Folic acid is a type of B vitamin that helps your body make new cells. It’s especially important during pregnancy because it helps your baby’s brain and spine develop. But folic acid isn’t just for moms-to-be—it’s important for everyone! Kids and adults need it to grow, stay healthy, and keep their blood working the way it should.
150
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(mcg) per day
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(mcg) per day
400
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(mcg) per day
600
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(mcg) per day
500
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(mcg) per day
Getting enough folic acid is important for everyone, but it’s especially critical during pregnancy to support a baby’s healthy development. Getting enough folic acid can help:
Prevent birth defects: Folic acid lowers the risk of serious problems with a baby’s brain and spine.
Build strong blood: It helps prevent anemia, a condition where your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells.
Support growth: Folic acid is key for growing kids, helping their bodies build new cells as they grow.
The good news is you can get folic acid from many WIC-approved foods! Use your WIC benefits to purchase foods with folic acid like:
Fortified grains: Breakfast cereals, bread, and pasta often have added folic acid. Check the label to be sure.
Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, and collard greens are natural sources of folate, the form of folic acid found in foods.
Beans and lentils: These are not only budget-friendly but also packed with folate.
Fruits: Oranges, strawberries, and avocados contain folate too.
Plan meals with variety: Offer a variety of fruits, veggies, and grains to cover all the bases.
Take a daily vitamin: If you’re pregnant or thinking about having another baby, a daily multivitamin with folic acid is a smart choice.
Try easy recipes: Make simple, family-friendly meals like bean tacos, spinach omelets, or fruit, yogurt and fortified cereal parfaits.
Remember, WIC is here to help! Ask your WIC staff for more tips or recipes to include folic acid in your meals. Together, we can help keep your family happy, healthy, and thriving.
oash. women’s health. Folic acid
https://womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/folic-acid
national institutes of health. folate
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/
national institutes of health. folate
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-Consumer/
Continue to nurse on-demand, about 4-6 times in 24 hours.
Babies may experience a growth spurt around 6 months of age and may feed more often.
Offer breast milk in a cup.
24-32 oz. per day of infant formula.
Offer formula in a cup.
Breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for your baby, even after you start offering solid foods.
Continue to nurse on-demand, 3 or more times per day.
16-24 oz. per day. Offer in a cup.
Feed solids with a spoon. Never put cereal in a bottle.
Continue nursing on-demand, at least 4 times in 24 hours.
If your baby seems less interested in nursing after you introduce solids, try nursing before you offer solids.
Offer breast milk in a cup.
24-32 oz. per day.
Offer formula in a cup.
4-8 Tbsp. per day.
Plain iron-fortified infant cereals.
Plain rice or pasta.
Baby crackers, small pieces of bread, or soft tortillas.
8-12 Tbsp. per day.
Plain cooked vegetables, mashed with a fork.
8-12 Tbsp. per day.
Peeled soft fruit in bite-size pieces.
Unsweetened canned fruit.
4-8 Tbsp. per day.
Finely ground, chopped, or diced meats, poultry, eggs, fish, or cooked mashed beans.
Cottage cheese or mild cheese.
Thinned, smooth peanut or nut butter.
Around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, babies may experience a growth spurt when they feed more often.
As they grow babies can hold more milk, so feedings may become further apart and take less time.
To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.
Start offering whole milk when your baby is one year old.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months and beyond.
Wait to offer solid foods until your baby:
To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.
Try one new food at a time. Wait 5 days before trying another new food to watch for allergies. Food allergies may include wheezing, rash, or diarrhea.
Introduce peanut butter around 6 months. Spread a small, thin smear of peanut butter or nut butter thinly on a cracker. Watch your baby for any reaction for the next 2 hours.
Babies under one year should NOT have honey due to the risk of botulism. Also, babies should not have foods that can cause choking like nuts or whole grapes.
All babies are different. Talk with WIC or your baby’s healthcare provider about your baby’s needs.
Before teeth come in, wipe gums with a soft, clean wash cloth after each feeding, especially before bed.
Nurse your baby on-demand, at least 7-9 times in 24 hours.
When your baby starts teething, they may want to nurse more often.
25-45 oz in 24 hours.
Your baby needs about 4-6 oz of iron-fortified formula every 3-4 hours.
Your baby may start to feed on a schedule. Instead of focusing on fixed amounts, let your baby tell you when they have had enough.
Newborns have tiny tummies and need to be fed often. In the first few weeks, you may need to wake your baby to feed if they sleep longer than 4 hours.
Many babies are fussy during a growth spurt and will want to nurse longer and more often. This is called cluster feeding. This is your baby’s way of helping you increase your milk supply so that you can keep up with their needs. Remember, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes.
Growth spurts can happen at any time, and every baby is different.
They often happen at these ages:
2 to 3 Weeks
6 Weeks
3 Months
6 Months
Breastfeed 8-12 times in 24 hours to help your newborn stay healthy.
Nurse on-demand and when your newborn shows signs of hunger, such as sucking on hands or smacking lips.
In the first few days, newborns need 2-3 oz. of iron-fortified infant formula every 3-4 hours.
By the end of the first month, your newborn needs about 4 oz. every 4 hours.
Feed on-demand and when your newborn shows signs of hunger.