MedCost SmartStarts - Preparing for Pregnancy

Preparing for Pregnancy

Ten Things to do Before You Get Pregnant

1. Take an Emotional Inventory. Becoming a mother is a life-changing experience and motherhood is a lifelong role. If you are thinking about getting pregnant, here are some topics you may want to ponder:

Motivation. What are your reasons for wanting a baby? Are you motivated, positively or negatively, by your own childhood or your own relationship with your parents? Do you feel “under pressure” to have a baby for any reason?
Relationship. Is your husband or partner as enthusiastic about having a baby as you are? How do you think a baby might change your relationship? Or, if you don’t have a significant other, who will be your support system as you raise your baby?
Lifestyle. How will a having a baby affect your career, educational plans, finances, and lifestyle? Are you willing to make tradeoffs and changes if necessary?

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 is 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: