Is it useful to take folic acid one month after pregnancy?

Some female friends get pregnant unexpectedly, and some of them are preparing to give birth to the baby after the unexpected pregnancy. There is a problem here that women who get pregnant unexpectedly do not have a preparation stage for pregnancy, so they did not supplement folic acid before pregnancy, unless the folic acid content is sufficient before pregnancy, then there is no need to supplement it. This means that it is possible to supplement folic acid after pregnancy. Is it useful to take folic acid one month after pregnancy? Let’s take a look at it next.

1. Is it useful to take folic acid one month after pregnancy?

One month into pregnancy, you are still in the early stages of pregnancy, and taking folic acid orally still has a preventive effect. Taking folic acid orally during the first three months of pregnancy and during the preparation for pregnancy can effectively prevent the occurrence of fetal neural tube defects, such as hydrocephalus, fetal spina bifida, etc. It can generally be taken orally for three months, which is about 12 weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, one month into pregnancy, you are still within the period for taking folic acid orally. If you have not taken folic acid orally during pregnancy or the period of preparing for pregnancy, it is very timely to take folic acid orally now, and it can also help prevent fetal neural tube defects. You can choose domestic and inexpensive folic acid. The more expensive the folic acid, the better the effect. As long as the content is sufficient, it can play a preventive role.

2. What are some recipes for folic acid supplementation?

1. Banana Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients: banana, potato, strawberry

Seasoning: Honey

Method: Peel the banana and mash it with a spoon. Wash and peel the potatoes, steam them in a pot, take them out and mash them into a paste, then let them cool. Mix mashed banana and mashed potato, add strawberry and honey.

Efficacy: Bananas and potatoes are rich in folic acid. Taking folic acid foods before and after pregnancy helps the vascular and neural development of the fetus.

2. Braised pork with fresh bamboo shoots

Ingredients: pork belly, canned bamboo shoots, broccoli, onions

Seasoning: 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rock sugar, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

Preparation: Wash and slice the onions; cut the pork belly into squares; cut the canned bamboo shoots into pieces, blanch them in boiling water, and remove them. First, fry the pork belly in the pot, add water and stew, then put in all the ingredients.

Efficacy: Pork belly is rich in nutrients, easy to absorb, and has the effect of replenishing skin nutrients and beautifying. Broccoli is rich in vitamins, minerals and folic acid.

3. Burnt rapeseed

Ingredients: rapeseed, diced lard, chopped green onion and minced ginger

Seasoning: vegetable oil, soy sauce, chicken essence, salt to taste

Preparation method: Wash the rapeseed and cut it into long sections; put a little oil in the pan, heat the oil, first add the diced lard and stir-fry until translucent, then add the scallion sections and minced ginger, then add the rapeseed and stir-fry for a while.

Efficacy: Rapeseed is rich in vitamins, especially folic acid, calcium and iron, and is particularly suitable for women in early pregnancy.

3. Why should we supplement folic acid?

Expectant mothers who are planning to conceive or are in the early stages of pregnancy should take folic acid supplements every day. Folic acid is especially important for pregnant women. According to data, about 1 in every 800 babies born in China has a neural tube defect. If there is a lack of folic acid during the first three months of pregnancy, it can lead to neural tube defects in the fetus, thereby increasing the incidence of split-brain and anencephaly. Secondly, regular folic acid supplementation by pregnant women can prevent congenital malformations such as low birth weight, premature birth, and cleft palate (cleft lip) in newborns.

Expectant mothers who are planning to conceive or who are in the early stages of pregnancy should take a daily folic acid supplement and eat foods rich in folic acid to reduce their babies' risk of certain birth defects. Pregnant women who do not get enough folic acid may have an increased risk of miscarriage. During the second trimester (starting from the 13th week of pregnancy), you can stop taking nutritional supplements if you no longer want to, but continuing to take them throughout your pregnancy will not have any harmful effects on you or your baby.