if I'm pregnant or trying to, is it ok to take 5 mg of folic acid?

Question

After a lot of research I learned that the general recommended dose of folic acid is between 400-800 mcg daily.many know websites also mentioned that a woman who is planning to get pregnant should take 5 mg daily (5000 mcg) there are no known effects or side effects of folic acid. is it also ok to be taking 5 mg during pregnancy? anyone who has kids please tell me if u took folic acid and what dosage

Answer 1

Hello there.
You are right that Folic Acid (Folate) is vitally important to a woman who is planning on becoming pregnant or for a woman who is pregnant. 800 to 1000 mcgs is appropriate.
In the human embryo the closure of the neural tube occurs around 30 days after conception, many women are not aware at that point that they are pregnant. Even if they do know that they are pregnant they might not have started taking supplements yet. That is why it is so importnat for women to start taking folic acid if they think that they might become pregnant. Even if they are not actively trying. If the neural tube does not close things like Encephalocele and anencephaly (the absense of a brain causing still birth) and spinal bifida can occur.
Because these things can occur even before the mother may know that she is pregnant it has led to the FDA's decision to fortify foods with folic acid. Since the addition of folic acid in grain based foods as mandated by the FDA between 1998 and 2001 the rate of neural tube defects has dropped by 25% in the US.
The tricky part is that neural tube defects can occur in an embryo before a woman realizes she's pregnant. That's why it's important for all women of childbearing age (15 to 45) to include folate in their diets: If they get pregnant, it reduces the chance of the baby having a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord.
Folate's potential to reduce the risk of neural tube defects is so important that the Food and Drug Administration requires food manufacturers to fortify enriched grain products with folic acid. This will give women one way to get sufficient folate: by eating fortified breads and other grain products, such as enriched pasta, rice, waffles and cereal bars. Cereal, flour, grain and corn meal are also fortified.
It is important to realize that folic acid is also naturally occuring in many foods like chicken liver (770 mcgs.) and black beans (128 mcg.) so it is a good idea to include foods like those in your diet. You can read on the Internet which foods are high in Folic Acid.
Remember that while folic acid does substantially reduce the risk of certain major birth defects it is not a magic wand, things can still go wrong. It is important enough though that women should definitely be paying attention to it.
My recommendation would be to start taking a good prenatal vitamin as soon as you begin thinking about getting pregnant, that way your body is in the best possible condition to be starting your pregnancy from the very beginning. Don't take chances with something as precious as your baby's health.
Also, spread the word, make sure that all women know the importance of Folic Acid in their diet and as part of their nutritional support thru a vitamin supplement.
BTW, it is important to continue this supplementation during the time that you are breastfeeding also.
I hope that I have been able to answer your question.
Love and Blessings
Lady Trinity~

Answer 2

Usually, it is recommended to take a prenatal vitamins and some doctors recommend an extra folic acid supplement. I would have to look to see what my dosage of folic acid is. I would definitely ask your doctor. I took about 1600 mcg daily before and 800 mcg now. I don't think it would hurt to take more but just to be sure always contact your doctors office if taking more than the recommended dosage. The reason why prenatals are recommended is they have the recommended dosage for pregnant woman (and though does not aide in fertility) and they help the woman get the nutrients her body needs before getting pregnant.

18 weeks pregnant. TTC for 6 years.

Answer 3

Yes, it is ok to take folic acid. In fact I took it the entire time I was pregnant also. I'm not sure of the dosage because I don't take them anymore, but from what I remember it was a pretty large tablet. You should still check with your OB/GYN just to ensure that you will have no complications by taking them. Sometimes, medicine that the baby would be fine taking might not be good for you to take depending on health issues.

Answer 4

I don't know this from experience but a friend of mine they ended up with twins when his wife was taking folic acid. The doctor told them they could have even ended up with triplets. So yes taking folic acid does help a lot. Call your doc and ask how much is ok. I don't remember what dose his wife took. Also its ok to take because its in a lot of multi-vitamins and my doctor told me to keep taking mine.

Answer 5

Wow....5MG is alot. When I first told my Dr I was ttc, she told me to take anywhere from 400mcg to 1MG. Then she wrote me a prescription for a 1MG tablet. I took that for 3 months or so while TTC and then she put me on prenatal vitamins when I got pregnant, they also contain 1MG of folic acid. If you ask me 5MG sounds like overkill. I don't think folic acid is one of those things where the more you take...the better. From everything I read and heard 1MG is the highest dose recommended. I'm no expert of course. You may want to check with your doctor....sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

Answer 6

Folic acid helps prevent heart and spinal defects. You should always take folic acid when you are pregnant. I take Onesource prenatal vitamins and it tells you right on the box about folic acid. All prenatal vitamins have it in them.

Answer 7

Folic acid is good, but that may be a little much. Consult your doctor on what's best for you. I would think 1,000 mcg is enough.

Answer 8

1

Answer 9

i have even heared its needed for most of the mothers to take some of that!

Answer 10

Yes it is fine