What is the amount of folic acid you are meant to get?

[NATALIE81]

Hi All,

I found out i was pregnant on 9th January and it said i was 1-2 weeks on the conception indicator on the test. all the preg calculators say i am in my 5th week of preg as my 1st day of last period as 13th dec. My estimated delivery date is 19th September.

I'm a bit worried about folic acid and the fact that it says you should take it for 3 months before even getting pregnant, and i'm worried that because i am technically on week 5 and that the spine and brain is starting to form already and i have only taken the folic acid for a week I started taking it the day i found out that i was pregnant. I'm worried there might not be enough of it built up in my system yet to do any good etc.

Plus there seems to be many differnet schools of thought on the amount of folic acid you should get. Many books say 400mcg which is the amount i'm taking but other sites i have looked on say between 600-800mcg a day. I took my tablets to show my doc when i went on tuesday and he said they were fine but i'm not sure now.

How much folic acid are you all getting? My first appintment at the midwifes is not until 3rd feb which seems like a long time so i can't ask them for advice until then.

any help thankfully received

 

[evie_smith]

im sure it will be fine bab, loads of woem dont find out they are pregnant till like 10 weeks ect and then they take it, it is good to take and does reduce risk of things but the difference is so minor its unbeleable just take one a day from now on and you will be fine x x

 

[mrsH2009]

I took pregnacare as soon as I found out I was preg! Our baby was a suprise so I wasn't taking 3 month prior and really stressed about this I spoke to the doctor about it and was told that certain foods contain it anyway so not to panic, for example it's added to breakfast cereals

 

[FebMum2Be]

I didn't get mine until my booking in app (around 10-11 weeks) I did ring doctors and asked should I get it myself before my app with the midwife and they said to wait until I seen her.. I took one a day until my 14 week scan and doctor told me I could stop x

 

[ickleprawn]

I wouldn't worry about it too much - my mum never took it at all with my and my bro and we're fine! My brother's girlfriend didn't know she was pg until 16 weeks and her little girl is fine... You're supposed to take 400mg or whatever the measurement is. I take Sainsbury's Mum and Bump as is loads cheaper than the others and the docs siad is fine as long as I'm taking it. There is also folic acid in some foods - breakfast cereals, sprouts, beans, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, oranges etc. Hope this helps you feel better!

Congratulations by the way!!!

 

[MrsRicho]

Please don't worry like another poster said some people don't find out until later on in their pregnancy. With my 2nd I didn't find out until I was 16weeks so never ever took floic acid and my little boy was totally fine.

I started taking it as soon as I found out with this pregnancy and am only taking tesco's on folic acid, think they are 400.

 

[Lovisa]

Hi hun,
Congrats and I wish you all the best.
400mcg is the recommended dose, so if you are taking folic acid tables you only need to take just one tablet a day.
Certain days you will get slightly more folic acid than others that is cause foods we eat contain some.
It is totally safe to take the recommended dose of the tablet aswell as intake the folic acid from the food that you eat.

Don't stress yourself hun, there are plenty of people who have concieved and gone through the whole pregnancy without taking any folic acid tablets or supplements meant for pregnancies.
You will be fine

 

[Piglet10]

doc told me 400 micrograms.... give your gp a ring!! xx

 

[NATALIE81]

thanks guys for all the encouraging messages! my husband thinks i worry too much anyway lol and atleast i have been taking the folic acid and other vitamins in the sanatogen mother to be tablets since the day that i found out so i do feel better about it now. thanks ladies!!

 

[rdee75]

On the subject of folic acid....the doc's say take for first trimester but the tablets (Pregnacare) say throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. I guess they just want the money!

Is there any harm if they're taken throughout pregnancy or should I stop after 12 weeks?

 

[Piglet10]

no they do no harm. folic acid doesnt do you or baby any harm or much good either lol its just good in first 12 weeks of preg for placenta. Pointless taking a folic acid supplement much after that but if part of a multivitamin i would take them x