Folic Acid in 2nd trimester

[spannermary]

So I'm 15+1 and down to my final Folic acid tablet. The back of the pack says they are important up to 12 weeks. Does anyone know if there are benefits to taking them throughout pregnancy? Thanks!

the only reasons for taking them in the first 12 weeks is to prevent spinal problems but the neural tube has closed by 12 weeks so there is no major benefit taking them beyond 12 weeks. However there is no reason why you should avoid them either, especially if you have (like me) paid out for them and had a load left over! Also in all the pregnancy multi vitamins folic acid seems to be in them too

No major benefit to taking them past 12 weeks.

There is some evidence that taking them past that might make your nausea and vomiting last longer.

Don't think so. You only get them prescribed for free for the first 12 weeks, so I assume the benefits stop after that.

Glad you asked that Ive been wondering myself :)

I'm taking Pregnacare Plus all through my pregnancy as it has all the vitamins (incl iron) that I and baby need.

i stopped taking superdrugs equivelent of pregnecare after a week. The amount of iron in it made me even more ill :( With a healthy diet you can't go wrong

I too take pregnacare plus all throughout (am 29 weeks + 1 day) and took the pregnacare conception before falling pregnant. Won't do any harm if you want to continue. Taking the pills is like second nature now.

I swear by the Pregnacare plus tablets with the additional omega 3 oils! May just be coincidence but I have an 18mth old Daughter who is reaching most of the milestones for a 3.5yr old already and I'm wondering if we can partly put it down to the fact that I took these tabs all the way thru my pregnancy?! Am pregnant again and have done same so will have to see with this baby I guess! (prob just coincidence though omega 3's are proven to aid brain and eye development in the womb.)
As above, I don't think that folic acid alone is particularly helpful after the first trimester though doesn't do any harm. Think alot of the other vitamins in the pregnancy multivits are more helpful, though if you're getting a good and balanced diet some would argue that that's enough?! Midwife did say to me though that she'd had very few women with probs associated with low iron levels that were taking pregnancy multivits all the way through.

There's no reason I know of why you should stop taking them.... they made my nausea much, much worse which I didn't realise until I finished my last packet at 16 weeks and suddenly felt a bit high without the constant sea sickness.

I am on 630 mgs of iron per day, plus I am taking Pregnacare. I did check with my doctor who said that it's absolutely fine to take both. However I am just wondering if anyone else is taking both?