2007-02-03 10:06:25 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Trying to Conceive
"How much do I need?
A month before you start trying to get pregnant, you should be taking 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid a day to reduce your baby's risk of neural tube defects. (Your baby's neural tube starts to develop about three weeks after conception, which is about as soon as you're likely to find out you're pregnant.) In fact, since half of pregnancies are unplanned, the U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age get 400 mcg of folic acid each day.
Once you're pregnant, you'll need at least 600 mcg daily, although many practitioners suggest 800 mcg and some prenatal vitamins contain 1,000 mcg. Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, so your body will flush out the excess if you take too much. For some women, there's an exception to this rule; getting too much folate may hide a B12 deficiency. It's uncommon to be low in B12 if you're a healthy young woman with a varied diet, but it can be a problem for you if you're a vegetarian, particularly if you don't consume dairy products. Ask your healthcare provider if you think you may be at risk.
If you're overweight or obese (with a body mass index (BMI) over 25), you may have lower blood folate levels than smaller women, according to one study. Overweight women's babies also have a higher rate of neural tube defects, and although it's still unclear what the connection is between weight, lower folate levels, and NTDs, it doesn't hurt to start taking 1,000 mcg folic acid in a supplement form before you conceive and keep it up through pregnancy, says Paula Bernstein, an ob-gyn at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Women who've had a child with a neural tube defect have a significantly higher risk of having a second with the same defect. Healthcare providers now advise these women to take ten times as much folic acid — 4,000 mcg or 4 milligrams (mg) — starting one month before conception and continuing through the first three months of pregnancy. See your practitioner for a prescription for the supplement if you fall into this category."
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/476.html
So I would say that if your pre-natals don't seem to be giving you what you need then you should take folic acid on the side!!!
2007-02-03 13:42:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had trouble swallowing the prenatal vitamins too. They're so big! I found these gummy prenatals advertised in a magazine at my doctor's office and that's what I use now. They're really tasty and they have DHA in them so you don't have to take anything extra. They're called vitafusion prenatal gummy vitamins and you can find them at target for like 10 bucks. I'm sure that the flintstones will be fine until you can get the vitamins you want. I've heard of a lot of women taking those instead.
2016-05-24 00:28:12 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No you don't need to. By taking 400mgs of folic acid a day for at least one month before trying to concieve and during your first trimester, you can cut your changes of having a baby with neural-tube defects such as spina bifida by up to 70%. A prenatal vitemine you can get from your obgyn is the best ones. For they not only help with pregnancy, but it allows your hair and nails to grow. That's why most women take them. Talk to you doctor about a decent prenatal vitemine that's right for you.
2007-02-03 10:18:27 · answer #3 · answered by ~M*a*N*d*Y~ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My wife took folic acid along with the pre-natal religiously. I'm not sure of the milligram but it was recommended by her OB/GYN.
2007-02-03 11:06:34 · answer #4 · answered by Fatherof2 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pre-natal vit. are really prescribed and recommended for mothers assuming you eat poorly. I took an OTC vitamin because prescription were too high in iron and left me constipated (do we really need anymore discomfort while prego?!) For extra Folic eat avocados, spinach- rich, dark, leafy lettuce is also good (ie. kelp, red leaf lettuce). Don't forget fatty aminos and Omega-3!
2007-02-03 10:19:46 · answer #5 · answered by josie1126 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask your doctor
Look at orange juice, that has folic acid in it
Congratulations
2007-02-03 10:18:40 · answer #6 · answered by Halo Mom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to eat a proper, balanced diet of real whole fresh food. Folic acid is found in cabbages and broccoli.
2007-02-03 10:10:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
your prenantal vitamins give you everything that you need, including folic acid.
2007-02-03 10:15:30 · answer #8 · answered by Brittany 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's in the prenatal.Don't take any extra vitamins unless your doctor tells you to.
2007-02-03 10:12:33 · answer #9 · answered by dog8it 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No it should have it already in there. Check and make sure. Good Luck.
Ash
2007-02-03 10:12:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋