When Should You Take Prenatal Vitamins?
Folic acid should be started at least one month prior to conception.
It's best to start taking prenatal vitamins while you're trying to get pregnant. The birth defects prevented by folic acid happen within the first few weeks of pregnancy -- before you even know you're expecting.
Don't worry if you didn't take prenatal vitamins before you got pregnant. Many women haven’t in the past, and they still had healthy babies. Just start taking them as soon as you know you're pregnant.
When you get pregnant, ask your doctor which prenatal vitamin is best for you. If you’ve been taking one already, bring the bottle in so your doctor can check its nutrients.