This story will be very important for you who dream of becoming a mother or father. Many people think that you should take care of your baby only after the pregnancy test is positive. But if you really want a healthy baby, you need to prepare even before you get pregnant. That's what pre-pregnancy counseling is for. To be precise, if you are planning to have a baby, this is when you meet a doctor and talk about it.
What is Preconception Counseling?
Simply put, this is a discussion you have with a doctor before you get pregnant. A healthy pregnancy starts before you even get a positive pregnancy test result. So, getting this kind of advice before you get pregnant can greatly reduce the risks to you or your baby during pregnancy.
The main objectives of this consultation are:
- Helping you get pregnant safely .
- Helping to keep you and your unborn baby as healthy as possible.
- Minimizing complications that may occur during pregnancy.
The sad thing is, because most pregnancies are unplanned, many people don't get the benefits of this pre-pregnancy counseling. But it's really important . This counseling will help you prepare for a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby.
What is discussed in this consultation?
Your doctor will assess your risk factors for pregnancy complications, educate you about solutions, and help you connect with resources you may need.
These things usually happen during pre-pregnancy counseling:
- Risk assessments: Your medical history, your family's medical history (including your partner's), and other factors can help you identify potential risks during pregnancy. Lifestyle habits such as your diet and smoking or alcohol use can also affect this. Your doctor can help you identify these risks and help you reduce them as much as possible.
- Interventions: You may need to make changes to your current medications or lifestyle to prepare your mind and body for pregnancy. Your doctor will tell you what steps to take.
- Referrals: Your doctor can refer you to resources that can help you conceive a child. For example, your pregnancy plan may require health care resources such as sperm banks or surrogates. You can talk about these options during this consultation.
When should I go for this consultation?
This meeting should take place at least three months before you start trying to have a baby .
The best thing is that this pre-pregnancy counseling should be part of the ongoing care that anyone who is able to have children, whether now or in the future, is receiving.
Organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend that primary care physicians and OB/GYNs routinely ask patients, "Do you want to get pregnant within the next year?" during routine visits. The goal is to take a proactive approach to improving pregnancy outcomes.
What happens during this consultation?
A pre-conception counseling appointment may include tests to check your health, a review of your medical history to identify risk factors, and advice on how to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
- Physical exam: Your doctor may do an exam to assess your general health. They may check your major organs (like your heart and lungs) and vital signs (like your blood pressure). They may also do a pelvic exam.
- Tests: You may need to have lab tests to check for infections, diseases, or conditions that need treatment. You and your partner may also need genetic tests to check for inherited diseases, such as Tay-Sachs Disease or Sickle Cell Disease.
- Medical history: The doctor will review your medical conditions, medications you take, and surgeries you've had. They'll also look at your obstetric and gynecological history, including whether you use birth control, how regular your menstrual cycles are, and whether you've had any previous pregnancies.
- Family history: Your family's medical history can provide important information about genetic conditions or diseases that you could pass on to your child. It's important to look at your partner's medical and family history for the same reason. (Sperm banks also collect this information when screening donors.)
Your doctor can also guide you through your pregnancy plans. They can help you identify things like:
- The best time to conceive a child: Your doctor can help you identify the time of ovulation each month. This will help you know when you are most likely to get pregnant.
- Safe time to have another baby: Depending on your age and health, trying to have another baby too soon after having a baby (or after a miscarriage) can increase your risk of pregnancy complications. Your doctor will advise you when it's safe to try again.
- The best time and circumstances for you to have a baby: You may want a baby, but you may not feel ready yet. Your doctor can help you identify the things to keep in mind as you plan for the future. For example, they can explain how your age affects your fertility. They can also talk about the financial and social resources you need to have before trying to have a baby. For example, doctors can look at things like intimate partner violence. They can help you find a safe, supportive environment.
- How to maintain your best health: Your doctor can help you manage any medical conditions you may have. They will review your medical history and let you know what vaccinations you need to get.
Think about it, knowing whether or not you're ready to have a baby is just as important as knowing how to increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy.
How does the doctor assess your risk?
The doctor will assess various factors that may affect your pregnancy experience and outcomes.
Chronic diseases
Some chronic conditions can increase your risk of pregnancy complications. Your doctor will review your medical history and help you understand how pregnancy will affect your treatment plan. For example, you may need to change medications or adjust their dosage. You may also need to schedule more doctor visits to monitor your health.
Some of the chronic diseases that pose pregnancy risks are:
- Asthma
- Depression
- Diabetes `(Diabetes Mellitus)`
- Heart Disease
- High Blood Pressure
- Kidney Disease
- Thyroid Disease
It's very important not to change your treatment (such as stopping medication suddenly) until your doctor says it's safe. Talk to your doctor about what can be changed and what should stay the same.
Genetic conditions
Medical and family history is especially useful in identifying conditions that you could pass on to your child. You may need genetic testing or counseling to understand the risk of your child inheriting a genetic condition. Depending on your risk, your doctor can recommend solutions.
For example, preimplantation genetic testing can be used to see if a fertilized egg, or embryo, has inherited genes that predispose to a genetic condition from you or your partner. You can discuss these options with your doctor during your prenatal care.
Infections
Your doctor can check for infections, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), that can be harmful to you or your unborn baby. Infections that increase the risk of pregnancy complications include:
- Hepatitis B
- HIV `(HIV)`
- Measles
- Rubella
- Tetanus
- Chickenpox (Varicella/Chickenpox)
- Zika Virus
It is very important to have all your immunizations before you get pregnant. Your doctor will recommend which vaccines you should get before you get pregnant and how long you should wait before getting pregnant.
Medications, herbs and supplements
Your doctor will check to see if all of the medications you take – prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, herbs, and supplements – are safe to take during pregnancy. They will also educate you on how to get the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy.
They may tell you to start taking a prenatal vitamin that contains between 400 and 800 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid. Folic acid can help prevent birth defects, especially neural tube defects, that affect the baby's spinal cord and brain. It's best to start taking these three to six months before you get pregnant.
Diet and exercise
You will also talk about your diet and activity level, and any changes you need to make before and during pregnancy. For example, your doctor will advise you on the best sources of nutrients during pregnancy and how many calories you need per day. He or she will also tell you which foods to avoid, such as fish that are high in mercury. Your doctor can also talk about how much weight gain is appropriate during pregnancy.
They will also tell you what exercises are safe to do during pregnancy. In general, you should do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week. However, it is not good to exercise until you are exhausted, or to do exercises that put you at risk of falling. Your doctor will guide you on this.
Weight
If you think you're overweight or underweight, you may need to make lifestyle changes or see a dietitian. Being underweight (a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5) increases the risk of premature birth or having a low birth weight baby. Being obese (a BMI of more than 30) increases the risk of:
- Gestational Diabetes
- Gestational Hypertension
- Complications during childbirth
Your doctor will help you develop a plan to gain a healthy weight for your pregnancy.
Smoking, alcohol and substance use
It is essential to stop smoking, alcohol, and recreational drug use as you prepare your body for pregnancy. Drug use is linked to a number of pregnancy complications, including fetal death. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Like drug use, smoking can also cause problems with fetal development, including miscarriages and stillbirths. Exposure to secondhand smoke also increases the risk of harm to the fetus.
In contrast, quitting smoking can reduce the risk of some pregnancy complications by at least 20% .
Your doctor can provide you with resources, such as smoking cessation programs, to help you make these changes.
Toxins
Toxic substances in your home or workplace environment can pose risks during pregnancy. Your doctor will assess your risk of exposure. Hazardous substances that can affect your pregnancy include:
- Arsenic
- Asbestos
- Fluoride
- Lead
- Pesticides
- Chemicals in the workplace
- Rat feces
What happens after the consultation?
Your doctor may recommend a combination of lifestyle changes and health suggestions. These may include:
- Losing or gaining weight.
- Establishing a nutritious diet.
- Creating a healthy exercise plan.
- Stop smoking or drinking alcohol.
- Updating your immunizations.
- Avoiding stress or learning to manage it better.
- Taking recommended vitamins (including prenatal vitamins).
- Visiting specialists for health issues before pregnancy.
- Not taking medications that are harmful to you or the fetus ( always talk to your doctor before starting or stopping any medication ).
Is there a set of guidelines or checklist for this?
There is no single set of guidelines that everyone uses. Instead, various organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), provide checklists of topics that should be covered during preconception counseling. These include:
- Family planning (desire to become pregnant).
- Medical conditions.
- Family medical history.
- Medicines.
- Disease screening.
- Immune status.
- Nutrition and exercise.
- Prenatal vitamins.
- Exposure to toxins.
- Drug, alcohol and tobacco use.
- Safe environment (exposure to family violence).
Your doctor will cover a variety of topics , considering your overall health. Because there are many factors that can affect a healthy pregnancy.
The most important thing to keep in mind (Take-Home Message)
Think of this pre-pregnancy consultation as a wellness appointment that your future, pregnant self does for you. Just like seeing your gynecologist annually to keep your reproductive system healthy, this consultation can help keep your pregnancy healthy and reduce the risk of complications.
So, if you are planning to have a baby now or in the future, see your family doctor or gynecologist and ask about this pre-pregnancy counseling. The best start to a healthy pregnancy is to be informed even before you get a positive pregnancy test result.
` Pre-pregnancy counseling, pregnancy, healthy pregnancy, fertility, health advice, family planning, pregnancy preparation
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