Folic Acid - how long?

[Ellypoo]

Hi! I'm 16+5 pg, and still taking folic acid everyday - is this ok or should I stop? I was just chatting to a lady who is 19wks who said that you only need to take it up to 12 wks - is this correct? Is it ok to stop taking it or should I carry on? I forgot to ask my MW at my appointment this week

You only need to take it for 3 months. Obviously there are loads of pregnancy vitamins on the market to take all the way through, but if you have a good diet, they probably aren't necessary.

You only have to take it for 12 weeks, I'm still on mine because: a) I paid for them and I have some left. b) can't hurt

The twelve weeks is because taking folic acid reduces the chance of spina bifida and by twelve weeks the spinal cord has developed to the extent that it no longer makes any difference. Take them if you want to but you can stop

vitamin D you should take all the way through - have a look on the NHS choices website here I think that vitamin D by itself isn't easy to get hold of so you can just take the pregnacare/similar supplements all the way through because they don't have stuff in that you shouldn't be taking, like too much vitamin A, for example.

Hiya, you can keep taking them all the way through pregnancy and beyond and will get some benefit. I live in Costa Rica and the state health system here prescribes 1mg per day for the whole of pregnancy and while BFing. (I guess they worry that the diets here are not that good?)

Folic acid helps the absorption of other vitamins like iron, so you will benefit from it. It is extremely important pre-pregnancy/in the first 3 months because studies have proven that babies with spina bifida frequently were born to women with low levels of Folic Acid, however after this point the spina bifida risk is reduced, but folic acid still plays an important role in you and your babies health, like preventing anemia for instance.

if you have some left, keep taking them until you run out!