Missed 2 days of folic acid - should I worry?

[Ghost88]

Hi, I have been taken folic acid daily since I started trying for a baby, I fell pregnant within 6 weeks of coming off the pill.

I’m now 9 weeks tomorrow and missed my folic acid on Monday and Tuesday this week (just realised)

Should I be worried? Iv read all this stuff online about how it’s important for babies growth and now I’m going into panic mode x

No, it's most important before about 7 weeks anyway (hence why women TTC should be taking it as by the time many find out, the neural tube has already been formed). Just carry on as normal!

You get folic acid through your diet too, I'm sure you and baby will be fine.

Missing two days won't be harmful, honestly.

Agree with pps , try to relax and enjoy your pregnancy.

Congratulations by the way

I have missed my pregnacare a few days (probably 2 as well) there is no point in worrying about it as it will just add unnecessary stress.

I've heard that it's very rare to be low on folic acid, especially if you diet isn't too bad. The recommendation to take it in pregnancy is so that the few people who do have low folic acid get topped up.

@Ghost88 I posted an almost identical thread a few weeks ago! I was super worried because I'm diabetic which means I need more folic acid but honestly missing a few days isn't going to make a huge difference.

We put so much pressure on ourselves to do everything right but life just doesn't work that way! Don't be so hard on yourself, you're doing great mama

It's actually the opposite - most women are under the levels recommended as UK doesn't have fortification of flour etc. like some other countries (although it's actually in now I think, which is good news!).

From www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/14/folic-acid-to-be-added-to-flour-in-effort-to-reduce-serious-birth-defects

'Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said: “Three-quarters of 16- to 49-year-old women have folic acid levels below the new World Health Organization recommendation for women entering pregnancy. Fortifying flour with folic acid is an effective and safe measure to reduce the number of pregnancies affected by neural tube defect'

Thank you all so much for your messages, so reassuring.
Its crazy how much we worry about these things, I didnt give it 2 thoughts before I fell pregnant, and to be honest probably thought most mums-to-be were drama queens haha!!

How wrong was i!!!! I just want to make sure baby is healthy and im doing everything i can to help along the way! x

I was really rubbish at remembering to take it 🙈 I dread to think how many I missed. My diet is generally good though xx

You really don't need to worry about that. It's a recommendation not a prescription.

Your body stores a small amount in the liver, so it takes a few weeks to become deficient if the amount you eat/take is suddenly low. If you've been taking it for a while your levels should be good to start with so missing a couple of days wouldn't have an effect.

If you eat eggs / chicken you should be fine. The only time there’s a problem is if your diet is mostly vegan because folate found in plants isn’t as bio-available and so you might be deficient even before pregnancy (happens a lot in my specific culture) - talk to your mw and see what they recommend. Taking folic acid doesn’t just have benefits to the baby, it can (along with a calcium supplement ) help reduce the risk of complications such as preclampsia too.

Bless you OP X

No, you'll be fine. I never took it, wasn't offered it when I was pregnant and was perfectly well as was my baby.

You will be fine! It's only been in last 20 years the recommendation to take it.

I sometimes forget to take mine too. I imagine that a lot of women forget the odd days here and there - taking it whilst TTC, through pregnancy and then breastfeeding as well is a very long time. You're bound to forget sometimes.

No don't worry. I didn't take any in my second pregnancy as they made me feel sick!
Baby totally healthy 15 month old more

You and baby will be fine, shouldn’t make any difference as it’s only a couple of days. I didn’t find out I was pregnant till 16weeks so wasn’t taking folic acid at all, now have a perfect energetic 10month old walking round. Congratulations x

I never managed to keep any down as I had HG, DD is almost 3 and totally perfect. She was a surprise pregnancy too so I hadn't been taking prenatal vitamins either. If you have a relatively healthy diet with lots of whole foods you probably don't need the vitamins tbh, but missing two days won't do any harm just keep taking them when you remember.

I hate to jump in and derail - I hope you don't mind @Ghost88 , but I just wanted to add a sentence about the importance of taking folic acid in general.

Taking it pre pregnancy and in the first few weeks is incredibly important and has been proved vital to help prevent ntds , these can be devastating.

This isn't intented to worry the op , as she took hers around the 4-8 week mark and I'm also not looking to upset those that couldn't keep it down or didn't know that they were pregnant.

If you're ttc, take your FA. If you can keep it down , take it! If you find out you are expecting before 12 weeks, take it

@OvalCanvas - exactly! The people who post they haven’t taken FA in pregnancies and babies were ‘fine’ got lucky.

You’ll be fine. Due to very irregular periods and bleeding whilst pregnant I didn’t realise I was pregnant til past 12 weeks with both of my children, so hadn’t been taking folic acid but they’re both perfect.

Oops didn’t see the previous post! Obviously it’s best to take it daily but missing a couple of days won’t cause any problems