do you take extra folic acid?

vera1127 · February 2009

should i? i was never told to take it, but i was just doing a little pregnancy reading and saw that one of the best ways to prevent miscarriage is to take folic acid. i'm sure that you all know this and are saying "duh, cora, where have you been?" but i apparently missed the boat on this one. so, do you take it? how much do you take?

OregonPachey · February 2009

I just take my regular prenatal, which has 100% of my folic acid needs. I have actually heard (can't remember where) that you can actually get too much.

ellenaxo · February 2009

I just take my regular prenatal vitamin (not sure how much folic acid is in it) plus a DHA supplement.

vera1127 · February 2009

ok that's what i am taking too. i'm wondering if i should call my pharmacy and see how much folic acid is in my vitamin? i'm sure it's enough.

thanks ladies.

Tonya_G · February 2009

I now HAVE to take extra folic acid, b/c I have the MTHFR mutation. Fun. I don't know if it's something you can "take too much of" or not, but I do know that it can build up in your system over time- that's why if you have an ectopic, you need to stop taking your PNV's right away, b/c folic acid negates the meds they give you to dissolve the pregnancy, and it takes awhile for the folic acid to work it's way out of your system. I'd say though, unless you're told otherwise, that probably what is in your PNV's is enough.

JenyM · February 2009

yes i do! 2 mg and extra b vits too. I don't currently take the prenatal. but when i get a bfp i'll take that as well for a total of 3mg of folic acid.

knelli · February 2009

I am taking my PNV plus an additional Folic supp. Folic is a water soluble vitamin so your body will only absorb what it needs and you pee the rest out. (From what I understand) so I am taking extra just to be safe!

qsuziez · February 2009

knelli:
I am taking my PNV plus an additional Folic supp. Folic is a water soluble vitamin so your body will only absorb what it needs and you pee the rest out. (From what I understand) so I am taking extra just to be safe!

Knelli is absolutely correct. You can't really take too much because you pee out what your body doesn't need.

I take 4 milligrams a day but I had a deficiency which was part of our problem last pregnancy. It definitely doesn't hurt to take extra. Did you know that it can reduce the chances of neural tube defects by 80% if you're taking enough of it? Just FYI.

melmel10 · February 2009

DH takes it as well per my Dr. I also take extra as well as B6 and B 12. I have a MTHFR mutation though, a very slight one

PurpleK26 · February 2009

My dr. said to take 1 mg while pg. so, right now, i'm taking 800 mcg till I get pg again. Then I will take a 400 mcg with my PNV, which has 800 mcg in it already.

My aunt actually had a 5 month loss to a baby with anecephaly (this can be anything from an open scalp to a baby with no head, unfortunately hers was the later). Aneceph is a fatal birth defect. Her dr. said it was caused from not enough folic.

Not trying to scare anyone, but I'm so glad i know this so I never miss mine! This is not the cause for any early mc's though, so don't stress about that being the cause for your loss!

Folic Acid is what helps produce the brain stem and cells as well as skin growth.

anakin · February 2009

qsuziez:
knelli:
I am taking my PNV plus an additional Folic supp. Folic is a water soluble vitamin so your body will only absorb what it needs and you pee the rest out. (From what I understand) so I am taking extra just to be safe!
Knelli is absolutely correct. You can't really take too much because you pee out what your body doesn't need.
I take 4 milligrams a day but I had a deficiency which was part of our problem last pregnancy. It definitely doesn't hurt to take extra. Did you know that it can reduce the chances of neural tube defects by 80% if you're taking enough of it? Just FYI.

Ditto the ditto. I got this from my doctor this week because I was told to take extra but never how much. And all I could find were what seemed to me to be really large amounts of it.

anngee410 · March 2009

The month after my m/c I added a folic acid supplement w/ my prenatal and I got my BFP! Knock on wood it helps this one stick...

SPC2007 · March 2009

I actually take prenatal vitamins which is 800 grams of folic acid. before i got a bfp the last time i was taking a daily vitamin that had 400 but after my mc the doctor told me to stay on the prenatal vitamins.

allie482 · March 2009

I just take my regular PNV which has 800mg of Folic Acid.

LuvBeingHis4eva · March 2009

I haven't heard that it prevents miscarriage because nothing can really "prevent" it...but my RE put me on extra folic acid because my last pregnancy resulted in our baby not growing any legs...and they thought maybe some extra folic acid would help prevent that again....so there is 1mg in my prenatal vitamins and then I take an additional 3mg. It wouldn't hurt so I would ask your doctor!

jen-dale · March 2009

allie482:
I just take my regular PNV which has 800mg of Folic Acid.

This is what I take also. When I get my BFP I will also start taking Fish Oil supplements Ick! which is supposed to help with brain and eye development (i think that is DHA?).

do you take extra folic acid?

Re: do you take extra folic acid?

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