Folic Acid - trying for baby no.1

[itsnearlymytime]

Hey all,

My partner and I have decided we want to start trying for a baby August/September time. This will be our first baby.

I've read that you should take folic acid prior to trying for a baby, how many months before trying shall I start taking this? Is there anything we need to do in the meantime?

Thanks in advance

The recommendation is three months before trying :)

@Juno231 that's so helpful thank you so much ☺️ x

Sometimes the folic acid you buy over the counter isn't enough (for example if your bmi is not normal) - you would need to be prescribed a much higher dose from the doctors. I'm only classed as 'overweight' and I had to have 5mg a day compared to the 400mcg you can buy.

@grapestar oh really, my BMI is within my weight range so it says so would I be ok just taking it over the counter?

[quote itsnearlymytime]@grapestar oh really, my BMI is within my weight range so it says so would I be ok just taking it over the counter?[/quote]
@itsnearlymytime Should be absolutely fine 😊 as others have said, 3 months prior is the recommendation.
I took the Seven Seas “Trying For A Baby” vitamins for 3 months before we started TTC 😊

[quote itsnearlymytime]@grapestar oh really, my BMI is within my weight range so it says so would I be ok just taking it over the counter?[/quote]
Yeah as long as you are in the normal range you should be fine taking the over counter stuff. Good luck with trying

@BDavis okay amazing thank you I will try these out when the time comes - is there anything else I need to do in the meantime or just wait for that 3 months before :)

@grapestar thank you so much that's helpful :)

You could buy a pregnacare type of conception vitamin as has other vitamins as well as the folic acid.

Are you aiming for a summer baby?! We did opposite to you started end of Dec and wanted a Sept/Oct baby to be eldest in school year.

You don't have to wait to start taking them. Add in vitamin D as well.

@RenGreen ok awesome I will have a look at that, thank you!

Yes we are - anywhere from April onwards really so might even be June / July we start! Just depends when we're in our new house :)

@dementedpixie oh do you not? I didn't know if there was a reason to wait or not :) maybe I will start now then! Incase we decide to try earlier

[quote itsnearlymytime]@BDavis okay amazing thank you I will try these out when the time comes - is there anything else I need to do in the meantime or just wait for that 3 months before :) [/quote]
@itsnearlymytime I wouldn’t say so at all health wise 😊 for me I just tried to make sure I was being generally healthy 🤷🏻‍♀️
On a more practical level - its a really good time to have a look at finances etc. We started building up some savings to cover the cost of all the baby stuff we were hoping to be buying and to cover my loss of earnings while on maternity leave just to make things a bit easier. We also finished off all the bits and pieces in the house that we’d been putting off so that we would have much in the way of household expenses bar normal bills and any emergencies while I was on Mat leave 😊
And mentally, prepare for it to take time!!! We were incredibly lucky when we TTC but it only takes a quick glance at the Conception board on here to see that it’s really not always as quick as you hope. It’s drummed into you in school that if you have unprotected sex once you WILL get pregnant 🙄 in reality - Sod’s law says that if you’re 14 that is the case but when you’re wanting it it can take a bit longer than that 😊

@BDavis

Thank you! Yes we are the same we're due to move next month but we want everything up and ready before just incase it does happen quickly, hopefully it goes okay, but you can never be sure that's for sure! It is crazy how they tell you it's possible to get pregnant straight away at school, but you have such a few amount of days where it can actually happen!

I did about 2 months before I think. Got pregnant straight away!

@showersandflowers amazing! I'm just gonna start now :)