2.
Visit Your Doctor. You want to be as healthy as possible
before you conceive a baby.
A prepregnancy exam should reveal any health issues you need to address
before becoming pregnant. If you take any prescription medications,
over-the-counter preparations, or alternative remedies, ask your
doctor if these are safe for you to continue taking when you become
pregnant. Your doctor will want to know if you have had Rubella (measles)
or chickenpox, if you have any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs),
or if there are genetic disorders in your family. Your answers will
help your doctor determine whether you need certain immunizations
or tests.
3.
Visit Your Dentist. It’s a good idea to make
sure your teeth and gums are healthy
before you get pregnant. Oral health can affect your overall health.
For example, it is now known that bacteria from the mouth can enter
the bloodstream and affect other parts of
the body. Some studies link periodontal disease to an increased risk
of preeclampsia (toxemia), a condition that can occur during pregnancy,
characterized by high blood
pressure and swelling due to fluid retention.
4.
If You Smoke, Quit Now. Smoking slows the growth of
an unborn baby and nearly doubles the chances that the baby
will have a low birth weight. Low birth weight babies
are at risk for many serious health problems. Smoking also increases
the risk of premature
birth or miscarriage. Quitting smoking before you get pregnant is
one of the best things
you can do to help ensure a healthy pregnancy.
5.
If You Drink Alcohol or Use Drugs, Stop Now. Alcohol
is a teratogen, a substance
that is known to cause birth defects. There is no amount of alcohol
that is safe to drink
during pregnancy because alcohol crosses the placenta and enters
the baby’s body.
Similarly, some recreational drugs may seriously harm your unborn
baby. If you are
unable to stop drinking or taking drugs, talk to your doctor, a counselor,
or another health care professional. Meanwhile, continue to use birth
control so you don’t become pregnant.
6.
Take Daily Folic Acid. Folic acid is a B vitamin that
helps protect your baby from
neural tube birth defects. The neural tube develops into the baby’s
brain and spinal cord.
It is important to start taking folic acid before you become pregnant
because neural tube development occurs early in pregnancy. Women
need 400 micrograms (mcg.) of folic acid
each day. The easiest way to get the folic acid you need is to take
a multivitamin that
contains the correct amount. (Read the label to be sure.) You can
get extra folic acid from fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, broccoli,
dried peas, orange juice, and beans.
7.
Avoid NSAIDs. While trying to get pregnant, don’t
take aspirin, ibuprofen,
ketoprofen, naproxen or any other pain reliever classified as a nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAIDs increase the risk of miscarriage,
and the very
highest risk is at the time of conception. Its fine to use acetominophen
products
(e.g. Tylenol), however, with your doctor’s permission. Acetominophen
is not an NSAID and
i s not associated with miscarriage at any time during pregnancy.
8.
Get Genetic Counseling if Needed. If members of your
family or your husband’s or partner’s family have
sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, or other inherited disorders,
you
may want to consult a genetic counselor. If you are of Ashkenazi
Jewish descent you may wish to be screened for Tay Sachs disease
and Gaucher Disease. Those of Norrbottniam Swedish descent may also
want to consider screening for Gaucher Disease.
9.
Make Exercise Part of Your Lifestyle. If you have
already been exercising
regularly, keep it up! If not, its time to start making exercise
a regular part of your
lifestyle. Your doctor can advise you regarding the exercise options
that are best for
you. Regular exercise relieves stress, improves muscle strength,
helps ward off depression, helps prevent constipation, and increases
your energy level. When you become pregnant, review your exercise
regimen with your doctor. Make any modifications your doctor
suggests, but continue to exercise regularly throughout your pregnancy.
It will continue
to benefit you physically and emotionally, and can even make the
delivery of your
baby easier.
10.
Review Your Health Insurance Benefits. For planning
purposes, you should know:
