When should I start taking folic acid?

You should start taking folic acid prior to getting pregnant, even if you are not trying to conceive. Neural tube defects usually develop very early in pregnancy (18-30 days after conception) often before a women even knows that she is pregnant. If you find you are pregnant and have not been taking folic acid, you may start now to help prevent any neural defects that would develop in the first three months of pregnancy.