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Why we don't do one-and-done
There are fertility supplements that promise to do everything in a single capsule or sachet. The appeal is obvious: simplicity, one product, one decision. But the promise doesn't survive scrutiny.
The fundamental problem is physics. A capsule has a fixed amount of space. If you try to include a meaningful dose of CoQ10 (200mg+ daily), a meaningful dose of omega-3 (660mg DHA), a meaningful dose of myo-inositol (4g daily) and a complete multinutrient providing iron, folate, iodine, choline and B12, all in one product, something has to give. Either the capsules become impractically large, the daily count becomes unreasonable, or, most commonly, the doses are cut to the point where they are no longer at the levels the evidence supports. A product that lists CoQ10 at 30mg, myo-inositol at 200mg or omega-3 at 100mg is not providing those nutrients at evidence-based doses. It is just giving the impression of completeness.
Some products counter this by claiming that liposomal delivery means lower doses are still effective: that wrapping nutrients in a lipid layer improves absorption enough to compensate. It's a plausible-sounding argument, and for some individual nutrients there is limited evidence of improved absorption. But 'some evidence of improved absorption for some nutrients' is a long way from 'we can therefore use lower doses of everything in our formula and it will be equivalent.' That extrapolation has not been directly tested in the context of a combined fertility supplement. It hasn't been tested at the doses used, in the combinations used, or in the outcomes that matter: conception rates, IVF outcomes, nutrient sufficiency in pregnancy. The liposomal claim is being used to justify lower doses without the evidence to support that justification. When it comes to your fertility, 'probably fine' is not a high enough standard for us.
Our approach is different. Fundamental Woman is a complete prenatal multinutrient, providing every nutrient you need as a foundation — folate, B12, iron, iodine, choline, K2 and more — in the right forms and at meaningful doses. CoQ10, omega-3, myo-inositol and magnesium are offered as standalone supplements, each at the dose the evidence supports, so you can build a routine that is right for your circumstances. If you don't need myo-inositol, you don't take it. If you are preparing for IVF and want 800mg of CoQ10 daily, that option is there.
This is not a more complicated approach. It is a more honest one.
The prenatal foundation: Fundamental Woman
A prenatal supplement is only as good as the forms and doses it uses. Here is exactly what Fundamental Woman provides, and why each choice was made.
| Nutrient | Form | Daily dose | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folate | 5-MTHF (methylfolate) | 400µg | The active form, ready for the body to use directly. Folic acid requires conversion — a step that a significant proportion of women cannot complete efficiently due to MTHFR gene variants. |
| Vitamin B12 | Methylcobalamin | 200µg | The naturally occurring form. Cyanocobalamin, the most common form used in supplements, is synthetic and requires conversion before the body can use it. |
| Iron | Ferrous bisglycinate | 15mg | Chelated iron, well tolerated and well absorbed. Ferrous sulphate — the form used in most standard prenatals — is associated with the digestive side effects many women associate with prenatal supplements. |
| Iodine | Knotted kelp | 150µg | Essential for thyroid function and fetal brain development. Frequently omitted from prenatals entirely. |
| Choline | Choline bitartrate | 250mg | Critical for neural tube development and increasingly recognised as important preconception. Often absent from prenatal formulas despite growing evidence. |
| Vitamin K2 | Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) | 90µg | The most bioavailable form of K2, supporting calcium metabolism alongside vitamin D. |
How Fundamental Woman compares
The table below compares Fundamental Woman with two widely used alternatives: Zita West Vitafem, a premium fertility-focused supplement, and Pregnacare Original, the UK's bestselling prenatal.
| Fertility Hero Fundamental Woman | Zita West Vitafem | Pregnacare Original | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folate form | 5-MTHF (methylfolate) ✓ | 5-MTHF (methylfolate) ✓ | Folic acid ✗ |
| B12 form | Methylcobalamin ✓ | Methylcobalamin ✓ | Cyanocobalamin ✗ |
| Iron form | Ferrous bisglycinate ✓ | Ferrous fumarate ~ | Ferrous fumarate ~ |
| Iodine | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Choline | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | No ✗ |
| Vitamin K2 (MK-7) | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | K1 only ~ |
| CoQ10 | Standalone — meaningful dose ✓ | Token amount in formula ~ | No ✗ |
| Omega-3 | Coming soon | Separate product needed | Separate product needed |
| Magnesium stearate | No ✓ | Yes ✗ | Yes ✗ |
| Silicon dioxide | No ✓ | Yes ✗ | Yes ✗ |
| Monthly price | £32 | £35 | £8 |
~ indicates the ingredient is present but in a less preferred form, or at a level unlikely to be nutritionally meaningful.
Based on publicly available ingredient information as of March 2026. We update this table regularly but encourage you to check current labels directly.
CoQ10: why dose matters
CoQ10 is the most researched standalone supplement for egg quality. It plays a critical role in mitochondrial energy production — the process that powers egg maturation and early embryo development. Egg cells contain more mitochondria than almost any other cell in the body, making them particularly dependent on CoQ10.
Natural CoQ10 levels decline with age, which is one reason egg quality also declines. Supplementation aims to support mitochondrial function during the critical 90-day window before ovulation.
Studies exploring CoQ10 in the context of IVF and egg quality have typically used doses of 200–600mg per day. A 2018 trial found that 600mg daily over 60 days improved ovarian response and embryo quality in women undergoing IVF.
We offer CoQ10 as a standalone supplement in two dose options, so you can choose what is appropriate for your circumstances.
| CoQ10 200mg | CoQ10 400mg | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily dose | 400mg (1 x 200mg capsule, twice daily with food) | 800mg (1 x 400mg capsule, twice daily with food) |
| CoQ10 form | Yeast-fermented ubiquinone | Yeast-fermented ubiquinone |
| Who it is for | Women under 35, men, general preconception support | Women over 35 or preparing for IVF |
Some of the most forward-thinking fertility clinics — including CCRM, consistently ranked among the leading IVF networks in the world — use protocols that go higher still, up to 800mg daily. This is the dose I took myself during my own IVF journey, informed by what the evidence and the best clinical practice pointed to at the time.
CoQ10 has a well-established safety profile. Studies have found daily doses in excess of 1,200mg to be well tolerated, with no serious adverse effects reported. The limiting factor on dose is therefore not safety but practicality and cost — which is why we offer two options rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Why we use yeast-fermented ubiquinone
There is considerable marketing noise around ubiquinol versus ubiquinone. Ubiquinol is the active, reduced form; ubiquinone requires conversion by the body. Many products use this distinction to charge significantly more.
The evidence that ubiquinol is meaningfully superior at equivalent doses in healthy adults is limited. What matters more is the quality of manufacture and the dose. We use pharmaceutical-grade, yeast-fermented ubiquinone — the same form used in the majority of fertility research studies — at doses that reflect what has actually been studied.
Why CoQ10 is a standalone
Including a meaningful dose of CoQ10 in Fundamental Woman would require either significantly larger capsules, more capsules per day, or reducing other nutrients to make space. None of those is acceptable. A standalone gives you a clinically meaningful dose, the flexibility to choose the right level for your circumstances, and the ability to adjust as your needs change.
Myo-inositol: why 4g matters
Myo-inositol is increasingly recognised as one of the most evidence-backed supplements for women preparing for conception, particularly those with PCOS or preparing for IVF. It plays a role in insulin signalling, ovarian function and egg quality, and the dose used consistently across the research is 4g per day.
The problem is that myo-inositol appears in many combined fertility supplements — but almost always at doses far below 4g. Including a meaningful dose in a multinutrient would require either a very large capsule count or compromising on other nutrients. Neither is acceptable.
That is why we offer myo-inositol as a standalone supplement at the full 4g evidence-based dose — so that women who need it get the amount that has actually been studied, without dilution or compromise. Coming soon.
Omega-3: dose is everything
Many supplements include omega-3 at doses too low to be meaningful. Our omega-3 (coming soon) will provide 660mg DHA and 440mg EPA per daily serving — doses informed by published research and by levels commonly referenced in fertility clinic settings.
A note on what we don't include
We don't include magnesium in Fundamental Woman. A meaningful dose of magnesium bisglycinate would significantly increase the capsule count or capsule size without delivering the flexibility many people need around timing. We offer magnesium as a standalone supplement, which allows you to take it separately — many people find it works well in the evening.
We also don't include CoQ10 in the multinutrient for the same reason. Modular supplements, thoughtfully dosed, rather than everything crammed into one capsule.