Why is Folic Acid important when trying to get pregnant?
When you are trying to get pregnant, Folic acid should figure on top of your health checklist. Folic acid, also called folate or folacin, is one of the B vitamins, also known as B9. It is a vital raw material for production of red blood cells, as well as norepinephrine and serotonin (chemical components of the nervous system). Folic acid also helps to synthesize genetic material in every cell of the body and normalize brain function. Taking folic acid before conception reduces the risk of neural-tube defects such as spina bifida.

Why do I need folic acid?
Folic acid is one of the few nutrients known to prevent neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida, which affects one in every 1,000 babies born in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control report that women who take the recommended daily dosage of folic acid reduce their baby's risk of some types of birth defects by 50 percent. Women who don't get enough may increase their chance of miscarriage or still births. Folate-deficiency anemia and iron-deficiency anemia can have the same symptoms of fatigue and weakness. A mild folate deficiency can also leave you grumpy or edgy.

How much Folic acid do I need?
The recommended daily intake of folic acid for all women of childbearing age is at least 400 micrograms (mcg), or 0.4 milligrams (mg). During pregnancy, the recommended dose jumps up to 600 - 800 mcg, or 0.6 - 0.8 mg, a day. If you have a family history of neural-tube defects, you should probably get 4,000 mcg (or 4 mg) of folic acid a day. Most prenatal vitamins contain the appropriate dosage of folic acid along with other vitamins that will help you stay healthy.

Women who have had their first child with a neural tube defect have a higher risk of having a second with the same defect. Healthcare providers now advise these women to take at least 4 milligrams (mg) starting one month before conception, if possible, and continuing through the first three months of pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor about how much you need before and after you conceive. Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, so your body will flush out the excess if you consume too much. For some women, there's an exception to this rule: Getting too much folate may hide a B-12 deficiency, sometimes a problem for vegetarians. Ask your doctor or midwife if you think you may be at risk.

Would a supplement be required?
A supplement will be a bonus. And eating plenty of folate-rich foods won't hurt either, especially if you can't stomach your prenatal vitamin early on in your pregnancy due to morning sickness.

Which foods contain Folic acid?
Leafy green vegetables are a good source of folate. And manufacturers are now required by the FDA to add folic acid to enriched cereal grain products such as flour, pasta, and rice. So replace the regular cereals with these and add a bowl of fresh salad to your daily diet. Other sources of Folic acid include, chicken liver, beef liver, lentils, wheat germ, spears, asparagus, papaya, broccoli, cantaloupe, eggs, canned salmon.

We are hesitant to become intimate with the less appealing parts of natural bodily functions, but changes in cervical mucous can be one of the greatest clues to determining when ovulation is about to occur. Cervical mucous is a natural secretion of the cervical glands designed to moisten and protect the cervix. The nature of the discharge changes with the various phases of your menstrual cycle.

As with most reproductive functions, hormone levels cause the changes in cervical mucous. As the menstrual cycles progresses, the ovaries increases the amount of estrogen released. The estrogen not only directs the mucous to change the nature of its make-up, it also creates changes in the cervix to make conception a possibility.

There are four basic changes in cervical mucous each month. It may take several cycles for a woman to become familiar with these differences. To determine the pattern of changes, it is best to record them noting the color, consistency, amount, and slipperiness.

There will be little or no cervical mucous present the first few days following your period. The vulva should be dry. Lack of cervical mucous is an indication that conception is not possible at this time.

Early mucous begins just prior to ovulation. It is a thick mucous that is sticky and white or creamy in color. When subjected to finger testing, the mucous will break easily when you pull your fingers apart. As your cycle progresses, the cervical mucous will begin to look cloudy and will increase in volume tenfold. The cervical mucous will stretch further during the finger test, but will still break before your thumb and forefinger are stretched completely apart. There is a possibility that you could get pregnant at this point.

Highly fertile mucous occurs at ovulation. It is thin, stretchy and clear or pale white much like egg whites. It is often referred to as egg white mucous due to its resemblance. The volume of the mucous will continue to increase at this time until ovulation reaches its peak when the chances of conception are at their highest. It is the stretchiest mucous and can be stretched several centimeters between the thumb and forefinger before breaking.

Unlike the other stages of mucus, the egg white mucus at the time of ovulation provides an optimal environment for sperm. This slippery and stretchy mucus is much less dense than any other form of cervical mucus. This change allows sperm to pass through to the uterus much more easily. Also, sperm can live for two to three days in this type of mucus while waiting for a fertilized egg to arrive.

The changes in post-ovulation mucus and egg white mucus are drastic. The amount decreases and it becomes sticky. This mucus is not as stretchy as the previous mucus. The vulva becomes dry again. Chances of becoming pregnant at this time are markedly low.

As you become more familiar with your cycle, you will be able to more easily identify the various stages your cervical mucus goes through each month. However, there are several factors that can cause cervical mucus to change, thereby making it harder to understand the cycle. If you intend to rely on charting your cervical mucus as an aide to determine the best time to conceive, then you should not use douches, lubricants, and spermicides.

Other things to consider before beginning to rely on cervical mucus as an indicator are if you are taking any medications including antihistamines and diuretics, the fertility drugs Clomid and Gonadoptropin, antibiotics, cough medicines, tranquilizers, antibiotics, and vitamins as they can also make interpreting cervical mucus difficult. Vaginal infections, sexually transmitted diseases, obesity, breastfeeding, and stopping birth control pills can change the nature of cervical mucus. If any of these factors are of concern to you, then you should schedule an appointment with your health care provider.