Pregnacare Plus & Folic acid - advice please

[first1]

Just a bit curious of how long its safe to take folic acid in pregnancy. I've been taking pregnacare plus since 4 weeks under the knowledge that the pack says its safe to take throughout pregnancy/whilst breastfeeding. However an article in the daily mail yesterday along with my pregnancy guide/ "bible" says only take folic acid for the first trimester. I'm 12+5weeks so technically still got 2days of the first trimester to take it but very confused about the different recommendations between pregnacare and medical literature. Advice please!!

[reikizen]

Folic acid is perfectly safe to take throughout pregnancy, but is effective in preventing neural tube defects in the early stages of pregnancy whist these elements of the fetus are forming. There is a debate about the routine addition of folic acid to bread etc as there always is a difference of opinion when suggesting we 'medicate' indiscriminately (just like flouride).
P.S the Daily Mail is not medical literature, I would take EVERYTHING it says with a pinch of salt and source my information elsewhere. The NHS Choices website has a good section on 'behind the headlines' explaining science stories which are in the news.

[beaufies]

Totally agree with reikizen. Folic Acid is safe to take throughout pregnancy but it is particularly recommended for first trimester to reduce the risk of Spina Bifida.

You would be wise to at least take some kind of pregnancy multi vitamin throughout though as baby will take the nutrients it needs first and you will get what's left over, potentially leaving you depleted.

[TakeLovingChances]

From what I know from talking to a GP, folic acid is great for the first trimester, and if you take it any longer than that, ie, when you don't really need it your body will just pee it out and nothing bad will happen to you or baby.

Sure, don't forget, lots of breads and cereals have folic acid added to them and no one is worrying about eating those during pregnancy.

[Walnut8]

Hi first1. I'm really interested in this too! I didn't read it in the Daily Mail but I was sent this article on the study by a friend:

news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/folic-acid-linked-to-child-asthma-study-2009110 5-hy8c.html

It's only one study I know so they obviously need to do a bit more research into it but I've decided to cut down to taking vitamin supplements every third or so day (am 22 weeks).

[jlo1234]

aparantly its the most useful until you are 12 weeks and after that i dont think it does very much! i never took any at all and was in hospital a lot in early pregnancy and the doctors and nurses knew i wasnt taking it, but they didnt see it as an issue.

my friend was advised by her consultant to take someting like pregnacare just to help her stay as healthy as possible when she went for her 20 week scan, so i would say it is fine to take. i dont think they would sell it as a pregnancy vitamin if it wasnt safe

[first1]

Thanks walnut8! That article is a fuller version of the daily mail article. I'm confused! Seeing GP tomorrow so will ask for advice then and report back!

[tostaky]

In the Guardian last week they said that folic acid was essential before conception and during the first 12 week and that if taken after week 30, it increased the risk of asthma in babies by 40% i think?

Im currently 20weeks and i still have a pack of pregnacare + folic acid to take so what im doing is to take one every other day to space out the folic acid and then i'l;l buy prenats w/o it.
My partners has asthma so i want to try to minimise the chances of bub's getting it if at all possible.

[first1]

Yeah thats what the Mail said too tostaky. I'm going to continue taking pregnacare plus until about 24weeks I think, then take a multivit without folic acid. I'm late-onset asthmatic myself so definitely don't want to add to bub's risk of getting it.

[KarenAdie]

I was wondering about this too. I took folic acid before conception, then Pregnacare after I found out I was pregnant. I'm now 23 weeks, and haven't taken them since I read about the link with asthma. I'd still like to take a multivitamin though, but Boots didn't have any pregnancy supplements without folic acid, and the non-pregnancy ones are a bit different to pregnancy ones. Does anyone know of a suitable one?

[LouLouH]

If you are going to take a multi vit that is not specifically for pregnancy, be aware of ones that have vitamin A as this can be harmful when pregnant.