How long before TTC did you start taking folic acid?

[Firstimemam]

Hi all,

I've been taking it for about 3 weeks and I'm due my period today & wanted to start trying to conceive this cycle. Now I've read online I should be taking it 3 -6 months before.

Should I wait another two months?

I honestly feel like every single time there is a post, people tend to slate you each time. If you've got nothing nice or constructive to say, please move on. I really don't want to read nasty things today.

I think it was about a month before I started trying. Ended up taking 6 months anyway so was taking it for longer! Most people don't start taking it until they find out they're pregnant, so I wouldn't worry too much.

P.s. Boots do a combined one with Vit d, this is what I took.

I started taking it when I found out I was pregnant at about 4 - 5 weeks. (Now 17 weeks, all good so far).

I personally wouldn't delay TTC because of this but only you can make the decision. Lots of recommendations with pregnancy are based on ideal scenarios and are very conservative, but everything can be absolutely fine even if you don't manage everything "per plan". Just do what is right for you and your family and be kind to yourself as well.

I took it 5 weeks before I started my successful 2nd ivf cycle

This tjme, we've conceived naturally somehow and if not been taking it all. I bought a pregnacare one with omega 3 pretty much because it was easier to take 1 tablet than 3+

Apologies that my post looks like a 5 year old wrote it, I don't even know what's going on.

3 months or so, but you have already taken it for a month so it's all good! Also, I was extra cautious as I was 37 and DH 53.

I believe it is trye that it is only worth taking before conception... but as I said, you will have done, for at least a month! (If you conceive this month)

The majority of women aren't taking folic acid prior to conception so it's unlikely to be a problem. The three months prior is described as ideal, but I'm not sure researchers know yet exactly what time frames are best or through what mechanism supplementation helps. Possibly it's helpful in egg maturation as well as to the actual embryonic development, but it seems the fetus makes use of circulating plasma folate which is sort of an immediate thing (it doesn't bioaccumulate). Red blood cell folate is representative of folate status a couple of months or so before (I'm not sure of exact time frame but you could find out) but it seems like it's the plasma folate the fetus uses.

If you are due your period today the neural tube will start to close etc in a few weeks anyway if you conceive this cycle. I'd be happy to carry on, it's impossible to get absolutely everything "ideal".

I was drawn to reply though mostly by your last paragraph! I couldn't agree more. I don't want to derail your thread but I don't dare post much any more since under my previous username I was completely berated just for asking for support!

I started it about 2-3mths before stopping the pill.

I also saw my GP for a pre-conception check, but in the Uk, he seemed surprised that I bothered and provided little to no advice! I assumed it would be common to check if my vaccines were up to date (Rubella for example) or whether there was anything DH or I needed to do/have prior to TTC.

To add, that there is folic acid in asparagus, brussel srpouts, greens etc etc, so unless you diet is very poor, you would have been getting some folic acid.

If your are TTC, you are more aware of cycles etc anyway. Its more of a concern when the women has very irregular cycles, and isn't aware she is pregnant for weeks or months- by which time the neural tube has closed.

Yes, folic acid is in everything these days! Bread, cereal etc as well as the fresh stuff.

Don't worry and GOOD LUCK!

I started taking folic acid a week before having my coil taken out. Don’t stress yourself out too much, or delay unnecessarily. Many women don’t even start taking it until they’ve found out they are pregnant.

That being said, I’ve now been taking it for four months and not pregnant yet, so that’s ‘worked out’ in that sense.
Best of luck, I hope you get your BFP ASAP x

I took it for three months, but if you're taking it at all that's fine. I also ate lots of food that had folic acid in it naturally to boost my levels. Things like broccoli, chickpeas, hummus, spinach, lentils and cereal are all good sources. You can also look up recommended foods to help your partner (tomatoes are supposed to be good for men - my DH also had a diet of folic acid high food and decaf tea). Have a look on the NHS website for trying to conceive. I based any changes in our diet around their guidance. I'd also recommend taking vitamin D tablets (especially in lockdown). We both took pregnacare tablets (they do a male version) which has both of these vitamins in them.

I started it in the may when I went to see my GP about TTC, I stopped contraception in August. My GP didn't say anything about waiting a certain period of time before trying to conceive. I only had the gap I had because I needed to get other medication sorted and some blood tests organised.
Just for completeness, in addition to starting folic acid and vitamin D supplements my gp recommended making sure I was up to date with my cervical screening. Mine was due in the July so I made sure I got it booked in promptly which turned out to before I stopped contraception.

Never did

Thanks ladies! Sounds like we're good to go! I'm taking combined vitamins in which is also vitamin D and B12. I'm a vegetarian, so making sure that's ok too. My diet is very healthy and balanced in general I would say. I cook from scratch with different vegetables every night and have lots of different fruit at home as DS and everyone in the house enjoys it.

I didn't

I only took it when I found out I was pregnant.

First pregnancy: I didn't take it until I got a positive pregnancy test as she was a surprise baby
Second pregnancy: the month before
Don't worry, it is in loads of different types of foods too!

Do you combined vits have Vit a? If so this should be avoided. Good luck with ttc!

3 months before but it took 3 months to conceive, some people don't take it at all and start when they find out their pregnant so just start when you can.

It was about 1-2 weeks before we conceived, we were very lucky and conceived straight away. I started taking it when I had my period and the following week we DTD about 4 days before ovulation, then again 2 days before ovulation and then the day after. I have only taken Folic acid and Vitamin D supplements, I was Vitamin D deficient a long time before so I have a higher than average prescription for that so didn't want to take Pregnacare, etc as that also contains Vitamin D. I wish you luck x

I didn't take it at all until after I found out I was pregnant.

I started taking it at 6 weeks pregnant this time.

I stopped taking my pill one day and started on the pre-conception vitamins the next so it was about 5 weeks before conceiving.