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 CHILD
BIRTH
- Caring for your
health before you become pregnant -- called preconception care --
will help you identify any factors that may put you or your baby at
risk during pregnancy and allow time to treat any medical problems
that you may have before you become pregnant.
- A pre-conception
counseling appointment with your doctor is an important first step
in preparing for pregnancy. Pre-conception counseling helps educate
women so that they can be physically and emotionally prepared -- and
healthy -- for pregnancy.
What
Happens at a Preconception
Doctor's Appointment?
During a preconception
office visit, your doctor will discuss your:
- Reproductive
history. He or she will ask you about previous pregnancies, your
menstrual history, what type of contraceptive you use, previous sexually
transmitted diseases and vaginal infections, as well as previous Pap
test results.
- Medical history.
You will be asked about pre-existing medical conditions or allergies.
Any medical condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, should
be well controlled before you become pregnant.
- Surgical history.
Tell your doctor about any surgeries, transfusions, and hospitalizations
you may have had.
- Current medications.
Tell your doctor about any prescription or over-the-counter medications
you are or have taken.
- Family health
history. Your doctor will ask you questions about your family's
health. Tell your doctor if anyone in your family has high blood pressure
(hypertension), diabetes, twins, mental retardation, blindness, deafness,
congenital birth defects, ethnic-related conditions, such as Tay-Sachs
disease, sickle trait/sickle cell, and thalassemia.
- Home and workplace
environment. Your doctor will discuss possible hazards, such as
exposure to cat feces (toxoplasmosis), X-rays, and lead or solvents
that could influence your ability to become pregnant or maintain a
healthy pregnancy.
- Your weight.
Your doctor will recommend you try to reach your ideal body weight
before becoming pregnant. This means losing weight if you are overweight
to reduce your risk of high blood pressure complications during pregnancy;
or gaining weight if you are underweight to reduce the risk of delivering
a low birth-weight baby.
- Lifestyle
factors. Your doctor will ask you questions about you and your
partner's habits that could influence your pregnancy, such as smoking,
drinking alcohol and using recreational drugs. If you or your partner
participate in any of these activities, they will have to be stopped
in order for you to have a healthy pregnancy.
- Exercise.
Tell your doctor what type of exercise you do. Generally, you may
continue your normal exercise routine throughout pregnancy unless
you are instructed to decrease or modify your activities.
- Diet.
Your doctor will ask you about your dietary habits, including how
much caffeine you consume. To ensure a healthy pregnancy, you should
follow a healthy, well-balanced diet and eat a variety of foods to
get all the nutrients you need. Choose foods high in starch and fiber.
Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily
diet: eat and drink at least 4 servings of dairy products and calcium-rich
foods a day, choose at least one source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and
folic acid every day.
- Caffeine consumption:
When planning a pregnancy, it is recommended that you do not have
more than 300 mg. of caffeine per day (two 5-ounce cups of coffee,
three 5-ounce cups of tea or two 12-ounce glasses of caffeinated soda).
Remember, chocolate contains caffeine -- the amount of caffeine in
a chocolate bar is equal to 1/4 cup of coffee.
- Prenatal vitamins:
Before considering a pregnancy, you should begin taking a daily vitamin
that contains folic acid. Folic acid has been shown to decrease the
risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida
- a serious condition in which the brain and spinal cord do not form
normally in the baby. The medical and public health community recommends
taking 400 micrograms of folic acid daily before conception and in
early pregnancy. Many pharmacies sell over-the-counter prenatal vitamins
that do not require a prescription.
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