According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people planning to become pregnant should start taking prenatal vitamins containing folic acid at least one month before trying to conceive and during the first trimester of pregnancy. Because enough folic acid in the body can prevent certain brain and spinal cord birth defects.
In addition, some health care providers recommend taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy and breastfeeding so that individuals and infants receive adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals that cannot be obtained through diet.
Should you take prenatal vitamins before trying to conceive?
Prenatal vitamins are not only for pregnant women, but also for people trying to conceive. ACOG recommends taking a prenatal vitamin containing at least 400 micrograms of folic acid at least one month before delivery.
"Start taking prenatal vitamins when you start trying—don't wait until you're pregnant," says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. "I recommend that all my patients take folic acid supplements before conception—at least 400 micrograms a day—because we know that women who take folic acid supplements have a significantly reduced risk of certain birth defects, such as spina bifida."
"And even if you're not trying to get pregnant, if you're not using contraceptives, you can get pregnant if you're having sex," she said, adding that you should only get birth control if you're not using it. . Likewise taking prenatal vitamins
Can prenatal vitamins help you get pregnant?
Although there is not much evidence that taking prenatal vitamins can help you get pregnant, it is recommended that you start taking prenatal vitamins if you are trying to conceive. Because a certain amount of folic acid, which is found in most prenatal vitamins, is necessary to prevent neural tube defects. Normally, the neural tube is formed in the first month of pregnancy; When you didn't even know you were pregnant.