I am 18 weeks pregnant and I realized that I had completely forgotten to get folic acid and materna.

Hello Ma'am,

You are not alone in having forgotten this in my opinion. Indeed, it should have been the role of your doctor and pharmacist to remind you of the importance of taking these supplements.

Folic acid supplementation is well proven to reduce the risk of complications in the baby (neural tube, among others). In an ideal world, you start taking folic acid before pregnancy and continue until the end of pregnancy, to get the most out of it.

In your case, it's better to start now than never 😊.

Know that in Canada, pasta is supplemented with folic acid (as well as other foods). If you eat a good diet and eat your fill, you are already reducing the risk of complications in the baby.

Happy day,

Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist