Weaning off folic acid

[3'sacharm]

Morning all!

Does anyone know how we should be weaning off folic acid? For ttc pink I was taking 1600mcg of folic acid per day and a week into my bfp, I dropped to 1200mcg which I'm still taking now at 5+4.

Thank you!

[familymatters]

I thought you were supposed to take it through out your entire pregnancy? Or at least til 12 weeks at a minimum

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

[Pbn3]

Are you taking a prenantal? Most will provide the minimum folic acid requirements in them, maybe start by checking what dose is in it if you are taking that much on top of a prenantal I'm pretty sure you'd be right to drop down to 400-800mcg for your first trimester (that is on top of prenantal). I would ring your ob/doc/midwife for peace of mind though

Sent from my GT-I9305T using Tapatalk

[purple]

I'm taking the same amount I was taking pre-conception but I swapped 1 dose in the morning for my pregnancy multi but it still equals the same amount of mcg per day. I'm only taking 1000mcg anyway. I will probably drop to just what's in the multi at about 12 weeks.

This has a section on Folic acid which should answer your questions
http://genderdreaming.com/forum/ttc-...-FOR-TTC-PINK=

[3'sacharm]

Sorry, I should have made myself clearer; I meant weaning down to the standard pregnancy dose of 400mcg from the 1200mcg dose I was taking ttc.x

[ksmom]

I was taking 2000mcg folate prior to getting pregnant and Atomic advised a slow wean off it. I had 1000mcg in my prenatal so initially I took just one folate pill (1000mcg) plus my prenatal every day then towards the end of the first trimester, I took the extra folate every other day for a week, then down to every two days for the next week, then every three until I was down to one dose then dropped it around 12/13 weeks. I still get folate from my prenatal.

[atomic sagebrush]

Take it till the end of the first trimester then gradually wean off to the amount in your prenatal.

Going from 1600 to 1200 is not a biggie but I do not want you to go any lower than that till you are thru the entire first trimester and then at 12 weeks, you can wean back by spacing doses furhter and further out till you're at the amount in your prenatal.

[atomic sagebrush]

Sorry, I should have made myself clearer; I meant weaning down to the standard pregnancy dose of 400mcg from the 1200mcg dose I was taking ttc.x

Not till after the first trimester. The neural tube will be closed by that point

[atomic sagebrush]

I thought you were supposed to take it through out your entire pregnancy? Or at least til 12 weeks at a minimum

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

Please don't take the higher dose thru your entire pregnancy. Studies have found possible increase in asthma and possibly autism when pregnant women took the higher doses into the third trimester and up until birth. (and these were higher doses than we are using but still just wean off at end of first tri please!!)

First trimester is when NTD occurs so we do not need the higher doses beyond that point. But please wean off it gradually and don't just drop cold turkey.

Please do not ask your doctor or midwife about this. They will tell you that you don't need it and to drop it right away (without weaning). There are many things they are expert in that I am not, but this one thing I have done tons of research and I believe I am the person to listen to on this.

I have a baby with a neural tube defect that I got taking 800 mcg folic acid and eating super healthy. 800 may not be enough for many people (especially given that we were eating a more restrictive diet prepregnancy) and it is really not a big deal to do 1200 or 1600 for a few months since you just pee out the excess anyway.

[squigglepink]

Hi Atomic.
About 2 weeks prior to my attempt in August i got severely bloated and was in a lot of pain and very uncomfortable. (I do suffer from constipation and have a very sluggish colon) I stopped the Fibre and FA to see if this was irritating it because it was getting really bad. Fast forward past attempt and on to a BFP i started taking FA again that day! But this means i didnt take FA for about 2 weeks. I bought pregnacare which has one dose of FA in it, but my question is this, can i just take the pregnacare seeing as though i did have that short break from FA or should i take an extra dose on top of this till week 12? Currently 5 weeks preg. Many thanks x