Quote:
Originally Posted by onetspvanilla
ladies who have been/are pregnant -- how important is it to have a good amount of folic acid up to 3 months *before* you're pregnant? and what's a good amount anyway? i've heard anywhere from .4 - 1mg. thanks <3 iA when it's time for a baby onetspvanilla, i want to be prepared  |
Why you need folic acid
Folic acid is VERY important in the first trimester as it is essential for developing the baby's spinal cord properly and preventing neural tube birth defects like spina bifida. I didn't take supplements however, until I found out I was pregnant (at 6 weeks). I think as long as you're having a healthy diet anyway, with plenty of folate-rich foods, taking supplements beforehand isn't as important as taking it when you're actually pregnant, although it would be more sensible to do so.
400 micrograms a day (that's 0.4 mg) is twice the recommended daily amount so it's more than enough, although you should also eat plenty of folate-rich foods as well as taking supplements.