hayley352

girls,

i have been taking folic acid since sept 07. as nothing has happened yet do you think i should carry on taking it or give my body a break now and start again when i do concieve???

my friend said to me today that she was told you should only take it during thr first 3 months of pregnancy and that you do not need to take it whilst trying to concieve??

now im not sure...help!!

Beltane

"According to the CDC, Women who are TTC should consume about 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid every day. Adequate folic acid intake is very important 1 month before conception and at least 3 months afterward to potentially reduce birth defects"

Hope that helps!

Suz

I would keep taking it. It doesnt hurt anything... They say taking it atleast a year before getting pregnant is a good thing. I also thing you take it the entire time you are pregnant....

Jayne

Keep taking it. You don't need to give your body a "break" from folic acid, as it's good for you regardless of whether you're pregnant or not. Also, as others have already said, it's recommended that you take folic acid for as long as possible before conceiving and whilst it can only prevent defects in the first three months when the fetus is still forming, it's best to take it throughout your pregnancy anyway.

hayley352

thanks girls just wasnt sure after someone told a friend xx

Emmea12uk

Sorry to invade, but I thought I would offer a bit of an explanation into folic acid, as it is a subject that i feel strongly about.

First of all, within the first 30 days of conception, the neural tube developes and the spine forms around it. Sometime, a gap can form in the spine, causing the nerves within to poke out or get trapped, like a stuck zip. This is known as spinal bifida and the daily consumption of folic acid of at least 400 mg can prevent this happening by up to 75%.

Even a woman who is TTC and regularly testing can miss this vital first 30 days, so it is utterly essential that you take it when you are likely to get pregnant.

As a warning, I found out I was pregnant at three weeks, and by the time i got the tablets, it was too late. No one knows whether it is because I didn't take folic acid early enough or not, but now my baby has spinal bifida and will have leg/bowel/bladder and brain problems.

It isnt worth the risk. On the positive side, folic acid also decreases your chances of bowel cancer and has no known negative effects.

hayley352

thank you for that good advice x

tinkerbell123

Hi ive been ttc for 17 months now and still take folic acid xxx

porkpie1981

My granny is in her 80s and takes it for some reason so it mustnt do u any harm