Am I taking enough folic acid?
So I usually take Asda pregnancy care vitamins. Google recommends 400mg folic acid daily but when I looked at the ingredients some do measure in mg but the folic acid has a different symbol which I don’t understand?! After my missed miscarriage last year I’m sure they told me I needed a higher dose of folic acid next time I fall pregnant (can’t remember how much) but when I rang the EPU to enquire, they just told me to take the normal 400mg for now…except they never even asked my name so definitely didn’t check my records! I don’t wanna be taking less than I should be…I think it was maybe due to higher bmi that they suggested I needed more. They even did me a prescription but can I hell find it now 🤷🏼♀️ I’m frustrated and just wanna do everything I can to support this pregnancy. Anyone in a similar boat who can advise me? Thank you!
Read more on PeanutThe views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of Peanut.
Learn more about our guidelines.
400, should be enough for now, maybe speak to your doctors or midwife when you can but it's better to take some then nothing at all x
is this 400mg though? Coz the other things say mg but next to folic acid is it’s a weird symbol?
Folic acid is normally measured in MICROgrams, not milligrams. That’s what that weird symbol is - kinda like a u with a little tail on the front.
Good question! The minimum recommended dose for folic acid is 400 micrograms, which is 0.4 milligrams. The different symbol that you’re seeing for folic acid means micrograms, while the other vitamins are measured in milligrams.
If you were prescribed a higher dose, it was probably 4,000 micrograms so you would need more than this vitamin has.
The mg means milligrams.
The strange symbol means micrograms.
These are two different measurements.
It's 400micrograms (mcg or the weird symbol) that you want to take NOT milligrams.
This is the correct amount
I was prescribed a higher dose of folic acid in pregnancy due to BMI. Might not help but you mentioned not finding prescription, if you go on the NHS app you should be able to see all previous medication, so you can go to your doctor with that info to ask for a new prescription (seeing as it sounds like they didn’t read your notes!)
amazing, thank you! Thanks for the advice everyone!
My doctor wanted me to take more due to my weight. So I would phone your doctor to ask
my GP hasn’t really had any input with this pregnancy or my previous but I e eventually found my old prescription for 5mg so going to speak to my specialist team tomorrow to check they’re happy for me to take that amount. Thank you!
My pregnancy that I just had Mc at 8 weeks my midwife told me I needed 5mg folic acid because my bmi was over 30 so I ordered some online and now taking that instead of the smaller dose
Download the Peanut App
