Posted by
honeypie
19 yrs ago
Hi ladies,
Until when do you take folic acid (5mg) during pregnancy?
I'm in my 11w and doc hasn't given me prenatal vitamin, is it correct?
Thanks.
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I took a prenatal vitamin before I was pregnant, until I conceived and throughout my entire pregnancy. THe folic acid was the recommended dosage within the vitamin itself.
You may want to ask your doctor - there are many countries (like Korea) which don't automatically ask their pregnant women to take prenatal vitamins - so it helps to be proactive.
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Thanks Hkchoichoi,
I've already asked him in every visit, but i got the same reply that he will give me later.
I have pregnancy gingivitis now, he asked me to increase my intake of Vit. C in food, like orange, etc. I guess he's not a fan of supplements.
The only thing he gave me is folic acid. I am trying to eat right, and counting all the protein, calcium, Vit. C, 2 green leafy vege, yellow vege,etc intake in a day, but sometimes it's hard to follow esp if i don't have the appetite.
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I've been taking iron free multivitamins for a very very long time, plus took about 600mg of folic acid every day about 3-4 months before I became pregnant. Continued taking that and my multivits for my first trimester, then switched to special pre-natal multi which had the correct dosage of folic acid, iron and calcium, which I am still taking.
Many doctors in HK do not believe in supplements, but I know they work for me, so I ignore the docs completely. Many docs also dont believe in exercise while pregnant and I ignore that too :D And many docs after not bothering about supplements and exercise, then intervene with multitudes of drugs, inducement, c-sections etc etc at the end!!!!!!
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My understanding is folic acid should be taken while trying to conceive and up to 12 weeks into pregnancy. (That's what's written on my bottle,too... :) ) My doctor also said it's best not to take other prenatal vitamins in the first three months of pregnancy, and then you can take them if you are finding it difficult to have a good diet.
have you tried avocadoes and things like avocado shakes? avacadoes are a good source of folic acid and vitamins, and i found the shakes really good when i was feeling a bit queasy during my first pregnancy.
Hope that helps!
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Here is the scoop. IF you eat a perfect diet before and during pregnancy you do not need any supplements at all. BUT most mothers are unsure of this, and so the supplements are a good insurance. The most important thing during the first 3 months if Folic acid. The regular prenatal vits have folic acid, problem they also contain iron which tends to make you feel nauseated (or More nauseated)
SO, a good regime is to take Folic acid for the first three months, then switch to the regular prenatal vits, these are designed for pregnacy are the best. They contain Folic acid and digestable amounts of iron. Chinese patients all take calcium too. That is fine but if you eat a little good cheese each day you get more Ca than from the Ca pill, because of lactose intolerance many Chinese mothers avoid cheese.
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Thanks for the replies. I think i am doing well with my diet, even before my pregnancy, i have switched to brown rice, wheat bread, etc. Been taking vege juice 3x a week. Now that i'm preggy, i have been more careful with my food intake, i make sure i have calcium, dairy products, whole grain, cereals, iron-rich food, etc. everyday.
I'm not used to vitamins even before i got preggy, when i was preggy last time, a GP gave me a multivitamin right away, i had m/c then. Of course, i don't blame it to the pill, but i am cautious this time not to take any pill during my 1st trimester. I'll just ask the doc again on my 2nd trimester if i feel there is a need for me to pop the pill. Thanks everyone.
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As Blossom12345 mentioned, Vit A is not good for pregnant ladies. If you decide to take a preg multivitamin (or any other whilst pregnant) make sure you check that it doesn't have any Vit A in it. It is worth checking as I have found specific pregnancy multi-vits here that contain Vit A! :O
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Luckily my vitamins have low dosages of Vit A (lower than FDA) 67% was betacarotene.
Honeypie, if you were used to not taking supplements I suppose thats just as well. Once you hit the second trimester your Doc will likely give you some multivitamins. Mine gave me them even though I said I had my own :D
My previous doc recommended I stop taking the vitamins, but I think my body would have gone haywire if I suddenly stopped taking them and I would've gotten sick, especially since I lost my appetite COMPLETELY those first three months and struggled to swallow anything. I have a very high stress job and travel a fair bit, so I had to weigh up what would happen to my baby if I was sick all the time and on sick medications vs. continuing taking the vitamins. As Doc Moreton said, first three months were iron free, then I switched to my prenats. I have a very healthy diet normally anyway, and I made sure I was getting enough iron and calcium during the first tri.
Bubs is doing quite quite well so far (almost 31 weeks), at last check, week 29, he was about 1.5 weeks ahead of dates for size and weight (urk) and is quite active and very responsive to his dad and mom. I hope this continues for the next two months and he has a safe birth.
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you can buy 'Pregnacare' in some Mannings and Watsons chemists. it is suitable for preconception and pregnancy. there are now so many vitamins you should or shouldn't take at each stage in pregnancy, it was a lot easier to take one specifically for pregnancy. it costs about $90 for 60 tablets, one a day. not sure of the manufacturer. took all the worry about the right amount of folic acid, iron, calcium, vit a etc..
i've used to buy it in mannings prince's building
hope that helps
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