Can I stop taking extra folic acid?

Question

I am 10 weeks as of tomorrow and have been taking extra folic acid since 6 months before I got pregnant. Is it safe to stop tomorrow on my 10th week but just keep taking my prenatal prescribed from my ob?

Answer 1

As long as your prenatal vitamin has at least 1 mg, or 1,000 mcg, of folic acid, you should not need to supplement with more unless your doctor specifically advises you to. If you are taking the extra folic acid at your doctor's instruction, I would call him or her, or your doctor's nurse to see if you are supposed to still be taking it. If you are only taking it because you thought it would be a good idea, you should be able to stop. My doctor has told me that the critical folic acid is the amount you have in your system at the time you conceive and for a few weeks thereafter. After that point, whether your baby will have neural tube defects is already decided and any more folic acid past what is in the standard prenatal is unnecessary and just secreted in your urine.

Answer 2

my ob told me to take 5mg folic acid only until week 15. then i started with the prenatal supplement.

the folic acid is very important in the 1st 3 months since that is when the neural tube (which later forms the brain and spine) is forming, and the folic acid helps prevent defects.

just stick with it another month or so. after that the folic acid in the prenatal supp should be enough.

Answer 3

Your prenatal vitamin should have enough folic acid in it. If your OB didn't tell you to continue with the extra dose, then I would say it is safe to quit taking it. On the other hand, what does it hurt to continue taking it throughout the entire pregnancy, I did. It isn't expensive and it certainly doesn't harm you or your baby.

Answer 4

Prenatal vitamins do have folic acid in them and I never was advised to take extra except for when I was planning on becoming pregnant.

The extra is to make sure you have enough in your body when you get pregnant. The pre-natal vitamins have a balance of everything you need, so I think you are safe to ditch the extra pills.

Answer 5

Is there a reason you had to start taking extra folic acid? Unless your doctor told you to take it, the folic acid in prenatal vitamins should be enough on its own.

Answer 6

I agree with everyone else... you should continue to take your prenatal vitamin throughout pregnancy and beyond (if you plan to breastfeed). As for the EXTRA folic acid that you are taking, ask your doctor at your appointment next week. 4mg of folic acid is quite a large dose and it may be that at 10 weeks you no longer need such a large dose and the 800 micrograms or so that is in your prenatal vitamin might be adequate. Please ask your doctor and follow his/her advice. There might be a reason he/she has you supplementing.

Answer 7

I'd talk to the doctor before stopping them as it is beneficial - apparently through-out the pregnancy and breastfeeding. But my doctor told me i didn't need to take extra folic acid tablets because my prenatal vitamins had an adequate supply so those alone are sufficient.

Congrats on 10wks! :)

Answer 8

If you have a prescription for prenatal vitamins then that is all you need to take. Your prenatal vitamins with have all the folic acid and nutrients you and the baby will need.

Answer 9

Absolutely not! Folic acid is very important until month 4, in which time your baby still needs it... but not as much..so you won't need the extra FA that that you are taking.

Answer 10

Should be as long as your vitamin has the right dose of folic acid for pregnancy. I would double check with your doctor though to be safe. He/she may have you on it for a specific reason. Good Luck!