Prenatal Folic Acid and Folate

[teampinkdream]

I got my BFP a few days ago and started my prenatal vitamin. I have been taking folate daily and plan to continue that through first trimester as advised but I know that my prenatal vitamin has folic acid not folate. I am not sure how hard it will be to find a prenatal vitamin with folate not folic acid but my question is how much does it matter. Would it be harmful for me to continue taking the prenatal with folic acid and the daily folate dosage that I was already taken thru my first trimester?

[atomic sagebrush]

If you don't have MTHFR mutation then it's fine. If you do, particualrly if you have the double mutation, then it's imperative that you not take folic acid at all (even in things like fortified foods)

There is no harm taking both folate and folic acid. The harm is when people who cannot tolerate folic acid, take it. It has nothing to do with combining the two, which is fine, it's that some people can't do folic acid at all.

[Parying4agirl]

Sorry to jump on this post, ive been on folic acid since last yr.
Last time with my miscarriage about 8 weeks preg i switched from folic acid to a pregnancy vitami tab. This time round at nealry 12 weeks preg im still on folic acid only. How to I make the change over to the vitamin, straight away now? After my 12 week scan? Alternate between them every day?

[atomic sagebrush]

Start the prenatal immediately, and then start gradually weaning off the folic acid. You really should have been on the prenatal the entire time but it's done now.

To wean off folic acid, start spacing doses further and further out till down to one per week (in addition to the prenatal) and then you can drop them. This should take about 3 weeks.