Hey good to"see" you Jacqui! I often wonder how you are going. I don't see you much around the ridges. Are you still on clomid? How is it going?

As for folate. I baulk a bit and get a bit nervous at advising *what* people should do. As I said in many European countries and in the US Folate supplementation in prenatal vitamins is up around 800mcgs. Elevit has 800mcgs from memory??? I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. One of the problems with taking a high dosage of folate is that it can mask a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Therefore B12 should be taken together with folate. Folate and B12 is known to affect DNA (in a positive way) experiments have been done on dna prior to supplementation and then after 12 weeks of supplementation. After the 12 weeks a marked improvement in dna is shown.
This in part is why it is linked to decrease of chromosomal defects. It was once thought that dna couldn't be repaired - once it was buggered it was buggered.... However it is clear now that that is not the case. Dna can be repaired. It is important for your husband/partner to also take folate for these reasons.

So, in answer to your question in a typically guarded way I would say - "if it were me I would certainly at least double your folate supplementation". Ensuring of course that you eat folate rich foods in your diet also. Real food sources are always the best way - however we live in a society where pollution, stress and depleted nutrient content in the soil that grows our foods make it important to supplement (I believe). Try and buy organically grown fruit and vege and organic meat if possible. This cuts down on pesticide and artificial fertiliser residue - both things known to affect our bodies adversly and also known to run down our nutrient stores. The water soluable vitamins are always the first to run down and the B vitamins are water soluable.

Women that have birthed a baby with a neural tube defect are put on 5mgs of folic acid prior to conceiveing and during their next pregnancy. Women like me who have recurrent losses are also advised on the higher dose but because of a disorder that causes a difficulty with absorbing and metabolising folate that has been linked to recurrent loss (I tested negative to this but again it's precautionary and covering all bases)

Jacqui you also mentioned you were on 400mgs (milligrams) I am thinking that perhaps you meant 400mcgs (micrograms) which is the standard as advised by guidelines in Australia.

I hope this helps Jacqui - I am glad to hear from you.
Hugs