how much folic acid are you taking

[snazz]

My prenatal vitamin contains 1mg folic acid - but everything I read seems to suggest that the more the merrier, especially if you have a chronic medical condition.

How much are you ladies taking? Should I take more?

 

[MemmaJ]

The recommended dose in pregnancy is 400mcg (so 4mg) until 12 weeks, you can buy it on it's own in that dose

 

[charliekay]

I'm taking 400mcg folic acid aswel as vitamin d as advised by my midwife xx

 

[gemstone]

Yeah 400mg and vit d just like pp said x

 

[Indi84]

I take a normal pre natal, but because I erm am on the larger side (size 18), I got given an extra amount from the doctors to take.

 

[NDH]

There is 600 mcg of folate in my prenatal. Unless you have a high risk factor of neural tube defects there is no need for higher doses.

 

[Indi84]

The recommended dose in pregnancy is 400mcg (so 4mg) until 12 weeks, you can buy it on it's own in that dose

Sorry I just want to point out you have the dosing wrong, otherwise people might rush out get too much! Never take over 1mg unless a doctor or midwife says so, I only take so much due to bmi.

(Copied from internet as explains better then I would!)

A woman of childbearing age needs 400 micrograms of*folic acid*every day. But she should not take more than*1*milligram (1000*mcg*=*1 mg.) daily unless your doctor or health care provider tells you so.

 

[Mom2Madison]

400 mg

 

[MemmaJ]

That'll teach me not to ever use the 'preview post' feature! It must've auto-corrected or something as I definitely typed 0.4mg (knowing that there is 1,000mcg in a mg)... Stupid iPhone, lol!

 

[Bevziibubble]

My doctor prescribed me 400mg

 

[maryanne1987]

The prenatals we are given at our midwife appointments here contain 400mcg. They aren't prescription and are automatically given as part of your booking in appointment to all women regardless of weight etc.

 

[Charlie_x]

I'm taking Pregnacare original pregnancy vitamins that has 19 vitamins & minerals including folic acid (i believe its about 400mg)

 

[staycb01]

I take 2,000 MG. I have a copy of MTHFR so my body doesn't process folic acid properly. My prenatal has 1,000 mg of it and then I take a separate dose of 1,000. It is per my Dr.

 

[girlinyork]

I take 5mg because I have spina bifida in my family. Otherwise, 400mcg is plenty

 

[girlinyork]

I think some of these posts are confusing mcg and mg!! Otherwise there's some really bad overdosing going on here

 

[shellshocked]

I take 5mg as I am a type 1 diabetic, normal dose is 400micrograms. Mine is prescribed as I am at a higher risk for neural tube defects.

 

[NDH]

Yeah I think a lot of people seem to be confusing mcg and mg. There's a thousand-fold difference between the two numbers.
1000 MCG or 1 mg is the absolute max anyone should take without drs supervision, and 5mg (5000mcg) is the max I have heard any Dr ever prescribing.

 

[Dark_Star]

I'm on 5mg, prescribed by my OB-Gyn.

 

[snazz]

So I'm taking 5mg folic acid - 1mg in my prenatal and then I take another 4mg on my own. It's not prescribed by a doctor, but she doesn't want to see me until I'm 8 weeks along so I've made this decision on my own.

I have read NOTHING to suggest that more folic acid is harmful - other than excess folic acid might mask B12 deficiency but I also had a B12 level done recently and I know I'm definitely not deficient.

Anyways, it can't be harmful if they tell women who are at higher risk for neural tube defects to take 4-5mg. And the ranges of folic acid that is recommended vary so much from country to country, in Canada most prenatal vitamins contain 1mg but I guess in the UK the standard is 400mcg.

 

[NDH]

If you know your B12 level then I wouldn't be concerned about higher doses of folic acid.
The only other thing to be aware of with folic adic/folate is whether you have a MTHFR gene mutation.