Folic

Question: What is the largest amount of folic acid that is safe to take? My doctor just put me on Repliva 21/7. It has 1 mg of Folic acid in it. I am already taking prenatal vitamines because I am ttc. Should I stop my prenatals or only take half or will it be save to take both?

Answer: If you are uncertain you should ask your doctor.

Question: Is it safe to take Folic Acid from a grocery store if trying to get pregnant? I cannot get in to see the doctor for a week or so, but I heard how important Folic Acid is during pregnancy. So, it is okay to take OTC Folic Acid or should I just wait until I go to the doctor?

Answer: Just go to your local pharmacy and ask the pharmacist what you should take. They sell prenatal vitamins I buy mine at Walgreens drug store and I take an extra Folic Acid because there isn't quite enough in the prenatal vitamin. Just ask that way you know for sure! Good Luck!!!!

Question: How important is Folic Acid in the 2nd Trimester? I know Folic Acid is VERY important in the first trimester to help deter neural tube defects.... But is there any benefit for it in the 2nd trimester?

Answer: Folic Acid has no real benefits in your 2nd trimester,just your first 3 months for many reasons like you say. Here in the UK We are only prescribed them till 3 months. Hope this helps xx

Question: What else besides Folic acid should women take before pregnancy? I read that Folic acid should be taken for up to a year before a woman plans to become pregnant. Is there any other vitamin or mineral supplements that a woman should take prior to becoming pregnant in order to properly prepare her body? I'm not necessarily going to have a baby in a year but I want to be as prepared as possible. I am taking a multi-vitamin, omega-3 fish oil, calcium and vitamin D, and liquid vitamin b since I am a vegetarian. I appreciate your answers.

Answer: Calcium and Iron. I would just go on a pre-natal vitamin.My gyno just put me on one because were trying to conceive. It will have everything you need in it.

Question: How soon before conception should a woman start taking folic acid supplements? I would like to start a family within the next 5 years and have heard about the importance of folic acid when it comes to the health of babies. I have also heard that it is good for a women in child bearing years to start taking this type of supplement. Does anyone know how long before trying to conceive, that one should be taking these? Has it really been shown that these supplements help?

Answer: Folic acid is a B vitamin and excess B vitamins are excreted in the urine. Unless you have a serious long term deficiency, taking folic acid really early doesn't really help. The reason that women of child bearing years are told to take this type of supplement is that conception often happens when one isn't really trying and it is very, very important to have enough folic acid very early after conception. Some women might not realize they were pregnant until 5-6 weeks after conception and the extra folic acid helps before that. If you are on birth control pills, I'd start the folic acid when you stopped the birth control pills... If not a month or so before you really start trying. Other answers are right that having enough folic acid prevents neural tube defects (of which spina bifida is one). From your question it looks like you were wondering if the supplements help you conceive and the answer to that would be a resounding no. good luck!

Question: What is the best multivitamin (including folic acid) brand when ttc? I know folic acid doesn't help you to conceive but makes prevents any defects for the baby. My obgyn told me to take 400mg folic acid. I've been taking ONE A DAY brand (obviously for women). Is there a better brand that you would recommend and resulted in pregnancy or the one I'm taking is okay?

Answer: i am TTC and i have been taking Blackmores Pregnancy & Breast Feeding Gold. I have only been taking it for 2 months but i actually feel really good. i'm still not pregnant but my girlfriend started taking it and fell pregnant the same month now the baby is due in 3 days!! so thats a good sign The vitamin i am talking about helps you and the baby. - it provides iodine to promote baby’s healthy brain, eyesight & hearing development. - Provides folic acid that may reduce the risk of brain and/or spinal cord birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly if taken daily for 1 month prior to conception and during pregnancy. - Provides vitamin D3 to support calcium absorption to assist with baby’s healthy bone development. - Provides omega-3 essential fatty acids to promote baby’s healthy brain & visual development. -Provides overall multivitamin support with 17 nutrients including 10 vitamins, 6 minerals including iron and calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. i have attached the website so that you can read more about it. Good Luck!!!

Question: What is the another way of having folic acid rather then taking medicine? I am trying to get pregnant, but i am not having folic acid tablets. I am having proper nutritious diet. I want to know that how much amount of different types of food one should take daily, which will be equivalent to 400 mcg folic acid tablet. Thanks

Answer: 1/2 cup cooked lentils: 179 mcg 1 cup boiled collard greens: 177 mcg 1/2 cup canned chickpeas: 141 mcg 1 medium papaya: 115 mcg 1 cup cooked frozen peas: 94 mcg 4 spears steamed or boiled asparagus: 88 mcg 1/2 cup steamed broccoli: 52 mcg 1 cup strawberries: 40 mcg 1 medium orange: 39 mcg Food manufacturers are required by the Food and Drug Administration to add folic acid to enriched grain products such as breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, and rice so that each serving contains at least 20% of the daily requirement, and some breakfast cereals contain 100 % (400 mcg) or more. Read the labels.

Question: How much folic acid should I be taking? I'm conciderably overweight and my husband and I are wanting a baby in the near future. I want to start on prenatals and an additional folic acid tablet. How much folic acid should I be taking since im overweight? Im pretty sure its supposed to be more than an average weight woman.

Answer: your doctor can suggest how much is adequate for you. typically a prenatal vitamin contains MORE than necessary. you should take prenatals for at least 3 months pre-conception, but it's better to take them for 6 months or more. also, if you're considering getting pregnant, meeting with an ob-gyn is a really good idea because they can answer any questions and suggest things that will make sure you are in peak health before you conceive, which will ensure your little one is given the best possible chance of being healthy and strong.

Question: How long into pregnancy can I stop taking folic acid? I started taking folic acid 3 months prior to falling pregnant and continued daily. I am 21 weeks pregnant now. How long into pregnancy can I stop taking folic acid or do I need to continue to take it until delivery? Thanks very much.

Answer: i am back in yahoo answers its really wonderful to know u are pregnent. the second good thing is u started it before conception which is recomended and u can safely stopped it after first trimester. in asian we dont see so much folic acid deficiency as we dont use alcohol and our diet is rich in vegeatables and fruit however if there is history of neural tube defect in family then can contiue till end of pregnecny. however there is debate about benefit after first trimester. not to forget we are iron deficient so use some iron preperation after first trimester. good luck dont worry and do let us know about the outcome of pregnency.

Question: Is it safe to take a prenatal and folic acid separately? I am currently 2 months pregnant. I'm taking a prenatal named Pregnacare which contains folic acid (400 micrograms), and my doctor prescribed folic acid 5 mg. Both doctors have said not to take the prenatal vitamin as they say it doesn't do anything. Im not sure about that, so i'm taking both. Is this safe? Can I overdose on vitamins?

Answer: you can overdose on vitamin A and iron. and possibly vitamin E... although i would have to brush up on my vitamins to be able to tell you for sure. not so sure if you can overdose on folic acid, but i would listen to your doctors. they (sometimes) know what's best.

Question: How many of you women took folic acid when trying to get pregnant? Just wondering. We have been trying for 4 months now and I've been taking pregnatal vitamins but I also heard that folic acid helps when TTC.

Answer: My prenatal vitamins have folic acid in them. I took them for about 8 months when trying to conceive. It won't help you conceive any faster, but it will get your body ready and healthy for when you do. Best of luck to you!

Question: Are there any benefits in taking Folic Acid when your not Pregnant? What if you are taking folic acid and you are not pregnant nor looking to become pregnant? Any particular benefits? Thank you in advance!

Answer: Folic acid can make your hair and skin look great. The celebrities are taking prenatal vitamins to get soft, shiny hair. and beautiful skin. Folic acid is also good to help with your iron levels, and to lower a high homocysteine level. This will be good for your heart.

Question: What is the purpose of taking folic acid? We are trying to get pregant and my doctor told me to take folic acid. I know its good for you and the baby, but why is it good for us?

Answer: When you are trying to become pregnant it's important for you to act like you already are, since you won't know the moment you concieve, or even for a couple of weeks after. Since folic acid reduces the risks of certain birth defects, your doctor is simply preparing your body for the pregnancy to (hopefully) come. Good Luck!

Question: Is it ok to start taking folic acid a week before you start tring to concieve? I bought folic acid today and it says to be taken 14 weeks before you start trying to concieve why is this? I'm starting to try next week! is it ok to take them now?

Answer: Start anytime before you try to conceive. It is better to start taking them at least three months before you conceive, but any is better than nothing. When we start TTC #2 next month, I will have been taking prenatals with extra folic acid for closer to four months. My husband has also been taking a good multi-vitamin for the last 5 weeks or so. Some sources recommend the father take a good multivitamin starting about 10 weeks before trying to conceive (to assist in healthier sperm production 10 weeks up the line - which my husband will be at by the time I am ovulating in November). Our first baby had a lot of problems, though, so we are doing everything to ensure our next baby is is not only beautiful like our first, but also has functional organs.

Question: What do folic acid and hair have in common? Apparently, folic acid is a regenerative substance. I am wondering whether it would or would not be practical to apply to hair topically or just find some supplements.

Answer: well in my opinion it would be pointless to put it topically on the hair, your body will get enough of it by taking a supplement.

Question: How long should you be on prenatls & folic acid before getting pregnant? I've heard several ppl say to start taking a prenatal with folic acid when you start trying. And others say take it for a few months before. Which is accurate? And is an OTC prenatal just as good as a Rx?

Answer: There is no set time but you want to have the folic acid in your system anyway. Even for women that are not pregnant we need 400mcg daily. Now you don't have to take the prenatals while TTC but it helps because then you know you have a good dose of the folic acid and other vitamins. The reason why we need this B vitamin is it helps to stave off spina bifida and other spinal issues as the baby develops. Since the spine is the first to develop it's good to have some already in your system. It took a while for us this time around (about 7 cycles) and I started taking my prenatal right away as soon as we started trying. Yes most brands and off brands are the same. You want to have at least 400mcg of the follate of folic acid though most prenatals have about 800 -1000mcg. The diff with a perscribed one is they can talor the vitamin for your specific needs. For most of us though the OTC is fine. Best of luck and blessings:)