Folic acid question

[rubygem]

I'm taking folic acid as well as a prenatal vitamin. I'm just wondering if I really need the extra folic acid supplement?? I'm relatively young and healthy and eat a wide range of foods. One reason I ask is because I just ran out of the folic acid supplement and we are behind this week money-wise. Do I HAVE to go buy more folic acid? Lol.. thanks in advance for any answers.

[Princess of Pink]

If it was me I would buy more so you know you did the best sway possible, but it comes down to what makes you feel comfortable.

[jmomof3girls]

I would buy more.

[Leebug]

Don't know where u live but I'm from NewEngland & u can get like 250 800mcg tabs @ walmart or target for like $4.I think u should get more.I agree with the other girls.u want the best sway possible & do everything u can to get that little boy.then u wont have regrets or "what if" everything.GL

[Nahri]

Depends on how much folic acid you should be taking for your sway and if there is enough in your prenatal to keep you covered. Im girl swaying so no prenatals for me but if it were part of my plan I would have to take additional folic acid because my prenatal wouldnt match my needed number.

[rubygem]

Thanks everyone, guess I will continue with the folic acid. Lol

[dloui128]

the folic acid in your prenatal should be plenty. But if you are drinking green tea then you need the extra folic because green tea will deplete your folic acid

[angielorna]

My thoughts differ than some others, I guess. I say what is in the prenatal is enough unless you've had previous experiences with neural tube defects, expecially if you eat foods rich in folate. If you've had expereinces with neural tube defects, then you should definately take more. I'm on prescription of folic acid (5 mg) plus my prenatal (1 mg). If money is tight and you have drug benefits, can you get your dr to prescribe folic acid? Would that be of any help?

I understand wanting to be sure you have enough, but I think a prenatal has enough in it for most pregnant women.

Angie

I misread -- thought you were preggo. I'm sorry, I shouldn't speak to boy sways....I'm a girl sway. But I do have 2 boys and my first was conceived without anything more than the prenatal folic acid. The second boy I was taking extra b/c of a suspected neural tube defect m/c in between.
Good luck on your sway!!!

[atomic sagebrush]

The folic doesn't sway. That's not why I have you guys take it. It's because some of the blue supps like green tea and the BSD stuff that some people use, plus sodium itself, can be depleting for folic acid and boys may need more. Even if you're taking 400 a day (the amount in many prenatals) it's not necessarily going to be enough. IF you're not doing green tea or any baking soda/ural/cot things and you're not eating a ton of sodium, technically you don't need it but i just think it's a good preventative since it isn't harmful (you will just pee out any excess)

IF you were taking it, you need to get more so you can gradually wean off of it. Can't just stop it cold turkey, at any rate.

[atomic sagebrush]

My thoughts differ than some others, I guess. I say what is in the prenatal is enough unless you've had previous experiences with neural tube defects, expecially if you eat foods rich in folate. If you've had expereinces with neural tube defects, then you should definately take more. I'm on prescription of folic acid (5 mg) plus my prenatal (1 mg). If money is tight and you have drug benefits, can you get your dr to prescribe folic acid? Would that be of any help?

I understand wanting to be sure you have enough, but I think a prenatal has enough in it for most pregnant women.

Angie

I misread -- thought you were preggo. I'm sorry, I shouldn't speak to boy sways....I'm a girl sway. But I do have 2 boys and my first was conceived without anything more than the prenatal folic acid. The second boy I was taking extra b/c of a suspected neural tube defect m/c in between.
Good luck on your sway!!!

I ~personally~ don't want to wait around for anyone to have a baby with a neural tube defect to be sure people are getting enough folic acid. They can be DEVASTATING for a family to have to go through that. I just feel like, isn't it smarter to take the precautions in advance, even if they aren't warranted for most people, to avoid that happening??

FWIW I have a baby with a neural tube defect that I conceived while taking 800 mcg folic acid and eating tons of food. I had one Lipton green tea a day, rarely two. No family history and my other two kiddos were perfectly normal. Luckily, mine is a happy ending and the NTD is very mild but there are people who have kids in wheelchairs and have to have tons of medical interventions just to live a normal life. To me it isn't worth the risk but to each their own.

[atomic sagebrush]

Depends on how much folic acid you should be taking for your sway and if there is enough in your prenatal to keep you covered. Im girl swaying so no prenatals for me but if it were part of my plan I would have to take additional folic acid because my prenatal wouldnt match my needed number.

But you ARE taking folic or folate, right Nahri?? Everyone should be taking folic acid or folate.