Preconception care involves:
- Taking 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid every day if you’re planning to get pregnant. ...
- Quitting smoking and alcohol.
- Keeping any medical condition you have under control. ...
- Ensuring that your vaccinations are up to date and ask your doctor whether you should avoid using certain medications and herbal supplements.
- Following a healthy diet
- Reducing stress
- Maintaining a healthy weight. ...
What are the 5 main factors to consider for pre conception?
Therefore, we identified five preconception health aims:Mental well-being. For both partners, a stress-reduced environment increases the chance for a healthy pregnancy, parent- and childhood. ... Balanced diet and folic acid. ... Healthy body weight. ... Physical activity.
When should I start preconception care?
Preconception care should begin at least three months before you get pregnant. But some women need more time to get their bodies ready for pregnancy. Be sure to discuss your partner's health too.
Is preconception care the same as prenatal care?
Pre-Pregnancy care is the health care a woman gets before she becomes pregnant. Prenatal care is the health care a woman gets during pregnancy.
How do you prepare for preconception?
Planning for PregnancyMake a Plan and Take Action. ... See Your Doctor. ... Take 400 Micrograms of Folic Acid Every Day. ... Stop Drinking Alcohol, Smoking, and Using Certain Drugs. ... Avoid Toxic Substances and Environmental Contaminants. ... Reach and Maintain a Healthy Weight. ... Learn Your Family History. ... Get Mentally Healthy.
Should you go to the doctor before trying to get pregnant?
Even before you start trying to conceive, you should visit your doctor to ensure you'll have the healthiest pregnancy possible. Ready to start a family? Scheduling a visit with your ob-gyn before you start trying to conceive is a must.
How do you know if your fertility is high?
Super fertility has been classified as a monthly fecundity (the ability to get pregnant) rate of 60% or greater. A regular menstrual cycle and high antral follicle count are signs of high fertility. Perimenopause, fibroids, and endometriosis can make conceiving and sustaining pregnancy more difficult.
What are the benefits of preconception care?
Preconception care is individualized care for people considering pregnancy. It focuses on reducing morbidity and mortality for the patient and the fetus, increasing the chances of conception when pregnancy is desired, and providing contraceptive counseling to help prevent unintended pregnancies.
Do preconception vitamins help conceive?
Research has found that women who take prenatal multivitamins also tend to get pregnant faster, so popping a prenatal once a day is always a smart move when you're TTC (or a mama-to-be).
Why is preconception care important?
Preconception health is important for every woman―not just those planning a pregnancy. It means taking control and choosing healthy habits. It means living well, being healthy, and feeling good about your life. Preconception health is about planning for the future and taking steps to get there!
What foods should pregnant avoid?
During pregnancy, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages you to avoid: Bigeye tuna. King mackerel. Marlin....Avoid undercooked meat, poultry and eggsFully cook all meats and poultry before eating. ... Cook hot dogs and luncheon meats until they're steaming hot — or avoid them completely.More items...
What is the preconception period?
The preconception period is often defined as the three months before conception, possibly because this is the average time to conception for fertile couples [79, 80]. However, a time period before conception can only be identified after a woman has become pregnant.
Do preconception vitamins help conceive?
Research has found that women who take prenatal multivitamins also tend to get pregnant faster, so popping a prenatal once a day is always a smart move when you're TTC (or a mama-to-be).
How long do you need to take folic acid before getting pregnant?
It's recommended that you should take a daily supplement of folic acid when you're pregnant, or there's a chance you might get pregnant. You should take a 400 microgram supplement of folic acid every day before you get pregnant, and every day afterwards, up until you're 12 weeks pregnant.
How important is preconception care?
Preconception health is important for every woman―not just those planning pregnancy. It means taking control and choosing healthy habits. It means living well, being healthy, and feeling good about your life. Preconception health is about making a plan for the future and taking the steps to get there!
What is preconception care?
Preconception care is care you receive before you get pregnant. Your health care provider can help you figure out which steps you need to take now, such as. Finding and taking care of any problems that might affect you and your baby later, like diabetes or high blood pressure.
What happens if you take action on health issues before you are pregnant?
Once you're pregnant, you'll get prenatal care until your baby is born.
What is preconception care?
Simply put, preconception care is a holistic and individualized approach to optimizing the health and wellness of all those involved in conceiving a child.
What does preconception care involve?
When preparing for pregnancy/conception it’s important to assess and optimize the following aspects of your health (ideally with a trusted healthcare provider).
The take away
Preconception care is a holistic and individualized approach to optimizing the health and wellness of all those involved in conceiving a child. As a result, everyone’s preconception plan will be a bit different.
What is preconception care?
Preconception care is defined as a set of interventions that aim to identify and modify biomedical, behavioral and social risks to the woman's health or pregnancy outcome through prevention and management. Certain steps should be taken before conception or early in pregnancy to maximize health outcomes. Consider the following clinical issues. 2.
When should medication be used during the preconception period?
Switching medication may be appropriate during the preconception period if suitable alternatives exist with less risk to the pregnant woman or fetus.
What is the purpose of counseling during pregnancy?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that all health encounters during a woman's reproductive years, particularly those that are a part of preconception care, should include counseling on appropriate health behaviors to optimize pregnancy outcomes and prevent maternal mortality.
How to prevent smoking relapse during pregnancy?
Both cessation of tobacco use and prevention of smoking relapse are key clinical intervention strategies during preconception and pregnancy. A 5-15 minute counseling session performed by appropriately trained health care providers is most effective with pregnant women who smoke fewer than 20 cigarettes per day. This intervention, known as the 5 A's, is appropriate for use during routine prenatal office visits and includes the following five steps: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange. 8
What is preconception health?
Preconception health is a woman's health before she becomes pregnant. It means knowing how health conditions and risk factors could affect a woman or her unborn baby if she becomes pregnant. For example, some foods, habits, and medicines can harm your baby — even before he or she is conceived. Some health problems, such as diabetes, also can affect pregnancy.
How early can you start preconception care?
If you are sexually active, talk to your doctor about your preconception health now. Preconception care should begin at least three months before you get pregnant. But some women need more time to get their bodies ready for pregnancy. Be sure to discuss your partner's health too. Ask your doctor about:
Why should women be thinking about their health?
Every woman should be thinking about her health whether or not she is planning pregnancy. One reason is that about half of all pregnancies are not planned. Unplanned pregnancies are at greater risk of preterm birth and low birth weight babies. Another reason is that, despite important advances in medicine and prenatal care, about 1 in 8 babies is born too early. Researchers are trying to find out why and how to prevent preterm birth. But experts agree that women need to be healthier before becoming pregnant. By taking action on health issues and risks before pregnancy, you can prevent problems that might affect you or your baby later.
What are the conditions that affect pregnancy?
Some conditions that can affect pregnancy or be affected by it include asthma, diabetes, oral health, obesity, or epilepsy.
Where can preconception care be provided?
Preconception care can be provided in the primary care setting and through activities linked to schools, workplaces, and the community.
What is the role of preconception counseling?
Preconception counseling can play a major role in reducing poor perinatal outcomes.
Why is preconception important?
Preconception health is a woman health before being pregnant .It is a good opportunity for you and your partner to improve your health and identify any health conditions or risk factors that may affect you or your unborn baby before pregnancy.A healthcare professional can help you to assess your health, fitness and lifestyle, to identify areas or problems that might affect you or your baby later on like high blood pressure or diabetes. Unplanned pregnancies are at greater risk of preterm birth and low birth weight babies. Another reason is that, despite important advances in medicine and prenatal care, about 1 in 8 babies is born too early. Researchers are trying to find out why and how to prevent preterm birth. But experts agree that women need to be healthier before becoming pregnant.Appropriate preconception health care improves pregnancy outcomes,When started at least one month before conception . Men should also receive care, although the components are not as well defined in men as they are in women
What is the key to pregnancy readiness?
Every couple must have the opportunity to choose when they are ready to reproduce. Family planning and pregnancy prevention is key to pregnancy readiness.
What is the most important preventative intervention available in the pre-reconceptual period?
Supplementation with folic acid is one of the most significant preventative interventions available in the prepreconceptual /antenatal period.Daily use of vitamin supplements containing folic acid has been demonstrated to reduce the occurrence of neural tube defects by two thirds
How to stop a pregnancy?
Some conditions that can affect pregnancy or be affected by it include asthma, diabetes, oral health, obesity, or epilepsy . Talk to your doctor about any over-the-counter and prescription medicines you are using.
What are the risks associated with poor perinatal outcomes?
This risk assessment must include evaluation of overall well-being, medical history, surgical risks, social and behavioral risks, medication risks, occupational risks, education risks, and any other barriers that may pose an undue risk on fertility or pregnancy .
