Folic acid is a very important substance for both women preparing for pregnancy and expectant mothers. It is generally recommended that couples who want to have a baby first go to the hospital for necessary examinations and consultations. Because doctors analyze the health status of both spouses and provide targeted recommendations, folic acid is often mentioned in the recommendations. Now let me tell you, do you need to take folic acid to get pregnant?
Do I need to take folic acid to get pregnant
In the first three months of pregnancy, the neural tubes in the human body begin to develop and nerve cells begin to divide. If folate is lacking at this time, the development of neural tubes will be incomplete, which can easily lead to malformed infants. If folic acid is supplemented at this critical time, it can reduce the risk of fetal neural tube disease by 50% to 70%. So, women should start taking folic acid supplements in the first three months of preparing for pregnancy; Early pregnancy, take folic acid for another three months; In late pregnancy, depending on the situation, folic acid can be taken appropriately.
Precautions for taking folic acid
1. Take one small tablet daily
There are two types of folic acid dosage forms on the market now, one is a dosage form of 5 milligrams per tablet, and the other is a small dosage form of 0.4 milligrams per tablet. Pregnant women should take small dosage forms, one tablet per day is enough. Excessive intake of folic acid not only fails to prevent fetal malformations, but may also mask symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, interfere with zinc metabolism, and cause adverse consequences such as zinc deficiency or neurological damage in pregnant women. If you do not conceive as scheduled after taking folic acid for three months, you should continue to supplement folic acid until three months after pregnancy.
2. Folic acid should not be supplemented with vitamin C
Folic acid is easily destroyed in acidic environments and is relatively stable in alkaline and neutral environments; Vitamin C, vitamin B2, and vitamin B6 are relatively stable in acidic environments. If taking vitamin C and vitamin B2 while supplementing folic acid B6， Due to the conflicting stable environments of the two, both absorption rates will be affected. Given this, it is recommended to take the two medications at least half an hour apart.
After reading this article by the editor, I believe everyone has gained some understanding of folic acid. The benefits of folic acid for pregnancy and its protective effect on the baby cannot be easily replaced by other substances. Moreover, folic acid can be easily purchased in pharmacies with very cheap prices, making it a typical representative of high-quality and affordable products.
