Planning on getting pregnant

Planning for Pregnancy | Preconception Care

If you are trying to have a baby or are just thinking about it, it is not too early to start getting ready for pregnancy. Preconception health and health care focus on things you can do before and between pregnancies to increase the chances of having a healthy baby. For some people, getting their bodies ready for pregnancy takes a few months. For other people, it might take longer. Whether this is your first, second, or sixth baby, the following are important steps to help you get ready for the healthiest pregnancy possible.

1. Make a Plan and Take Action

Whether or not you’ve written them down, you’ve probably thought about your goals for having or not having children, and how to achieve those goals. For example, when you didn’t want to have a baby, you used effective birth control methods to achieve your goals. Now that you’re thinking about getting pregnant, it’s really important to take steps to achieve your goal [PDF – 764 KB]—getting pregnant and having a healthy baby!

Preventive health care can help you stay healthier throughout your life.

2. See Your Doctor

Before getting pregnant, talk to your doctor about preconception health care. Your doctor will want to discuss your health history and any medical conditions you currently have that could affect a pregnancy. They may want to discuss any previous pregnancy problems, medicines you currently are taking, vaccinations you might need, and steps you can take before pregnancy to help prevent certain birth defects.

Take a list of talking points so you don’t forget anything. Be sure to talk to your doctor about:

Medical Conditions

If you currently have any medical conditions, be sure they are under control and being treated. Some of these conditions include: sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), diabetes, thyroid disease, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases.

Lifestyle and Behaviors

Talk with your doctor or another health professional if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use certain drugs; live in a stressful or abusive environment; or work with or live around toxic substances. Health care professionals can help you with counseling, treatment, and other support services.

Medications

Almost every pregnant person will face a decision about taking medicines before and during pregnancy. Talk to your healthcare providers before starting or stopping any medicines. Be sure to discuss the following with your healthcare providers:

All medicines you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, herbal and dietary supplements, and vitamins
Best ways to keep any health conditions you have under control
Your personal goals and preferences for the health of you and your baby

Vaccinations (shots)

Some vaccinations are recommended before you become pregnant, during pregnancy, or right after delivery. Having the right vaccinations at the right time can help keep you healthy and help keep your baby from getting very sick or having lifelong health problems.

3. Take 400 Micrograms of Folic Acid Every Day

Folic acid is a B vitamin. CDC urges all people who can become pregnant to take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid each day, in addition to consuming food with folate from a varied diet, to help prevent some major birth defects of the baby’s brain (anencephaly) and spine (spina bifida).

Learn more about folic acid »

4. Stop Drinking Alcohol, Smoking, and Using Certain Drugs

Smoking, drinking alcohol, and using certain drugs can cause many problems during pregnancy, such as premature birth, birth defects, and infant death.

If you are trying to get pregnant and cannot stop drinking, smoking, or using drugs, contact your healthcare provider, local Alcoholics Anonymous, or local alcohol treatment center.

Alcohol and Drug Resources

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a treatment facility locator. This locator helps people find drug and alcohol treatment programs in their area.

Alcoholics Anonymous (A. A.)
Alcoholics Anonymous® is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences, strengths, and hopes with each other so that they can solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. Locate an A.A. program near you.

Learn more about alcohol and pregnancy »

Smoking Resources

1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)

Learn more about smoking during pregnancy »

5. Avoid Toxic Substances and Environmental Contaminants

Avoid harmful chemicals, environmental contaminants, and other toxic substances such as synthetic chemicals, metals, fertilizer, bug spray, and cat or rodent feces around the home and in the workplace. These substances can hurt the reproductive systems of men and women. They can make it more difficult to get pregnant. Exposure to even small amounts during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, or puberty can lead to diseases. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from toxic substances at work and at home.

Learn about the effects of toxic substances on reproductive health »

Learn how CDC tracks Children’s Environmental Health »

6.

Reach and Maintain a Healthy Weight

People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk for many serious conditions, including complications during pregnancy, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).¹ People who are underweight are also at risk for serious health problems.²

The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about short-term dietary changes. It’s about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity.

If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, talk with your doctor about ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight before you get pregnant.

Learn more about healthy weight »

7. Learn Your Family History

Collecting your family’s health history can be important for your child’s health. You might not realize 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.

Other reasons people go for genetic counseling include having had several miscarriages, infant deaths, trouble getting pregnant (infertility), or a genetic condition or birth defect that occurred during a previous pregnancy.

Learn more about family history »

Learn more about genetic counseling »

8. Get Mentally Healthy

Mental health is how we think, feel, and act as we cope with life. To be at your best, you need to feel good about your life and value yourself. Everyone feels worried, anxious, sad, or stressed sometimes. However, if these feelings do not go away and they interfere with your daily life, get help. Talk with your doctor or another health professional about your feelings and treatment options.

Learn about mental health »

Learn about depression »

References

NIH, NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Available online:
http://www. nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_gdlns.pdf (PDF-1.25Mb)
Moos, Merry-K, et al. Healthier women, healthier reproductive outcomes: recommendations for the routine care of all women of reproductive age. AJOG Volume 199, Issue 6, Supplement B , Pages S280-S289, December 2008.

Preconception Health for Women | Preconception Care

All people can benefit from the principles of preconception health, whether or not they plan to have a baby one day. This is because part of preconception health is about people getting and staying healthy overall, throughout their lives.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to take good care of your health. It’s natural to think about eating well and exercising as important parts of being healthy, but there are other things to consider, too. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges everyone to make healthy living a priority.

In addition, no one expects an unplanned pregnancy. But it happens often. In fact, about half of all pregnancies in the United States are not planned.

Following are some healthy habits for women:

1. Make a Plan and Take Action

Whether or not you’ve written them down, you’ve probably thought about your goals for having or not having children and how to achieve those goals. It’s really important to have a plan [PDF – 893 KB] and take action, as needed.

Preventive health care can help you stay healthier throughout your life.

2. See Your Doctor

At least once each year, see your doctor for a health check-up. Talk with your doctor about preconception health care. If your doctor has not discussed this type of care with you―ask about it!

Be sure to talk with your doctor about:

Medical Conditions

Lifestyle and Behaviors

Talk with your doctor or other health professional if you smoke, use certain drugs, or drink excessive amounts of alcohol; live in a stressful or abusive environment; or work with or live around toxic substances. Your doctor can help you with counseling, treatment, and other support services.

Vaccinations (shots)

Having the right vaccinations at the right time can help keep you healthy.

3. Take 400 Micrograms of Folic Acid Every Day

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Everyone needs folic acid every day for the healthy new cells the body makes daily. Think about your skin, hair, and nails. These―and other parts of the body–make new cells each day. Folic acid also is important to help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine if you do become pregnant.

Learn about folic acid »

4. Stop Smoking, Using Certain Drugs, and Drinking Excessive Amounts of Alcohol

Smoking, using certain drugs, and drinking too much alcohol are harmful to your health and could lead to serious birth defects for your baby if you have an unintended pregnancy. If you cannot stop drinking, smoking, or using drugs―get help! Contact your health care provider or local treatment center.

Alcohol and Drug Resources

Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.)
Alcoholics Anonymous® is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences, strengths, and hopes with each other so that they can solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. Locate an A.A. program near you.

Learn about alcohol use »

Smoking Resources

1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)

Learn how to quit smoking »

5. Avoid Toxic Substances

Exposure to toxic substances and other harmful materials at work or at home, such as synthetic chemicals, metals, fertilizer, bug spray, and cat or rodent feces, can hurt the reproductive systems of men and women. Learn how to protect yourself from toxic substances at work and at home.

The effects of toxic substances on female reproductive health »

6. Reach and Maintain a Healthy Weight

People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk for many serious conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).¹ People who are underweight also are at risk for serious health problems.²

The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about short-term dietary changes. It’s about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity. Staying in control of your weight contributes to good health now and as you age.

If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, talk with your doctor or other health care professional about ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Learn about healthy weight »

7. Get Help for Violence

From infants to the elderly, violence affects people in all stages of life. The number of violent deaths tells only part of the story. Many more people survive violence and are left with lifelong physical and emotional scars.

Learn about violence prevention »

8. Learn Your Family History

Your family health history can help your doctor provide better care for you. It can help identify whether you have a higher risk for some diseases. It can help your doctor recommend actions for reducing your personal risk for a disease. And, it can help in looking for early warning signs of disease.

Learn about your family history »

9. Get Mentally Healthy

Mental health is how we think, feel, and act as we cope with life. To be at your best, you need to feel good about your life and value yourself. Everyone feels worried, anxious, sad, or stressed sometimes. However, if these feelings do not go away and they interfere with your daily life, get help. Talk with your doctor or another health care professional about your feelings and treatment options.

Learn about mental health »

Learn about depression »

10.

When You’re Ready―Planning Your Pregnancy

One day, you might decide that you’re ready to have a baby. When that time comes, one of the most important things you can do is plan your pregnancy. For some women, getting their body ready for pregnancy takes a few months. For other women, it might take longer. It’s never too early to get ready for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

In the meantime, learn how to prevent pregnancy. Several safe and highly effective methods of birth control are available to prevent pregnancy.

Learn about birth control »

References

NIH, NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Available online: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_gdlns.pdf (PDF-1.25Mb)
Moos, Merry-K, et al. Healthier women, healthier reproductive outcomes: recommendations for the routine care of all women of reproductive age. AJOG Volume 199, Issue 6, Supplement B , Pages S280-S289, December 2008.

How to prepare for conception?

Pregnancy planning is really necessary, especially in our time, when a healthy woman is the exception rather than the rule. Not to mention the fact that pregnancy is a serious test for the body of even a perfectly healthy woman.

It can be said that entering into a pregnancy without prior preparation for it is the same as flying on an airplane that has not been checked in advance: maybe it will cost, or maybe not. Of course, aircraft are tested before each flight. So why does a woman, ready to give birth to a new human being, not always conduct a similar check of her body? After all, the price of her neglect of herself and her health can be the life of the unborn child.

The process of preparing for pregnancy is quite complex and includes several stages. It is worth starting planning a few months (at least three) before the time when the couple intends to conceive a baby.

And at the stage of pregnancy planning , it is necessary to understand that the bearing and birth of a baby is not a woman's business, but a married couple's. Therefore, the active participation of the father in planning pregnancy is extremely necessary and important for himself, and for his wife, and for the unborn baby.

Without the help of doctors, it will not be possible to manage even at this stage. A visit to the gynecologist will allow you to identify possible diseases and treat them in a timely manner. After the first appeal, future parents undergo several examinations and pass certain tests in order to find out how ready their bodies are for conceiving a baby, as well as to prevent possible problems when carrying a child. The gynecologist will tell you what to do if, before planning a pregnancy, a woman was protected with hormonal contraceptives. It is necessary to stop taking hormonal contraceptives 3 months before the planned pregnancy.

It is important for a future mother to understand that only a healthy woman can bear and give birth to a healthy baby. In this regard, you need to start taking care of your own health long before conception. Good physical shape, the absence of diseases, proper nutrition and the rejection of bad habits, hygiene and a measured lifestyle - all this has a beneficial effect on the female body and subsequently makes it easier to endure pregnancy. However, not all vitamins can be obtained from food. For example, the body can only obtain folic acid in an artificial form, since its counterpart (folate), found in green vegetables, beans, asparagus, and citrus fruits, is much less absorbed. Folic acid is very important for the development of the baby to take place correctly, and the need for its intake exists throughout pregnancy. If the mother's body during the bearing of the child receives a sufficient amount of this substance, then the risk of pathology from the nervous system is minimized.

What tests should a married couple undergo

before planning a pregnancy?

Gynecological examination, colposcopy for women.
Blood type, Rh factor for both spouses. If a woman has a positive Rh factor, there is no problem. If a woman has a negative Rh factor - antibodies to the Rh factor (even if a man is also negative). If they are positive, pregnancy is not currently possible and needs to be corrected. If negative - repeat this analysis once a month, starting from 8 weeks of pregnancy. If a woman has 1 group, and a man has any other group, incompatibility by blood types is possible. An analysis for group antibodies, as well as an analysis for antibodies to the Rh factor, is carried out once a month, starting from 8 weeks of pregnancy.
Tests for infections: routine smear, PCR for latent infections - both spouses.
Blood test for TORCH-complex. Antibodies to rubella, toxoplasma, herpes, CMV, chlamydia - quantitative analysis (with titer). The presence of IgG antibodies means immunity to these infections, and is not an obstacle to pregnancy. The presence of IgM means an acute stage, planning in this case must be postponed until recovery. If there are no IgG antibodies to rubella, it is necessary to be vaccinated and protected for another 3 months after it.
A trip to the dentist, a therapist, chest x-ray is a must for both spouses. By appointment of the therapist - consultation of narrow specialists (ENT doctor, urologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist).
Spermogram. Desirable, but not required. It is done to determine the quality of spermatozoa and identify a hidden inflammatory process (a much more informative analysis than any smears and PCR).
Ultrasound of the pelvic organs - at least 2 times per cycle: after menstruation and before menstruation. For the first time, the general condition of the pelvic organs is assessed, in the second, the presence of a corpus luteum and endometrial transformation, indicating that ovulation has occurred. Ideally, an intermediate third ultrasound on the eve of the expected ovulation is to detect the dominant follicle.
Blood test for hormones of the reproductive system, thyroid gland, adrenal glands - according to indications.
Ultrasound of the thyroid gland, mammary glands - according to indications.
Hemostasiogram, coagulogram. - according to indications.
General clinical blood test (hemoglobin, erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, ESR, color index, leukocyte formula). Finger blood. General urinalysis (morning portion of urine - completely collected, it is important that the analysis does not include discharge from neighboring organs).
Blood tests for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and C - for both spouses.
If there was a case of hereditary diseases in the family, miscarriages, spontaneous miscarriages, seek advice from a medical genetic consultation (Krasnoyarsk Regional Consultative and Diagnostic Center for Medical Genetics, Krasnoyarsk, Molokova St. 7, t. 55-99-20).

How to plan a pregnancy and what tests women and men need to take

Pregnancy planning (preconception preparation) is a set of preventive measures aimed at reducing the risk of having a child with congenital diseases, as well as reducing the number of complications during pregnancy and childbirth in a future mother. It is advisable to start preparing for pregnancy 3-4 months before the planned conception and follow the recommendations for future Advice for a future mother.

Start taking care of your health a few months before conception. Visit doctors in advance to avoid unnecessary problems during pregnancy. During the bearing of a child, it is more difficult to be treated - the choice of drugs and diagnostic methods is limited. & nbsp;

1. Strengthen your health, temper yourself, avoid stress, walk more - fast walking will increase endurance. Start the day with calisthenics, with special emphasis on ab work.

2. It is advisable to stop taking hormonal contraceptives within three months. The same applies to the intrauterine device, since the endometrium (the inner layer of the uterus where the embryo is attached) needs to recover. Please note: in the first cycle after the abolition of oral contraceptives, the possibility of multiple pregnancy becomes higher, which increases the risks for the expectant mother.

3. Avoid sauna and overheating 2-3 months before conception.

4. Two or three months before conception, try to exclude alcoholic beverages. Don't overeat. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits daily. The main vitamin for mom is vitamin B9 (folic acid). Its deficiency can lead to mental retardation of the unborn child, the formation of a cleft lip, a neural tube defect and other anomalies, as well as provoke various pathologies and even the loss of a child. Vitamin B9found in green vegetables, greens, bananas, orange juice, liver, chicken meat (note: most of it is destroyed by heat treatment). The required daily dose of this vitamin when planning a pregnancy is 400 mg, and if you start taking it 2 months before pregnancy, the deficiency in the body will be replenished. But only the doctor will determine the exact dosage.

5. Get preventive check-ups with doctors.

">Mom and Dad-to-be.

The health of the future baby depends on the lifestyle and habits of the parents. Take pregnancy planning seriously and prepare in advance.

1. If possible, avoid smoking and alcohol (even soft drinks, such as beer and cocktails). Do not abuse strong coffee, include fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. The main vitamin for dad is vitamin B9 (folic acid). It helps to significantly improve the quality of sperm and the chance of conceiving a healthy child increases.

2. Strengthen your health and immunity with moderate physical activity - visit the pool or gym. Try:

• avoid a sedentary lifestyle so that there is no stagnation of blood in the pelvic area;

• do not overheat the testicles and do not wear tight underwear;

• avoid strenuous exercise;

• do not work with a laptop on your lap;

• Do not put your mobile phone in your front pockets.

3. During the planning of pregnancy, it is necessary to protect yourself from colds. Antibiotics and strong medicines - only as prescribed by a doctor.

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