Whether you’re thinking about getting pregnant or deciding to wait, the best time to start taking folic acid is now. Not only is folic acid extremely beneficial in the developmental stages of your baby’s life, but it promotes your health too.
If you have the right amount of folic acid in your body before you get pregnant, the risk of your baby developing neural tube defects reduces by 70%. Neural tube defects are problems with the spinal cord, brain and cause spina bifida. A few issues caused by spina bifida are the following…
- Problems with movement
- Bowel and bladder problems
- Difficulty learning
Taking folic acid before you are pregnant keeps the body healthy while ensuring your future baby has folate to grow. Most women are advised to take a 400 mcg supplement of folic acid every day. Folic acid is also found in many prenatal vitamins as well as fruits and vegetables.
We offer a variety of information and tips on our website, including in our Tips section. We also have additional resources available on our helpful links page.
Of course, if you have any questions about folic acid, neural tube defects, or anything else pregnancy related, please feel free to contact us!
