Do I need to take folic acid before preparing for pregnancy? Find out more!
1. What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a form of vitamin B9, also known as folate or methyltetrahydrofolate. It is an essential nutrient for the human body and is critical for fetal neural tube development and blood synthesis.
2. Why should you take folic acid before preparing for pregnancy?
The pregnancy preparation stage is to optimize the conditions for conception and ensure a healthy pregnancy process. The importance of folic acid before preparing for pregnancy is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
– Reduce the risk of neural tube defects: Folic acid helps the fetus’ neural tube close during early pregnancy, reducing the risk of birth defects, especially It is a neural tube defect such as spina bifida.
– Promote healthy fetal development: Folic acid is involved in DNA synthesis and cell division, and is essential for the development of fetal organs and tissues.
– Prevent anemia: Folic acid participates in the formation of red blood cells and prevents anemia during pregnancy.
3. How to consume before preparing for pregnancy Enough folic acid?
It is very important to consume enough folic acid before preparing for pregnancy. You can do this in the following ways Get:
– Dietary intake: Foods rich in folate include green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale), beans, chicken livers, eggs, etc. Increasing the intake of these foods can effectively supplement folic acid.
– Folic acid supplements: Before trying to conceive, you may consider taking folic acid supplements to ensure you are getting enough folic acid. It is generally recommended to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid per day, but you should consult your doctor or professional nutritionist for advice on the specific dosage.
4. Other things you need to pay attention to before preparing for pregnancy
In addition to supplementing enough folic acid before preparing for pregnancy, there are some other things to pay attention to:
– Quit smoking and drinking: Smoking and drinking will have adverse effects on embryonic development and should be stopped as much as possible.
– Healthy diet: Maintain a balanced and nutritious diet and avoid excessive or insufficient intake of certain nutrients.
– Control your weight: Being overweight or underweight will affect fertility. Maintaining an appropriate weight is beneficial to pregnancy preparation
– Exercise: Moderate exercise can improve the body’s immunity and metabolism
– Reduce stress: Learning to relax and reduce stress is important when preparing for pregnancy
Summary:
Adequate intake of folic acid before preparing for pregnancy is essential for the healthy development of the embryo. Adequate intake of folic acid through diet and folic acid supplements is one of the important measures to ensure the success of pregnancy. In addition, you should also pay attention to other preparations for pregnancy. Things to do, such as quitting smoking and drinking, maintaining a healthy diet, controlling weight, exercising moderately and reducing stress, to increase the chance of successful pregnancy preparation. Pregnancy preparation is a beautiful and important stage. Through scientific and reasonable preparation, you can lay a good foundation for the future baby.
