[Persephone]

How many of you mamas take supplemental forms of folic acid during pregnancy? Or while TTC? I make a point of trying to get all my nutrients from food, and I'm not sure I totally buy the USDA recommended daily allowance thing. It seems like if you really tried to get all that, you'd be eating a TON!<br><br>
I would like to try to get all my folic acid needs from food. I eat a lot of the foods high in folate on a regular basis. But I take no supplements. The closest I even think I would come to supplementing would be to drink herbal infusions (particularly nettle, red raspberry, and red clover).<br><br>
I think my diet in general is pretty good... I aviod white flour and sugar (ok, so I've been bad about the sugar lately), caffiene (though I do give in to my chocolate craving once a month, I don't drink coffee, soda, or tea), only drink alcohol moderately, fill up on whole grains and legumes (mainly whole wheat flour and pasta, brown rice, and lentils) and veggies, we rarely eat meat (once or twice a month), but we're not vegetarians, and we eat lots of dairy (mostly cheese, butter, cream, and yogurt- not milk so much). (I have eaten large amounts of dairy throughout my life and never had any reactions to it, so it's not an issue for me. But it's my primary source of protien and calicum.... and fat.)<br><br>
Anyway, with a pretty healthy diet, would I still need to worry about getting enough folate? And does it warrant taking a pill, or can I just use infusions?<br><br>
From a UC/UP point of view, what would you do?

 

[Kundalini-Mama]

I never took any prenatal vits during pregnancy, even...gasp...folic acid. A friend of mine asked me all the time during pregnancy if I was taking folic acid!! Nope, still not.<br><br>
Anywho, my diet before I conceived my son was incredible, high amts of kale daily or every other day. I figured my folic acid stores were great. I also took my pregnancy tea, consisting of the herbs you mentioned and some others.<br><br>
Every day until 6w pregnant I ate a huge amt of some folic acid food, kale, broccoli, or another leafy green. Once 6w hit, I became incredibly nauseous, and couldn't stomach anything even marginally healthy. I couldn't even drink my tea. Regardless, I was not concerned, b/c I knew that prior to that, my diet was great.<br><br>
My son was born 38w3d and was wicked healthy and continues to be so <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
Amy

 

[Persephone]

So, is this the general consensus then? No need for it as long as you eat well, and make a point of eating things full of folate?

 

[heldt123]

I take a folic acid supplement along with prenatals (only take 2 capsules instead of the four dosage as my body doesn't need as much of the B vitamins that are in there), fish oil, V-C, V-E, and a Multi calcium (Calcium, magnesium, zink, V-D). I try to eat healthfully, but sometimes my diet is less than perfect and I don't have time to worry about whether or not I ate enough of a certain food or not. After a TON of research, this is the regime that is most comfortable for me--not saying that that is what everyone should take. I didn't take folic acid with my first pregnancy and my son is totally healthy.