BE PREPARED FOR THE JOURNEY
Caring for your health before you become pregnant (preconception care) will help you identify risk factors and treat any medical issues that you may have before becoming pregnant. Planning for your pregnancy before conceiving will help you make healthy choices—for you and your baby!
Preconception Counseling includes a physical exam. Based on the exam, we may suggest lifestyle changes that may need to be made to help insure a healthy pregnancy and baby. Suggestions may include weight loss, quitting smoking or drinking, not taking any medication that could be harmful to the pregnancy or baby, updating your immunizations, taking recommended vitamins, among other things.
Below is a checklist of things we will cover.
EDUCATION
- Smoking, alcohol abuse and other drug use
- Folic acid supplementation, 400 mcg daily as a standard of care
COUNSELING
- Sexually transmitted—infections including HIV
- Family planning and pregnancy timeline
- Healthy body weight and diet
- The importance of oral health
- Hepatitis C risk in those with tattoos and / or body piercings
- Environmental and / or occupational exposures, including lead
- Genetic disorders—including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell genotypes
ASSESSMENT
- Physical assessment—physical examination; medical and family history
- Carrier screening (racial/ethnic background/family history)
- Immunization record, including: rubella, hepatitis B, and varicella
- Complications with past pregnancies—postpartum hemorrhage, thrombotic event, preeclampsia/eclampsia, PIH, gestational diabetes, Rh incompatibility, etc.
- Identification and assistance for victims of domestic violence
- Psychosocial screening for parent readiness
