Getting Pregnant | Healthy Pregnancy | Infertility

Choosing to get pregnant and becoming a mother is a big decision that requires lots of thought and planning. Talking to your health care provider before trying to get pregnant is a great idea! You can get expert advice on what you can do to improve your overall health so you can give your new baby the best start at life that is possible. A pre-pregnancy visit with your provider is one of the most important things you can do, especially if you are over age 30. At this visit, you can discuss any nutritional needs or health concerns, including mental health concerns that you may have before becoming pregnant.

Be sure to talk with your provider about your diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol or drug use, and sexual history. Don't forget to let him/her know if you are being treated by other health care providers, including mental health providers. Review all your medications with your provider, including over-the-counter and prescription medications and ask if it is safe to keep taking them while you are trying to conceive and during pregnancy. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, an eating disorder, depression, or other chronic or long-term health conditions, talk with your health care provider about how your condition(s) might affect your health and your pregnancy. Don't think that because you have a health condition you will have serious problems with pregnancy. There are things both you and your health care provider can do to help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Another important thing to discuss with your health care provider is your family health history. You can get genetic counseling before becoming pregnant and possibly be tested for certain genetic conditions, such as Tay-Sachs disease or blood disorders like sickle-cell anemia or thalassemia. Your provider also will talk with you about whether you've had all of your immunizations, especially for Rubella (German measles). If you haven't had chickenpox or Rubella, make sure you are vaccinated at least 3 months before becoming pregnant. You also may want to be screened for Hepatitis B, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and toxoplasmosis since these can harm your baby, as well as yourself.

Your health care provider will recommend that you get 400 micrograms or .4 mg of folic acid daily in your diet. Folic acid is the synthetic (man made) form of folate, one of the B vitamins. Research shows that getting enough folate before becoming pregnant and during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, can greatly reduce the risk of certain birth defects. Because it is hard to get the amount of folate you need daily through diet alone, your provider can prescribe a daily prenatal vitamin that contains 400 micrograms of folic acid. You can also increase foods rich in folate in your diet, like leafy green vegetables, kidney beans, orange juice and other citrus fruits, peanuts, broccoli, asparagus, peas, lentils, and whole grain products. When synthetic folic acid is added to certain grain products, including flour, rice, pasta, cornmeal, bread, and other cereals, these foods are considered "fortified" with folic acid.