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Most people planning a pregnancy don’t need a folate test. They need a supplement. The NHS advises taking 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before you conceive and until you’re 12 weeks pregnant, whatever your blood level.
A folate (vitamin B9) blood test costs £45 at Swift. It’s useful in specific situations, which this guide explains.
Folate is a B vitamin that the body needs to make healthy red blood cells and new DNA. In early pregnancy, it plays an important part in the development of the baby’s brain and spine. Low folate around conception increases the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. These develop in the first weeks of pregnancy, often before you know you’re pregnant. That’s why the supplement advice starts before conception.
Folic acid is the man-made form of folate used in supplements and fortified foods.
Folate deficiency usually develops over a few months. Common folate deficiency symptoms include:
These are the same symptoms as other types of anaemia, including B12 deficiency, so a folate blood test is often done alongside B12 and a full blood count.
A blood test is most useful if you have a reason to think your folate may be low, or a condition that affects how you use it:
Some people need a higher dose of folic acid than the standard 400 micrograms. Your GP can prescribe 5 milligrams a day if, for example:
Speak to your GP before trying to conceive if any of these apply. A folate test can give useful extra information, but it doesn’t replace that conversation.
Folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies both cause a similar type of anaemia. Taking folic acid while your B12 is low can hide the anaemia while nerve damage from low B12 continues. For this reason, the two are often checked together.
| Option | Price | Choose it if |
| Folate only | £45 | You only need folate checked |
| Vitamin D, B12 & Folate | £115 | You want the common vitamins checked together |
| Fertility & Pre-Conception | £115 | You’re planning a pregnancy and want hormones checked too |
If you want both vitamins covered, the Vitamin D, B12 & Folate blood test is better value than booking them separately. You can also check B12 on its own with the Active B12 blood test.
If you’re trying to conceive and want a fuller baseline, compare the folate test with the Fertility & Pre-Conception blood test, which includes folate alongside key reproductive hormones. Otherwise, view the folate test on its own.
Recent meals and supplements can affect folate levels in the blood. Follow the instructions you’re given when you book, and tell the clinician about any supplements you take.
Swift takes venous samples at clinics across Essex, plus Bromley and Sunbury, or at home across Essex, Bromley and Surrey. Use the clinic finder to choose a location.
A healthy diet helps, even though it doesn’t replace the folic acid supplement before pregnancy. Good sources of folate include:
Folate is easily lost in cooking water, so steaming or microwaving vegetables helps keep more of it. The UK has also confirmed plans to add folic acid to non-wholemeal wheat flour, which will raise folate intake for many people.
Usually not. Take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily before conception and until 12 weeks, as the NHS advises.
People with malabsorption, symptoms of anaemia, medicines that affect folate or specific pregnancy risks.
No. The NHS supplement advice applies whatever your result.
Often, yes, because folic acid can hide a B12 deficiency.
£45 at Swift.
People with certain risks, such as a previous pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect or diabetes. Your GP can prescribe it.
If you’d like a folate check, book Swift’s folate blood test at a clinic or at home.
