Background/objectives: To assess vitamin D status during normal pregnancy and in the postpartum lactation period. Subjects/methods: The study comprised 141 healthy, ethnic Danish women with normal pregnancies, who were residents in Greater Copenhagen. Serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D 2 + D 3 (25-OH-vitamin D) was measured at 18, 32 and 39 weeks'gestation and 8 weeks postpartum. Results: There was a significant increase in 25-OH-vitamin D from 18 to 32 weeks'gestation (P = 0.0001) followed by a significant decrease from 32 to 39 weeks (P = 0.001) as well as from 39 weeks to 8 weeks postpartum (P < 0.0001). At 18, 32, 39 weeks'gestation and 8 weeks postpartum, median 25-OHvitamin D values were 77, 98, 91, and 73 nmol/L, respectively. During pregnancy and postpartum, none of the women displayed severe vitamin D deficiency (values < 13 nmol/L). Between 1.4 % and 4.3 % of the participants displayed moderate vitamin D deficiency (values 13 - 24 nmol/L), 16 - 19 % displayed vitamin D insufficiency (values 25 - 50 nmol/L), 77 - 84 % had values > 50 nmol/L and 0.7 - 2.8 % had values > 200 nmol/L. Conclusions: Low vitamin D status is frequent among pregnant Danish women, especially in late pregnancy and during lactation. Median dietary intake of vitamin D in women of reproductive age was 2.4 ì g/day (10 - 90 percentile range = 1.4 - 5.0). The recommendations for vitamin D supplementation prior to conception, during pregnancy and lactation should be reconsidered.