Questions Answered

How much folic acid do I need?
Women who could become pregnant should take 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid through a vitamin.

Women who have a child or had a pregnancy affected by Spina Bifida or have Spina Bifida themselves should take 4000 mcg (4.0 mg) of folic acid for one to three months before pregnancy. This amount of folic acid is higher than what you can get in the store, so you will need to see a doctor for a prescription. So, it's important for these women to plan any future pregnancy.

BTW, I took 0.4 mg for a long while before I got preggers with Jake and I truly believe that is the reason why his SB is so mild. With Jesse I took 4.0mg of folic acid and he doesnt have SB.

What is folic acid?
Folic acid helps the body make cells. When a woman is pregnant, she needs more folic acid than usual so her baby can develop normally. Spina Bifida often occurs in a fetus before a woman even knows she is pregnant. So women should take folic acid every day to have healthy babies.
Research has shown that if all women who could possibly become pregnant were to take a multivitamin with folic acid, the risk of neural tube defects like Spina Bifida could be reduced by up to 70%.

So in other words if you are having sex and could get pregnant -- TAKE FOLIC ACID!!!! Trust me by the time you know you are pregnant its too late to start taking it. Spina Bifida happens in the first month