Anyone else had low folate at conception/bfp? 😬

[Bumblingonby]

Hi, so I didn't know I was supposed to take folic acid before pregnancy (first time pregnant) but started taking it (400ug) the day I found out (4+2 weeks).

I've just found out that a drug I was on for years and stopped only 3 weeks before conception is a drug that is known to lower folate- doctors prescribe 5mg folate to those who are on it during pregnancy. Unfortunately I had no idea and the doctor never mentioned it to me, but I'm now really worried that I was deficient in weeks 3-6 and at risk for a neural tube defect, as I know you're supposed to take fa fir months before to build it up in your system and I didn't and had only just come off the drug.

My folate levels now at 8 weeks are about 7 ug/l which is the very low range of normal, and that's after taking the 400ug supplements for 3 weeks. The only other folate test I've had was in 2016 when I'd been on the drug for a year and I can see it was 4.4, which is deficient for pregnancy.

I therefore have to assume I was deficient for weeks 3-6, and the idea of waiting till 20 week scan to see if anything is wrong is driving me crazy!

I can't find any stats for the likelihood of ntd in mothers who know they were deficient. I want to know if were talking like 1 in 200 or 1 in 4 here as I think id find knowing the risk helpful...just fir reassurance, has anyone been in a similar situation where they know they were deficient and had a healthy baby?

Bumping as I'm anxious

Paranoia bump

I haven't had exactly the same but similar and have had similar worries to you so can understand the anxiety.

I was found to have low folate in Jan, levels were well below any normal range. Took high dose folic acid for 3 months, felt better, didn't get a repeat blood test though.

Found out I was pregnant in June. I had a repeat blood test around 6-7 weeks and got my Dr to prescribe me high dose from about 5 weeks (I also have a high BMI so this would have been recommended for me in pregnancy anyway without the deficiency). My levels at this test were within normal range but that was after a couple weeks taking high dose again, so I had no idea if my levels were sufficient when it was crucial at the beginning.

I had my 20 week scan yesterday and the sonographer said structurally the baby looks fine, no comment that anything was wrong with their neural tube, spine or brain etc. I did get a referral though to fetal medicine because baby's head was measuring on the smaller side (still within a normal range but under the 5th percentile). I've been told this is just a precaution and no other issues were found and baby seems to be on the smaller side anyway, so I'm taking that as having low folate this year hasn't caused an issue which is what I was initially worried about.

Sorry it's probably not entirely what you want to hear but I can see you're anxious and looking for other's experiences. Your sonographer at the 12 week scan may be able to tell you if the neural tube looks closed - I remember mine telling me this in my first pregnancy with DS, so that may be an option? Definitely share your concerns with your midwife though and look into getting more high dose folic acid for the rest of your first trimester if you haven't already.

I hope everything works out for you and baby x

No thank you that's interesting to hear! Kicking myself that I didn't know about the Pregabalin/folic acid thing, or how important it is to take prior to conception, but you can't know everything, it just never occurred to me. Got appointment with midwife next Monday and with Doctor Tuesday but am wondering if I shouldn't take the higher dose before then? Don't want to self medicate though...

Good to know about the closure at 12 weeks I will ask.

If you can get in touch with your Dr beforehand (high dose is prescription only as I found out) and get some before then it will only help in the long run I think.

Exactly and sometimes things don't go to plan the way we think. Don't beat yourself up on it. We knew we wanted to TTC baby #2 and I knew low folate could cause an issue so I should have been more on it beforehand, but it happened and I'm now at 20 weeks so we shall see what comes out of this referral!

If you haven't already, Google search terms like 'low folate in pregnancy Mumsnet' - a few older threads come up that I found when I was feeling really anxious over it a few weeks ago and some of the experiences shared on there were interesting / reassuring x

Thank you, yes I've looked at the other threads and have contacted the doctor. I know I'll just have to wait and see...