How to Plan For Pregnancy?

By Dr. Anju Suryapani in Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Nov 9, 2020

The goal of preconception care is to improve pregnancy outcomes and woman’s health in general through prevention of disease and management of risk factors that affects pregnancy outcome and the health of future generation

Preconception health and health care focus on things you can do before and between pregnancies to increase the chances of having a healthy baby.  Before getting pregnant you should consult your Gynecologist. He or she will want to discuss health history and medical condition you currently have that could affect a pregnancy .He or she will also discuss any previous pregnancy problems medicine that your are currently taking.

• Take 400 microgram of folic acid every day. Folic acid is vitamin B if woman take at least before and during pregnancy. It can help to baby’s brain and spine.

• Stop drinking alcohol, smoking, and using certain drugs because they can cause many problems during pregnancy. Like premature birth, birth defects and infant death.

• If you are live in a stressful or abusive environment or work with or live around toxic substances then your doctor can help you with counseling and other supportive service.

• Maintain a healthy weight because woman who are overweight or obese have a higher risk for many serious conditions and complication during pregnancies like a diabetic, hypertension, etc then women who are underweight and also at risk for serious health problems. So maintain a healthy weight before you get pregnant.

• Collecting your family’s health history can be important for your child’s health. You might no realise that your sister’s heart defect or your cousin’s sickle cell disease could affect your child but sharing this family history information with your doctor can be important. You may advise for genetic counseling if you had history of several miscarriages infant death or birth defects.

• For best outcome chronic medical condition should be treated and under good control prior to attempting pregnancy.

• Vaccination that you need and steps you can take before pregnancy to prevent certain birth defects. Immunization history and immune response to varicella (Chickenpox) and Rubella (German Measals). The status of woman immunity to this two infections. After receiving the Varicella  and Rubella vaccination women should wait for 60 days before attempting conception.

• Get mentally and physically health, mental health is how we think and feel and act with life to be your best, you need to feel good as out your life and value yourself if you feel worried, anxious, sad or stressed then talk to your doctor about your feeling and treatment option.

• You can also get many of the vitamins and minerals you need from eating healthy, balance diet. Enjoy whole foods over anything procedure. You may also want to incorporate more organic fruits and vegetables into your diet to limit your exposure to toxins

• Aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity for total 150 minutes each week. Start with just 1-15 minutes at a time and work your way up to long duration.

• High amount of toxin exposure can be dangerous for a developing baby. Try to lower your exposure to common offenders by
  • Avoiding synthetic fragrances
  • Choosing chemical free home and personal care products
  • Ear organic foods
• Choose fresh foods over conned which may contain BPA (Bisphenol. A)

• Good brushing habits before pregnancy can help ward of pregnancy gingivitis and cavities.

• Your preconception visit depending on a number of factors (age, previous fertility, issues, etc), you may also want to schedule a special preconception visit with your obstruction. Some of the once of this examination may overlap with your physical, so be sure to bring any specific reproductive questions you may have your visit should cover anything you are concerned about from screening for sexually transient disease (STD) to screening for pregnancy readiness.

Women who have been infected with the HIV or Hepatitis B virus can receive medication during pregnancy or at delivery to reduce the like hood of transmitting these infections to the newborn.

Once you are pregnant be sure to keep up all of your new healthy habits and see your doctor regularly throughout pregnancy for prenatal care.