PrePregnancy_Checklist.pdf

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bellybelly.com.au http://www.bellybelly.com.au/conception/pre-pregnancy-checkl

By Kelly Winder BellyBelly Creato r, Mum & Birth Attendant

Pre-Pregnancy Checklist Preparing for Pregnancy

So youve decided that now is the time to prepare for pregnancy congratulations! Youve probably beenthinking about babies f or some time and cant wait to get st arted.

Its important to bear in mind that its completely normal f or you to conceive anytime in the f irst twelve months

of trying 90% of couples will conceive in the f irst twelve months of trying. After this time, your f ertility can b

invest igated should you be concerned that you havent yet conceived.

So, whats the next s tep? In no particular order, below are some things to think about now that youre ready to

prepare f or pregnancy.

1. Visit your GP

Visit your GP f or a f ull check-up, including a pap smear and breast check.

Your doctor will likely ask if your vaccinations are up-to- date, particularly:

Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR)

Chicken Pox

Whooping Cough

Inf luenza

Pneumococcal Disease

Remember its a personal choice to vaccinate o r not , BellyBelly recommends you do your research to f ind out

whats best f or you. Some vaccines have additives (some preservatives in vaccines include mercury) and side

ef f ects which you may not be happy to have in your body.

2. Start taking Folic Acid (folate)

Because it can be diff icult t o get all the f olate you need from your diet, its a good idea to take folate

supplements, which help prevent neural tube defects like Spina Bifda o ne of the most common o f all birth

defects.

Ideally, start taking fo late three months prior to conception, but if you hope to conceive earlier than this, the

sooner you s tart taking it, the better. A dose of 400ug until the 12th week of pregnancy is ideal it s mos t

crucial in the f irst t rimester as the brain and spinal cord are developing.

Mos t pregnancy / pre-natal multi-vitamins should contain f olate so you can even start taking those instead of

f olate on its own just make sure you read the label so you know how much folate youre actually getting

(ideally not to o small amount).

Youll also f ind f olate in the fo llowing f oods:

Spinach
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Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Asparagus

Berries

Avocado

Beef / Yeast Extracts (e.g. Vegemite)

Eggs

Bran Flakes

Chick Peas

Soy Beans

Oranges

Grapefruit

A vitamin to make mention of is Vitamin A, which can be harmful to the baby or may cause birth def ects when

taken in excess amounts. This is no reason to panic about t he foods you eat on a daily basis. According to thAust ralian T herapeut ic Goods Administrat ion website, the recommended adult daily allowance of vitamin A

f rom all sources is 2500 IU per week.

You will f ind a Vitamin A in most mult i-vitamins and this is okay as its an important vitamin a def iciency can

also cause health problems f or your baby. Provided you dont exceed the above intake per week, Vitamin A is

saf e to ingest. This is why it is important to make sure you have a multi-vitamin suitable f or pregnancy as t his

should be factored in already.

3. Invest igate / Check Your Private Health Cover

If you intend to:

Attend a Private Hospital,

See a Private Obstetrician or

See a Private Midwif e (some funds contribute towards Midwives, contact your f und to see)

.. youll need to make sure your Private Health cover is up to date and that you have the level of cover you

need.

Mos t Private Health funds require you have appropriate cover f or at least 12 months prior to your baby being

born. Mos t will also cover your baby if he / she is to be admitt ed f or any reason during this t ime, however somf unds have exceptions and limits so its important to check with them f irst.

4. Smoking

There is no safe level of smoking no matter if you are trying to conceive or pregnant or neither.

If you are a f emale smoker, you will likely have lowered f ertility compared to that of a non-smoker. Smoking ca

also result in less success with f ertility t reatment and a higher miscarriage and st illbirth rate.

Men who smoke may have reduced semen volume and sperm count and more abnormal sperm compared to


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non or ex-smokers. Toxins f ound in tobacco smoke, such as cadmium, nicotine, lead and radioact ive elements

may be directly toxic as they circulate in the blood and reach the testes. It is not yet known whether this af f ec

the f ertility or health of the children of men who smoke.^1^

Smoking during pregnancy and exposing the infant to tobacco smoke in the f irst year of lif e is one o f the

major risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS or cot death).^2^ Over one-quarter of the risk of

death due t o SIDS is att ributable to maternal smoking. 3^

So if you are a smoker, now is a great t ime to stop. You can discuss this with your GP, pharmacist or you can

call support organisations like Quit on 137848. You can read more about smoking in pregnancy HERE.

5. Stop alcohol consumption

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) recommends that men drink no more than f our

standard drinks per day, with at least two alcohol-f ree days per week and f or women, recommends no drinking

at all during pregnancy. This is due to the dif f iculty in knowing what is a saf e level for a pregnant woman to

drink.

Excessive drinking can result in miscarriage or st illbirth and puts baby at risk of disabilities, behavioural

problems and s low growth.

6. Stop taking social drugs

It goes without saying that recreational drug use is harmf ul to your body, this may also include your f ertility.

Studies suggest that certain drugs may have ef f ects including a reduction sperm count and quality, preventing

ovulation, causing abnormalities and an increase in general fert ility problems. Some drugs may cause bleeding

miscarriage and low-weight and underdeveloped babies.

7. Visit your pharmacist

If you are taking any medications , check with your pharmacist or GP to see if they are st ill appropriate f or

conception and / o r pregnancy. Many medications including over-the-counter painkillers and ot her drugs are no

recommended to take when pregnant or breastf eeding.

8. Healthy eating & exercise

You dont need to f ollow a st rict regime that s impossible to keep up with, but aim to be in the healthy weight

range fo r your body being underweight or overweight can eff ect f ertility.

Being underweight or overweight can result in problems with ovulation. You are also more prone to high bloo dpressure in pregnancy if you are overweight, which can be dangerous if lef t unt reated.

Drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet from the five food groups, including lots of fresh fruit and vegies an

exercise regularly. Going f or a walk everyday with your partner is a great idea perhaps to mot ivate yourself ,

you can make up a litt le game where youre not allowed to talk about babies f or t he day until you go on your

walk! Alternately you might like to sign up at the local gym or f or a f itness class there are plenty of things yo

can do to work with your body towards conception. The f itter you are, the better you will be able to cope with

pregnancy, which places extra demands and strains on your body.

9. Family health history
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If your f amily has a histo ry of genetic diso rders or health problems, you may like to bring this up with your GP

who can refer you to a genetic counsellor or you are able to contact one directly.

If you arent aware of any previous health problems in your f amily, it doesnt hurt to have a chat t o your family

about it, as sometimes they dont think or remember to tell you. For example, a good f riend of mine had terrib

complications with pre-eclampsia and it wasnt unt il she had her baby that her f amily revealed the long lineage

of pregnancy complications f rom pre-eclampsia.

10. See your dentist

Its a good idea to have a check up with your dentist to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy before yo

get pregnant, as once pregnant, not only can you be more prone to teeth and gum issues, but you are not ab

to have the usual treatments you would if you werent pregnant. So making sure any potential problems are

seen to before pregnancy is a good idea.

11. Caffeine

There are so many dif f ering conclusions made about t he ef f ect caff eine has on f ertility, some studies claiminthat higher caff eine consumption can delay the chance of conception and some saying it has litt le ef f ect.

One study indicated that moderate caf f eine intake of 150-300 mg (approx one to two cups of st rong cof f ee

per day) is an established risk f actor in human fertility. They noted that women who drank more than one

st rong cup of cof f ee per day were half as likely to conceive in any given menstrual cycle, compared to those

who drank less than one cup per day, and those who consumed 2.5 cups per day were 4.7 times less likely to

conceive.

According to the T he Australia New Zealand Food Authoritys report on on the saf ety aspects of dietary

caff eine (2000), the below fo ods contained the fo llowing amounts of caf f eine:

Instant cof f ee (1 teaspoon/cup)

60-80 mg/250 mL cup

Percolated cof f ee

60-120 mg/250mL cup

Tea

10-50 mg/250 mL cup

Coca Cola

36 mg/375 mL can

Milk Chocolate

20 mg/100g bar

Energy Drinks (e.g. Red Bull)

80 mg/250 mL can

12. Investigate options for pregnancy care

While you are thinking about your private health cover, you might like to investigate t he diff erent options

available to you private? Public? Homebirth? Shared care?


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Knowing where youd like to birth and who youd like to care for you will be very usef ul as a headstart, with

current waiting lists f or hospitals and carers starting when women book in at f ive and a half weeks for some

places.

13. Chart your cycle

BellyBelly has a detailed article on chart ing your cycle here which may all seem complex at f irst, but its as easy

as riding a bike! Online charting is so easy to do and gives you a great advantage when trying to conceive, asyou can see right in f ront of you your mos t f ertile times and least f ertile times. Another article you might f ind

usef ul is our article on mucus observations here which is another great help when looking for f ertility

indications.

All the best f or a successf ul road to concept ion!

References

1. United States . Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences o f smoking: A report o

the surgeon general. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department o f Health and Human Services, Centers f or Disease Contro

and Prevention, National Center f or Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promot ion, Of f ice on Smoking anHealth; 2004.

2. US Department o f Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences o f Smoking for Women. A report

of the Surgeon General. Rockville, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health

Service, Off ice on Smoking and Health, 1980.

3. Blair P, Fleming Pet al. Smoking and the sudden inf ant deat h syndrome: Results f rom 1993-5 case-cont rol

study for conf idential inquiry into st illbirths and deaths in infancy. BMJ 1996;313:195-8.
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Documents

PrePregnancy_Checklist.pdf