The vitamin
Folic acid (vitamin B11) is one of the few vitamins that many people do not always get enough of, women hoping to conceive included. It is needed for growth and for the body to work properly, and for making white and red blood cells. Folic acid also matters for the early development of the unborn child: it reduces the chance of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Women who want to become pregnant are advised to take 400 to 500 micrograms of folic acid a day, whatever amount they already get from their food. It takes about four weeks for extra folic acid to be taken up by the body, which is why we advise starting at least four weeks before conception and carrying on until eight weeks after conception (10 weeks of pregnancy). Taking it for longer does no harm.
Taking a multivitamin for pregnant women is a good alternative. These can be used throughout the pregnancy.
Folic acid tablets and multivitamins for pregnant women are available without prescription from the pharmacy or the chemist.
For more on taking folic acid, see www.strakszwangerworden.nl.