Folic acid long in advance?

Hello! My partner and I have been discussing our future plans (baby) for a while now, and going by the financial side of things, September this year will be the earliest we could try (although when we get to this point and feel that we still arnt in a good position we will leave it till later)

My question is how long in advance do women normally take folic acid for when planning to conceive?

I've heard different things about starting early, but I wondered if it would be beneficial, not just for a future baby but also for my health (my nails could do with a bit of care tbh!) if I started taking it way in advance.

I would love some feedback and some of your experiences with it!

[AnnieBrooke]

I take it all the time.  It's good for the heart.