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The reason folic acid is recommended even before you know you are pregnant is to prevent a neural tube defect like spina bifida. The neural tube is formed really early in the pregnancy (I forget when), but I believe it is probably already formed b4 morning sickness even hits most people.
If an individual doesn't take folic acid it doesn't mean that she will have a baby with a neural tube defect (the majority won't). But when you look at large populations of women, the incidence of this problem is statistically lower when they take folic acid.
I say do the best you can with eating/taking vitamins and don't beat yourself up over it. Your baby won't be stupid! :LOL Here is a nice little piece my midwife wrote about nutrition during pregnancy for a local paper (it's a pdf):
http://www.merr.com/users/ingrid/cnm/pdfs/nutrio.pdf
If an individual doesn't take folic acid it doesn't mean that she will have a baby with a neural tube defect (the majority won't). But when you look at large populations of women, the incidence of this problem is statistically lower when they take folic acid.
I say do the best you can with eating/taking vitamins and don't beat yourself up over it. Your baby won't be stupid! :LOL Here is a nice little piece my midwife wrote about nutrition during pregnancy for a local paper (it's a pdf):
http://www.merr.com/users/ingrid/cnm/pdfs/nutrio.pdf
