Low b12 in early pregnancy? Feeling worried :(

[Elise1983]

Hi everyone,

I’m about 7 weeks pregnant and this pregnancy has been a rollercoaster so far. Among other things, I had a threatened miscarriage early on and I have ulcerative colitis, for which I take sulfasalazine. I panicked last week because I found out sulfasalazine can lower folate levels, but I had my folate tested and it was okay. However, my B12 came back low. Not deficient, just on the very low end of normal.. however apparently there is controversy about what should be considered normal, and by some standards I am considered deficient. My number was 250pmol/L. I’m feeling very worried because of course I started googling and saw that low B12 levels can increase your chance of neural tube defects by 5! I’m just wondering if anyone else has experienced low B12 levels in early pregnancy, and did your baby turn out okay? Thank you in advance!

I should add, my doctor didn’t seem too concerned about it, but I don’t overly trust my doctor as she has gotten things wrong in the past or provided me with incorrect information. I am waiting to get a new doctor but in the meantime, just feeling very worried and looking for reassurance.

Try not to worry (I know easier said than done). Plenty of people are deficient in various vitamins without realising and have perfectly healthy babies. You know now so make sure you're taking a B complex or B12 vitamin to help. I am sure it's unlikely it will have caused any harm. Wishing you well with your pregnancy 🤞

I’m sure it’s fine. It’s folate that is the big one which is why pregnant women are recommended to take it. If b12 was as important then we’d be told to take that aswell :) xx

Hi wondering if anyone can give me some advice , I’m 7 weeks pregnant and only found out a week ago so have not been taking folic acid until this week. Recent blood tests also show I am dangerously low in b12 , they put me on the loading doses straight away but I can’t help but worry the baby is going to have serious birth defects, has anyone had a similar experience.

I have been low in b12 in the past and needed injections. I noticed the other day in my early blood tests I was at the very low end of normal (lower than 200!). In more recent blood tests, I am still at the very low end of normal. I'm now 34 weeks and all scans have been fine -- no neural tube problems.

Thank you , trying to put my mind at rest as much as possible just curious , when you have been low on b12 and needed injections did they tell you to take a higher dose of folic acid ? Xx

No, I just had to get injections and then they told me to begin taking an oral b12 supplement. I wasn't pregnant at the time though. All of my tests in pregnancy have been low normal though (under 200).