Before trying for a baby, it is not too early to start getting your body ready for pregnancy. Be it your first or a subsequent pregnancy, it is important for you and your partner to ensure that your health is optimal to prepare for a healthy pregnancy ahead.
Though you may not even know that you’re pregnant, the first few weeks after conception are crucial for your baby. For that reason, it’s important to be healthy and prepared for pregnancy before you actually conceive.
What is a pre-pregnancy check-up?
A pre-pregnancy check-up is a medical check performed by your gynecologist or obstetrician to ensure that you are in a good state of health before trying for pregnancy. The check-up includes various screening tests to help check for any existing medical condition, genetic diseases, or infectious diseases that could be passed down to your baby if you get pregnant.
Also, if you have pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, hypo- or hyperthyroidism or PCOS, your doctor can advise you on your long-term medications, should you decide to try for a baby.
Why should you have a pre-pregnancy check-up?
To take care of your baby, you must first take care of yourself. One of the most important parts of your preconception checkup, a thorough examination can help determine if you’re healthy enough to carry a baby and identify any health issues that may need to be addressed before you get pregnant, such as depression, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
In addition to a health assessment, you may also undergo a fertility evaluation to determine your chances of conceiving naturally. While most women and married couples are aware of antenatal care, not many are aware of the importance of pre-pregnancy care. Most couples simply assume that pre-pregnancy care is simply taking folic acid daily, that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Pregnancy care often starts even before pregnancy begins, hence the term “pre-pregnancy care”. This is increasingly important, as more women are having babies later in life. Women who give birth after the age of 35 years old, regardless of whether it is her first or second pregnancy, are classified as “elderly mothers”.
In such cases, it is important for a couple to manage their own health even before pregnancy begins, with advice from an obstetrician during the process of planning for pregnancy.
When should you have a pregnancy check-up?
You can schedule a checkup even a year before you want to try to start getting pregnant. But, you definitely want to make sure that you schedule it a few months before you get pregnant as some issues need more time to work out. It’s most ideal for you to schedule an appointment with the caregivers who would be your providers during your pregnancy.
Before you go, prepare a list of questions and issues that you want to be sure to cover with your doctor. Whether you’re getting ready for your first baby or your fourth, a preconception appointment can provide you with the resources and information you need to help you have the healthiest pregnancy possible.
