines that fill nutritional gaps and protect you and your baby from common problems like anaemia, malaria and birth defects.
This guide explains the routine drugs for pregnancy, what each one does, when it is usually started and the foods that support them. Your doctor will tailor the exact list and doses to you, so always follow their prescription.
Pregnancy increases your need for several nutrients, especially folate, iron and calcium. A balanced diet is the foundation, but food alone often does not provide enough, particularly if you have nausea and vomiting, are carrying twins, or had low nutrient stores before pregnancy. Routine supplements close that gap.
Most pregnant women in Nigeria are given some or all of these:
Here is what each one does.
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is essential for your baby’s developing brain and spinal cord. Taking it lowers the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida, which form in the first weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant.
Your blood volume rises sharply in pregnancy, and your baby builds its own iron stores. Without enough iron you can develop anaemia, which causes tiredness and breathlessness and raises the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.
Calcium builds your baby’s bones and teeth. Where diets are low in calcium, supplements also help lower the risk of pre-eclampsia, a dangerous rise in blood pressure in pregnancy.
Many women take a prenatal multivitamin that combines several nutrients. Two worth knowing about:
Do not take extra vitamin A supplements or fish liver oil on top of a prenatal vitamin unless your doctor advises it. Too much vitamin A can harm your baby.
Malaria in pregnancy can cause severe anaemia in the mother, miscarriage, and low birth weight. In Nigeria, pregnant women are given intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), starting in the second trimester and repeated at antenatal visits, usually monthly, until delivery.
Also sleep under an insecticide-treated net every night. If you develop a fever, see a doctor promptly. Do not treat it yourself.
Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccination protects both you and your newborn from tetanus. The number of doses you need depends on your previous vaccinations.
Deworming with medicines such as albendazole or mebendazole may be given after the first trimester in areas where intestinal worms are common, to help prevent anaemia.
Some medicines are not safe in pregnancy. Read drugs to avoid during pregnancy, and learn more about why antenatal care matters and the best fruits and vegetables to eat during pregnancy.
Related: Benefits of Breastfeeding for Baby and Mother
What are routine drugs for pregnancy?
They are the supplements and preventive medicines given to most pregnant women at antenatal care: usually folic acid, iron, calcium, a prenatal multivitamin, malaria prevention (IPTp-SP) and tetanus vaccination.
When should I start taking folic acid?
Ideally before you start trying to get pregnant, and as soon as you know you are pregnant if you have not already started.
Can I take routine drugs in the first month of pregnancy?
Folic acid is especially important in the first month. Other routine drugs, such as malaria prevention, are started later in pregnancy. Your doctor will tell you when to start each one.
Are routine drugs covered by my HMO?
It depends on your plan. Read does HMO cover pregnancy? to understand maternity cover and waiting periods.
Planning ahead? See the best HMO plans for families in Nigeria.
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from your doctor or midwife.
