Getting pregnant

Do's and Don'ts

Do these things for a healthy pregnancy:

See your health care provider for a pre-conception check up.

At a preconception check up, your clinician will evaluate you to determine that you are in the best physical condition for pregnancy.

They do this by:

• Evaluating your health and any pre existing medical conditions that may effect you or your baby’s health during pregnancy.

• Your clinician will screen you for urinary tract infections, virus exposure, sexually transmitted disease, blood type and Rh, cervical cancer and high blood pressure.

• If you work in a setting where you are at higher risk for exposure to Hepatitis B, such as health care workers, your clinician will recommend that you be vaccinated against Hepatitis B.

• If you have certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy, etc, you may need early and more frequent evaluation to keep you healthy. Your health care provider will want these conditions in good control prior to and during pregnancy.

Vaccination

Most women have immunity against childhood illnesses but a small number of women are not immune. Women who have not had chicken pox or rubella and are exposed to them during their pregnancy may have fetal complications such birth defects, learning disabilities, miscarriage or stillbirth.

If you do not remember having these childhood illnesses your healthcare provider will perform a simple blood test to see if you have built up resistance against them.

If you have not had chicken pox or rubella, your clinician will offer you vaccines against them. These vaccines are made from live virus. You will need to avoid getting pregnant for three months after being vaccinated.

Check your family history

Your clinician will identify if there are conditions or traits that may complicate your pregnancy. If you have a history of multiple miscarriages, are over age 30, or have a family history of inherited conditions and birth defects.

If you are at risk, your health care provider may refer you to a genetic counselor for further information and support. Genetic Counselors work with your clinician to identify risk, interpret testing and family history, analyze inheritance patterns, and review risk of occurrence and options with you and your clinician.

Start taking multivitamins with folic acid

Folate is important in the early development of a baby’s brain and spinal cord, also called the neural tube. These vital organs begin to form in the first 28 days of pregnancy. Lacking folate during this period may lead to neural tube defects, such as spina bifida.

Folate is part of the B vitamin group. It is found most commonly in dark leafy vegetables, nuts beans and citrus fruits. In addition to increasing your dietary intake of folate, it is recommended that you take 400 mcg of folic acid per day prior to pregnancy. During pregnancy, the requirement for folate increases to 600 mcg.

Avoid alcohol, smoking and drugs

Alcohol: Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can be harmful to you and your baby. Alcohol passes through the placenta to the fetus and stays in the fetus’ blood stream longer. Regular drinking may cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome are usually small and weigh less than normal newborns. The most serious and preventable effect of drinking alcohol in pregnancy is mental retardation.

Smoking: Smoking can harm both your and your baby's health. Women who smoke while they are pregnant have a greater chance of miscarriage, premature delivery, delivering a low birth-weight baby or stillbirth. Pregnancy is a good time to stop smoking! Many women find it easier to quit when they are pregnant. Once you quit, the risks to you and your baby go down immediately!

Newborns and children who live with cigarette smokers get sick more often and stay sick longer, have more coughs, colds, ear infections, asthma attacks and are more likely to have heart disease, breathing problems or lung cancer when they grow up.

Drugs: Drugs used during or before your pregnancy may have an impact on your baby. People use drugs in many ways and for many reasons. It is important to know that even drugs purchased over -the-counter and prescription drugs that are safely used when you are not pregnant may cause harm to your baby during pregnancy. It is always safe to check with your doctor before taking any drug.

The effects of drugs used in pregnancy range from low birth weight, prematurity, birth defects to fetal death. If you have a medical condition that requires use of medication do not stop taking it. Your clinician will discuss with you, your medications and use in pregnancy, making changes to them when necessary.

If you use cocaine, marijuana or other street drugs, now is the time to stop. Your health care provider will work with you to find the best way for you to quit.

Eat a well balanced, nutritious diet

Now is the time to assure that you are getting all the nutrients you need. A diet which has a variety of protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and limits sweets and fats, is the key to a healthy mother and baby. Be sure to drink 6 - 8 glasses of water per day as water helps control you body temperature, transport nutrients throughout the body, digest food and eliminate waste products.

Being under or overweight poses different risks to pregnancy. If you are over or underweight, now is the time to speak with your health care provider about ways to improve your nutritional status and manage your weight.

Caffeine does play a role in fertility. It also acts as a diuretic, causing the body to lose water. Now is the time to reduce your intake. By slowly decreasing your caffeine intake you may prevent symptoms of caffeine withdrawal.

The following are recommended food servings for women in childbearing years.

Avoid exposure to harmful substances and chemicals

Now is the time to identify, reduce or eliminate any exposure you may have in you home and at your work place. Items such as cleaning solvents, lead, mercury, paint thinners and removers, radiation, insecticides may pose a threat to the developing fetus. Discuss with your employer and concerns you may have about workplace exposures, and be sure to read the label safety remarks before you use any paints, cleaners, chemicals and bug sprays.

Cat litter may carry Toxoplasmosis gondii, a parasite which can be a serious threat to the developing fetus. Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common infections. It often is mistaken as the flu as the initial symptoms are quite similar. The risk to the fetus are different with each trimester of pregnancy. If possible, have someone else change the kitty litter box. If you have outdoor cats be sure to wear gloves while gardening and avoid children’s sandboxes.

Another source of Toxoplasmosis is raw meat. Be sure to wash your hands often during food preparation and avoid contamination of cooked food with raw food. Cook meat thoroughly, especially pork and lamb.

Don’t do these things: