Folic Acid - do I need a higher prescription?

[jaykay987]

I was just having a look at my local maternity delivery options (ever so slightly ahead of myself but trying to overcome my fear of hospitals!)

One hospital website says if you have BmI over 30 you need 5mg folic acid to be prescribed by your doctor, rather than 0.4mg if your BMi is les than 30. This should be taken from 8 weeks before conception through to 12weeks.

Has anyone heard this? Ideally I don't want to go to the doctor and tell him I'm ttc yet, as he won't want me to until I have lost weight (as my BmI is over 40)

I know I need to lose weight and am actively trying to lead a healthier lifestyle.

But has anyone heard this about folic acid?

I would go to see your doctor if you're worried. He can only advise you to loose weight before trying but you already know that you you should anyway. Plus it might be a good idea to hear the reasons you should wait in case you weren't aware of them all - then you can make a decision based on the facts.

Good luck!

I hadn't heard of it, but found this on the NHS website:

Some women have an increased risk of having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect, and are advised to take a higher dose of 5 milligrams (5mg) of folic acid each day until they are 12 weeks pregnant. Women have an increased risk if they:

?or their partner have a neural tube defect

?have had a previous pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect
?or their partner have a family history of neural tube defects
?have diabetes

In addition, women who are taking anti-epileptic medication should consult their GP for advice, as they may also need to take a higher dose of folic acid.

Also fold acid isn't always needed if you eat a lot of foods which are naturally high in it. So if you eat these foods and take a supplement too then you should be fine.