Should I take folic acid when I'm pregnant?

Many women will learn some knowledge about pregnancy during the preparation period. Among them, most girls should know that they need to supplement folic acid after pregnancy. The folic acid content in spinach is very high, but eating spinach alone is not enough to supplement folic acid, so you need to take special folic acid tablets. Because folic acid plays an important role in promoting fetal intelligence development and placenta formation, but can you take folic acid when you are just pregnant?

Is it too late to take folic acid when you just found out you are pregnant?

Supplementing folic acid is an important task before and during pregnancy. Folic acid tablets will be more effective. So, when is the right time to start taking folic acid?

This essential nutrient, folic acid, a member of the B vitamin complex, also known as vitamin B9, is especially important for expectant and pregnant women because it helps prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), which include very serious birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

When is the right time to start taking folic acid? Women of childbearing age should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily starting three months before pregnancy and continue throughout the pregnancy. Therefore, if you do not belong to the group of people who need more folic acid supplements, the folic acid content in the folic acid tablets you take should be 400 micrograms. If you are not sure about your situation, be sure to consult your doctor.

Generally speaking, after deciding to supplement folic acid, there are two ways to take folic acid. One is dietary supplementation, that is, obtaining natural folic acid from certain foods rich in folic acid; the other is taking folic acid supplements. Compared with dietary supplements, the effect is not as obvious as medicinal supplements, so it is generally recommended to take folic acid supplements.

If you are not sure when you will get pregnant, you can start from the time you are preparing for pregnancy and maintain the habit of taking a multivitamin containing folic acid or folic acid supplements every day, which will also be beneficial to your health. Be aware that this habit becomes even more important if you become pregnant unexpectedly.

How long should pregnant women take folic acid?

Folic acid supplementation should continue throughout the entire pregnancy. If you did not take folic acid supplements before pregnancy, there is no need to worry too much. Starting folic acid supplementation from the time you discover you are pregnant can still help reduce the risk of fetal developmental abnormalities. The first three months of pregnancy are the critical period for the development of the fetal neural tube. If pregnant mothers supplement with sufficient folic acid, it can significantly reduce neural tube defects and greatly reduce the incidence of anencephaly and congenital spina bifida.

Pregnant women who have the conditions can take it throughout the pregnancy and lactation period to benefit the health of the mother and the growth and development of the fetus and newborn. Generally, you can stop taking folic acid three months after pregnancy depending on the situation.

Many pregnant mothers know that they need to supplement folic acid before pregnancy, but they don’t know when to start taking folic acid, how much to take, and they don’t know much about the precautions of taking folic acid. Folic acid supplementation needs to start 3 months before pregnancy. Generally, folic acid tablets are taken to supplement folic acid. Only one tablet is needed a day. Do not take an overdose. When supplementing folic acid, do not take it together with vitamin C.