be llybe lly.co m .

au

http://www.bellybelly.co m.au/co nceptio n/pre-pregnancy-checklist

Pre-Pregnancy Checklist Preparing for Pregnancy

By Kelly Winder BellyBelly Creato r, Mum & Birth Attendant

So youve decided that now is the time to prepare f or pregnancy congratulations! Youve probably been thinking about babies f or some time and cant wait to get started. 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. Af ter this time, your f ertility can be investigated should you be concerned that you havent yet conceived. So, whats the next step? 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 or 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. St art t aking Folic Acid (f olat e)

Because it can be dif f icult to get all the f olate you need f rom your diet, its a good idea to take f olate supplements, which help prevent neural tube def ects like Spina Bif da one of the most common of all birth def ects. Ideally, start taking f olate three months prior to conception, but if you hope to conceive earlier than this, the sooner you start taking it, the better. A dose of 400ug until the 12th week of pregnancy is ideal its most crucial in the f irst trimester as the brain and spinal cord are developing. Most 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 f olate youre actually getting (ideally not too small amount). Youll also f ind f olate in the f ollowing f oods: Spinach

Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Asparagus Berries Avocado Beef / Yeast Extracts (e.g. Vegemite) Eggs Bran Flakes Chick Peas Soy Beans Oranges Grapef ruit A vitamin to make mention of is Vitamin A, which can be harmf ul to the baby or may cause birth def ects when taken in excess amounts. T his is no reason to panic about the f oods you eat on a daily basis. According to the Australian T herapeutic Goods Administration 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 multi-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. T his is why it is important to make sure you have a multi-vitamin suitable f or pregnancy as this should be f actored in already.

3. Invest igat e / Check Your Privat e Healt h Cover

If you intend to: Attend a Private Hospital, See a Private Obstetrician or See a Private Midwif e (some f unds 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. Most Private Health f unds require you have appropriate cover f or at least 12 months prior to your baby being born. Most will also cover your baby if he / she is to be admitted f or any reason during this time, however some f unds have exceptions and limits so its important to check with them f irst.

4. Smoking
T here is no saf e 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 can also result in less success with f ertility treatment and a higher miscarriage and stillbirth rate. Men who smoke may have reduced semen volume and sperm count and more abnormal sperm compared to

non or ex-smokers. Toxins f ound in tobacco smoke, such as cadmium, nicotine, lead and radioactive elements may be directly toxic as they circulate in the blood and reach the testes. It is not yet known whether this af f ects the f ertility or health of the children of men who smoke.^1^ Smoking during pregnancy and exposing the inf ant to tobacco smoke in the f irst year of lif e is one of the major risk f actors f or sudden inf ant death syndrome (SIDS or cot death).^2^ Over one-quarter of the risk of death due to SIDS is attributable to maternal smoking.^3^ So if you are a smoker, now is a great time 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. St op alcohol consumpt ion

T he 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. T his is due to the dif f iculty in knowing what is a saf e level f or a pregnant woman to drink. Excessive drinking can result in miscarriage or stillbirth and puts baby at risk of disabilities, behavioural problems and slow growth.

6. St op t aking 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 f ertility 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 still appropriate f or conception and / or pregnancy. Many medications including over-the-counter painkillers and other drugs are not recommended to take when pregnant or breastf eeding.

8. Healt hy eat ing & exercise

You dont need to f ollow a strict regime thats impossible to keep up with, but aim to be in the healthy weight range f or your body being underweight or overweight can ef f ect f ertility. Being underweight or overweight can result in problems with ovulation. You are also more prone to high blood pressure in pregnancy if you are overweight, which can be dangerous if lef t untreated. Drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet f rom the f ive f ood groups, including lots of f resh f ruit and vegies and exercise regularly. Going f or a walk everyday with your partner is a great idea perhaps to motivate yourself , you can make up a little game where youre not allowed to talk about babies f or the 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 you can do to work with your body towards conception. T he 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 healt h hist ory

If your f amily has a history of genetic disorders or health problems, you may like to bring this up with your GP who can ref er 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 to your f amily about it, as sometimes they dont think or remember to tell you. For example, a good f riend of mine had terrible complications with pre-eclampsia and it wasnt until she had her baby that her f amily revealed the long lineage of pregnancy complications f rom pre-eclampsia.

10. See your dent ist

Its a good idea to have a check up with your dentist to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy bef ore you get pregnant, as once pregnant, not only can you be more prone to teeth and gum issues, but you are not able to have the usual treatments you would if you werent pregnant. So making sure any potential problems are seen to bef ore pregnancy is a good idea.

11. Caf f eine

T here are so many dif f ering conclusions made about the ef f ect caf f eine has on f ertility, some studies claiming that higher caf f eine consumption can delay the chance of conception and some saying it has little ef f ect. One study indicated that moderate caf f eine intake of 150-300 mg (approx one to two cups of strong cof f ee per day) is an established risk f actor in human f ertility. T hey noted that women who drank more than one strong 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 Z ealand Food Authoritys report on on the saf ety aspects of dietary caf f eine (2000), the below f oods contained the f ollowing 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. Invest igat e opt ions f or pregnancy care

While you are thinking about your private health cover, you might like to investigate the dif f erent options available to you private? Public? Homebirth? Shared care?

Knowing where youd like to birth and who youd like to care f or 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 f or some places.

13. Chart your cycle

BellyBelly has a detailed article on charting 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, as you can see right in f ront of you your most 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 f or f ertility indications. All the best f or a successf ul road to conception! Ref erences 1. United States. Department of Health and Human Services. T he health consequences of smoking: A report of the surgeon general. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers f or Disease Control and Prevention, National Center f or Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Of f ice on Smoking and Health; 2004. 2. US Department of Health and Human Services. T he Health Consequences of Smoking f or Women. A report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Of f ice on Smoking and Health, 1980. 3. Blair P, Fleming Pet al. Smoking and the sudden inf ant death syndrome: Results f rom 1993-5 case-control study f or conf idential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in inf ancy. BMJ 1996;313:195-8.