Folate is one of the B-group vitamins needed for normal growth and development of cells. Because it’s water-soluble it can’t be stored in the body, so you need to make sure you eat foods containing folate regularly.

A balanced diet that includes good sources of folate such as fortified breakfast cereals, green leafy vegetables, avocados, broccoli, spinach, lentils, liver, yeast extracts, wholemeal bread and most beans will help you meet the adult Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for folate which is 0.4mg (400µg) of folate per day.

However, during pregnancy a woman's folate requirement increases:

The RDI for folate for a pregnant woman is 0.6mg (600µg) per day. Health professionals recommend that ‘women who could become pregnant’ should take a folate supplement in addition to their normal dietary folate intake for at least 1 month before and 3 months after becoming pregnant. This is to help achieve a healthy baby.

Of course, before you start taking any dietary supplements relating to pregnancy, you should always seek the advice of your GP.