Healthy Start vouchers
If you are pregnant or have a child under four years old, you may qualify for Healthy Start vouchers to spend in local shops. You can spend the vouchers on milk, plain fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, and infant formula milk. The voucher now comes in the form of a debit card (see image), money will be loaded onto your card every 4 weeks automatically.
Healthy Start vitamins
Women and children who qualify for Healthy Start can also get free Healthy Start vitamins. These are specifically designed for pregnant and breastfeeding women and growing children. To obtain these free vitamins please show your healthy start debit card at any of the participating retailers below.
Healthy Start vitamins are available at these pharmacies:
ASDA PHARMACY HALESOWEN – Queensway, Halesowen, B63 4AB
GORNAL WOOD PHARMACY – Abbey Road, Gornal Wood, Dudley, DY3 2PG
MORRISONS PHARMACY – Charterfield Shopping Centre, Stallings Lane, Kingswinford, DY6 7SH
MURRAYS PHARMACY, QUEENSWAY – 57 Queensway, Halesowen, B63 4AG
PRIORY COMMUNITY PHARMACY – 95-97 Priory Road, Dudley, DY1 4EH
TESCO EXTRA PHARMACY – TOWN GATE RETAIL PARK – Birmingham Road, Dudley, DY1 4RP
VILLAGE PHARMACY – 9 Market Street, Kingswinford, DY6 9JS
SWINFORD PHARMACY – 90 Hagley Road, Oldswinford, DY8 1QU
BROADWAY PHARMACY – 95 The Broadway, Stourbridge, DY8 3HX
For further information, to see if you are eligible and to apply for the Healthy Start scheme please visit Healthy start.
Healthy diet and supplements
A healthy diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle at any time, but it’s especially important if you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
As well as a healthy diet you will also need to take a folic acid supplement. It’s recommended that you take 400 micrograms of folic acid each day while you are trying to get pregnant and until you are 12 weeks pregnant. The Department of Health also recommend that pregnant women consider taking a vitamin D supplement.
Read ‘healthy eating in pregnancy’ for more information.