Preparing for Pregnancy

Most women know they will need to do a good deal of planning once they become pregnant. There will be the regular doctor visits, the attention to diet and other lifestyle choices, getting the future baby’s room ready, setting up for changes at work, and on and on.

But what about planning before you get pregnant?

At Women’s Health Medical Group, we encourage out patients to adopt good health habits and goals, long before they actually become pregnant. Plus, if there are any health issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure, those need to be addressed before you become pregnant.

Here’s checklist of sorts to walk you through some of the issues to consider or pay attention to prior to becoming pregnant.

Consider your health

Look at this list and see how many items you can check off.

1. I am physically active.
2. I have my health problems under control.
3. I watch my diet.
4. My weight is at or close to my ideal weight.
5. I don’t smoke.
6. I don’t take recreational drugs.
7. I don’t have a drinking problem.

Other issues to consider and plan for:

• Do you have health insurance?
• How much of delivery will my insurance cover?
• Who will help you through pregnancy and childcare?
• Do you have the money needed to cover childcare and other day-to-day child expenses?
• What are the policies at your job for maternity and childcare?

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

These tips improve your health as you seek to become pregnant.

• Eat a high-fiber, low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise 3 or more times per week.
• Get within 15 pounds of your ideal weight.
• Take a daily vitamin supplement that contains folic acid (folic acid is proven to reduce the chance of some birth defects) and iron.  

We can help you with these issues

You’ll have tons of questions, and we can help you with these. Things like when to stop taking your birth control pills, and which over-the-counter medicines safe for pregnant women. Plus, we will help you get a handle on your blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic health problems, along with any sexually transmitted diseases.

If you have any questions about pregnancy and obstetrics, call us and let’s talk, (817) 346-5336.