... even before she conceives - the recommendation is three months before trying for a baby. If a woman is deficient in folic acid it means that you are likely to become anaemic, which causes problems such as premature delivery, low birth weight or a malformed baby. The most obvious type of malformation is spina bifida or anencephaly. These are both neural tube defects, which basically means that the metabolism of the foetus is not developing at a normal rate. The need for folic acid is greatly increased during a pregnancy, particularly in women who have been taking oral contraceptives (the pill) for a long time. To increase the level of folic acid you can eat things like: * Liver, Brussels sprouts * Kidney, spring greens * Beef extract, kale * Broccoli, spinach * Green beans * Yeast extract * Leafy green vegetables are very good, particularly the darker green ones When a woman is pregnant there are three ...

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