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Many doctors will advise a woman to watch her intake of folic acid long before she gets pregnant. Any couple thinking it is time to start trying for a baby should think about things like nutrition and vitamins. Having the body in good shape before trying always helps, and making sure levels of important things like folic acid are where they should be is essential. If your levels are good before you conceive, your baby was protected in this manner from day one. If you don’t worry about it until you are sure you have conceived, your body will have to play catch up, and damage may have already occurred.
Some doctors will even tell women hoping to conceive to take prenatal vitamins before they become pregnant. These do have folic acid in them, and that can help. They may also work with a woman on making sure she is eating the right foods. There are many natural ways to get what a person needs, and that might mean a prenatal is unnecessary, but that is something a doctor should decide. Unless a woman in a nutritionist by trade, she should listen to what her doctor says and follow his or her recommendations for the healthiest pregnancy and baby possible.
Folic acid in supplement form is not as good as getting in naturally, but it’s better than not getting it at all. Spend a few extra dollars to get a quality supplement if your doctor has recommended you take it above and beyond what you are already doing. Follow folic acid dosages carefully though, as taking too much can be just as bad as not taking enough. Your body will only use what it needs each day, and the rest will be removed from the body by the liver. If you are taking too much each day, the liver must work overtime, and in the long run, it will wear out much more quickly. Take it, just be sure you stay within the recommended amounts.
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