Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

folic acid.....

43 replies

Donbean · 01/11/2005 19:35

been taking it on and off for about 6 months, some times a week between taking a pill.
Does this matter or is it absolutely vital to be taking it solidly, day in day out?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
BethAndHerBrood · 15/11/2005 13:47

thanks for that, aloha.

That'll teach me to read the label properly next time!!

aloha · 15/11/2005 12:45

Just double checked - in fact, women with a pior NTD are given 4mg -that's 4000mcg a day.

aloha · 15/11/2005 12:35

Beth - it's fine. Folic acid is harmless, and women who have had a baby with a neural tube defect are actually told to take 800 mcg in subsequent pregnancies.

Normsnockers · 15/11/2005 12:20

Message withdrawn

Normsnockers · 15/11/2005 12:17

Message withdrawn

BethAndHerBrood · 15/11/2005 11:50

Hi, can i ask a quick question?

I bought some folic acid to take, but i bought 800mcg, not 400mcg, by mistake. Can i take them as they are, or should i just take half a tablet daily?

TIA.

decafgirl · 15/11/2005 11:20

I know! they made me feel sick just looking at them. You must be well hard if you can swallow them! Unless of course you're crushing them and having them with jam! Ha ha.

Normsnockers · 15/11/2005 11:15

Message withdrawn

Normsnockers · 15/11/2005 11:15

Message withdrawn

decafgirl · 15/11/2005 11:10

Can I just add that women ttc or pg should not take a normal multivitamin supplement. They are not safe in pregnancy due to the vitamin A content. If you're going to take a multi tablet make sure it's aimed at pregnant women like pronatal. You can buy folic acid on it's own for about £1.50 though.

gloworm · 15/11/2005 11:07

I have a degree in Human Nutrition and just want to say that Janinlondon is 100% correct about needing to take folic acid BEFORE you get pregnant, and it would be virtually impossible to get 400ug from food in UK. Your baby may possibly be fine and not develop NTD if you dont take folic acid, but why take the chance? its only one a day, very small and easy to swallow, very cheap.

angelcake99 · 15/11/2005 10:48

Just wondering why women who live near land fill sites especially need to take folic acid? Does anyone know?

Normsnockers · 02/11/2005 16:44

Message withdrawn

hoxtonchick · 02/11/2005 16:35

ok, i have changed my opinion now!

janinlondon · 02/11/2005 14:59

At eight weeks the neural tube is fully formed, and you can no longer do anything to intervene to encourage or discourage normal formation. So yes, the doctors were right. As far as the risk of spina bifida is concerned, its all done and dusted by then. The only evidence I can speak about with confidence is the folic acid-neural tube defect evidence, but if folic acid does anything for a pregnancy after eight weeks, I am singularly uninformed about it.

Normsnockers · 02/11/2005 14:51

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Donbean · 02/11/2005 14:45

SO, to sumerise, it IS vital that i take it in pill form for 3 months pre conceptually.

That is what i did for my last pregnancy and that is what i aim to do for my next (God willing)
Thaks for all input, much appreciated.

OP posts:
janinlondon · 02/11/2005 14:41

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

compo · 02/11/2005 13:37

agree with cupcakes - it's nt expensive, it's a very small pill, no effort at all to take

aloha · 02/11/2005 13:36

yes, usually but not really enough - eg 200mcg rather than 400. but better than nothing, certainly.

bundle · 02/11/2005 13:32

not usually

Normsnockers · 02/11/2005 13:32

Message withdrawn

bundle · 02/11/2005 13:17
cupcakes · 02/11/2005 13:14

(of course, that only really implies if you are actively trying to get pregnant!)

cupcakes · 02/11/2005 13:13

I'm gung ho for folic acid. I try to take it for 3 months before trying to conceive. It's hardly an effort. I bought a pot of 90 pills at Sainsburys yesterday for something like £1.50. I can't see any reason for not taking it when the benefits could be so important.