Didn't take Folic Acid pre pregnancy and So So Terrified can anyone relate at all

[RedSetter24]

Hi, I'm three weeks pregnant and didn't take folic acid pre-pregnancy.
I have been taking it for the last 2 weeks. I feel so desperate and I'm in a Google wormhole now I realise the benefits of Folic Acid. I realise how stupid I've been. I genuinely thought it was a supplement that aided pregnancy I wasn't aware of its need pre-pregnancy. This now seems so stupid and it's everywhere being talked about. The more I'm finding out and researching the more scared I am that their neural tube with be affected. Has anyone got any positive stories of not taking it. I'm so worried I've doomed my baby and I'm terrified about any upcoming scans. I want to go back in time and don't know what to do

Folate and folic acid are the same. Folate is found in a lot of food and so if you’ve been eating a varied diet pre-pregnancy there shouldn’t be a problem.

Loads of people get pregnant by accident and don't take it until much later, try not to worry xx

I didn't either - I had given up on getting pregnant. LO is now 8 weeks old and always had a strong neck so no issues. I started taking pregnancy vitamins once I had a BFP.

Lots of food (bread, cereal) are now fortified with Folic Acid so it's likely that you'll have had some.

Try to relax, and stay away from google - pregnancy is long and hard x

I never took it pre pregnancy first time around, and only the dose in the pregnacare throughout pregnancy, ds is now 18mo and healthy as a horse. Didn't take it in advance this time round either and so far (30 weeks) baby is apparently fine. As pp mentioned, it's in lots of foods, particularly cereals. If your diet was good you will be fine.

Up to 50% of pregnancies are said to be unplanned, so obviously many women will not have been taking folic acid and will still have healthy babies.

Please try to put your mind at rest about this, pregnancy is full of anxious moments but I am sure your baby will be fine.

Don’t worry! Loads of people in this world did not receive folic acid via mother’s placenta and turned out just fine! My first I didn’t take any vitamins until a week after I knew I was pregnant. She is perfect and so smart, age 7.

It is more important to take it in the first trimester taking it when you are TTC is just a bit of advice try and relax about it.

I didn't take it during pregnancy. It made me feel ill.

I didn't take folic acid before either of my pregnancies. I did everything they tell you not to do while TTC like drinking etc Both kids are fine.

Looking at the grand scheme of things, the human race successfully managed to procreate healthy human beings for centuries before even knowing about the existence of folic acid.

There's no such thing as 3 weeks pregnant.

I didn't take folic acid before pregnancy. (Had been trying for years, all but given up.) Before I got pregnant, I'd been on roaccutane, I only came off it about 5-6 weeks before conceiving. (It causes dreadful birth defects & is considered incompatible with pregnancy.) I was also on another medication for a permanent health condition, this one significantly depletes all vitamin B levels, possibly resulting in neural tube defects, also another defect, which I wasn't aware of. I had to gradually come off the 2nd medication & take high dose folic acid throughout pregnancy, however I didn't manage to get the medication out of my system until about 9-10 weeks pregnant.

DD was born at full term, a very healthy weight, completely healthy.

Try not to stress about it. Lots of women don't realise they are pregnant until way after 3 weeks. If you are concerned you could ask for reassurance when you go for your scans - I did.

It's wanting something so much for so long then realising I may have caused harm. I knew it existed and was a good thing so why didn't I do it???? Struggling to overcome my own thought process, or lack off. I'm in a catastrophizing spiral, which I know I need to pull myself out of and I need to stop googling worst outcomes.

They don't add folate to food in the UK so mentally trying to think what I ate in the months running up to conceiving. I do eat a lot of bananas and loads of eggs.. I don't smoke or drink and my diets varied that's all got to be good.

The stats for Neural Tube Defects are 1 in 1000 that seems high. But you wouldn't find out until week 20 thats so scary

Thank you all for your kind responses and such fast replies. It means so much thank you

There's no such thing as 3 weeks pregnant.
Of course there is!

I’ve been a midwife for four years and have worked in a very busy unit (and trained for three years before that). I have never seen a TOP for neural tube defects. I work in community now and I probably meet 1 woman in 100 who starts folic acid pre pregnancy. And I’m fairly certain most of them don’t take it all that regularly. Tablets made me sick in pregnancy so I took next to no pregnancy vitamins FWIW.

If you’re going to make it through this pregnancy unscathed OP, you really need to get your anxiety in check. Are you currently receiving any support?

H TinyMystery, you're completely right regarding getting anxiety in check. I recognise this as well and I've contacted someone to talk it through. Thank you so much for that information it's really settling. The posts I've written are my inner panic I recognise my inner thoughts are extreme. Just shocked myself coming across an article regarding folic acid yesterday that I had no idea about. Then started googling

They do add folic acid to UK food! My Kellogg’s cereal has it noted on the box. As does my bread. Plus folate is in SO many foods, chances are if you are a varied diet you’ll have had plenty in your system anyway.

I have HG & I can barely keep water down let alone a folic acid tablet. I’m trying my best but it’s not easy. I was the same with my first & she’s a fit & healthy toddler. I also take anti-sickness meds which I can’t know for sure won’t affect my baby but it’s that or be in hospital my entire pregnancy.

You sound extremely anxious, do you have a good support system around you? Pregnancy is a long road, there are many things that can be worrying & there’s nothing you can do about it.. a lot of it is complete chance & you have to just let go and roll with it.. please seek some support from those around you or your GP.

This is the downside of google. I never heard of folic acid till I was 12 weeks pregnant. Two healthy now adult children. A brilliant book IMO is how to stop worrying and start living ( old book not related to pregnancy).

I did not take it pre-pregnancy as it was an unplanned pregnancy, I couldn't take it during pregnancy because my HG meant nothing stayed down - couldn't even swallow the tablets without being sick! Not ideal but had a lovely healthy baby boy. Just do the best you can with diet and recommended supplements from now on and try not to feel too anxious.

I think if you have a normal diet you'd get what you need anyway and as a PP said the first trimester is important. All will be fine

Ds was a pill baby, I took antibiotics and steroids at 3/4weeks bled from 6-8weeks, had hg so couldn’t hold down folic acid/iron tablets/anti emitics (oh sweet irony) id never taken folic acid before hand, didn’t know I was pregnant till I was 6w3d and that was random luck before being given a different contraindicated medication.

He’s 20weeks his head control and development has always been great he’s had a really strong neck since he was tiny. There was never a concern. Spaghetti hoops have folic acid added (UK) just noticed that two or three days ago so there’s definitely food with it added.

Like most things they want to give you the best start they can, any extra multivits we mostly just pee out but obviously some women will be deficient and they’ll need it more.

Breathe.. it’s easy until they’re coming out 😂. It doesn’t feel like it hg/spd/constant thrush and pre eclampsia but no one used my nipples as teethers.

@MyDCareMarvel no, there isn't.

The day your period is due you are 4 weeks pregnant. So you wouldn't be aware of a pregnancy at 3 weeks. It is not likely to show up on tests at that stage.

Now, I'm sure lots of people don't know this(if they've never had children) but a pregnant woman who has been googling to the extent the OP has not knowing the correct terminology for how far along she is strikes me as odd.

Sorry I do have to rephrase a little- you can of course be 3 weeks pregnant, like the poster above mentions that she took antibiotics at 3 weeks pregnant....but she's talking in retrospect. No-one would say "I'm 3 weeks pregnant" in present tense.

I took it for months before both pregnancies but I'm the only one I know who did! I took it mainly because a) I have friends with cleft lip and mild tube defects (conditions can have similar causes and chances reduced with folic acid) and b) I don't eat much natural folate as I'm gluten intolerant and avoid most of that food group.

My SIL didn't take it at all either time and my 2 nieces are perfectly happy and healthy girls aged 3 and 5.