British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy
Preconception counseling is an appointment with your healthcare provider that’s used to plan for a future pregnancy . Your family history, risk factors, medical conditions and lifestyle are all discussed. This appointment is an important part of a planned and healthy pregnancy .
Planning for Pregnancy Make 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. Get Help for Violence. Learn Your Family History.
A preconception checkup is especially important if you’ve already had a premature baby, a baby with a birth defect, a miscarriage or stillbirth. If certain health conditions run in your family, you may want to see a genetic counselor .
When do I need to start taking prenatal vitamins? Start taking folic acid at least 1 month before you start trying to get pregnant . The first few weeks of pregnancy are a really important time for fetal health and development. Taking folic acid and other prenatal vitamins can help reduce the risk of some birth defects.
11 Questions to Ask Your Doctor If You Want To get Pregnant Soon How long will it likely take me to get pregnant ? When should I stop birth control? Will my health conditions affect my fertility? How will my medications affect my fertility? Should I take vitamins or supplements? Should I change my diet/ exercise routine/ other lifestyle habits? Do I need any vaccinations?
Here’s what you can do: Take a vitamin supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid every day. Get to a healthy weight. Don’t smoke, drink alcohol or take street drugs. Take prescription drugs exactly as your provider says to. Protect yourself from viruses and infections that may affect pregnancy .
If you want to get pregnant , make sure you DON’T do any of these: Lose or Gain a Lot of Weight. Overdo the Exercise. Put Off Starting a Family Too Long. Wait Until You Miss Your Period to Stop Drinking. Smoke. Double Up on Your Vitamins. Amp Up on Energy Drinks or Espresso Shots. Skimp on Sex.
Here are 10 tips that may help increase a healthy woman’s chances of becoming pregnant . Record menstrual cycle frequency. Monitor ovulation. Have sex every other day during the fertile window. Strive for a healthy body weight. Take a prenatal vitamin. Eat healthy foods. Cut back on strenuous workouts.
Does peeing after intercourse prevent pregnancy? Don’t hop up and run to the bathroom right after you make love. Lying down for at least five minutes after intercourse increases the odds that the sperm will be able to keep their date with the awaiting egg and that you ‘ll win at baby roulette.
The amount your obstetrician charges for each visit could range from about $90 to more than $500. Additional services such as pregnancy ultrasounds and laboratory tests are typically billed separately, and usually cost upwards of $100 each. And special tests like amniocentesis can cost more than $2,500.
How should I prepare for my preconception checkup ? The type of birth control you are on. Your menstrual cycles. Your diet and lifestyle habits. A list of the medications you currently take. Any chronic conditions or medical problems you have. Your recent travel. Your family history.
One of the first steps you should take is to get preconception care from your doctor at least 3 months before you become pregnant. It will improve your chance of conceiving, help reduce the risk of birth defects, and get you as ready as possible for a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Take a prenatal vitamin. A recent study found that women undergoing fertility treatments who were taking prenatal multivitamins were twice as likely to get pregnant as women who were undergoing the same treatments but taking only folic acid.
When to start taking prenatal vitamins Because so much of a baby’s development happens during the early weeks of pregnancy , it’s important to start taking prenatal vitamins before you start trying to get pregnant —three months is a good rule of thumb.
Fertility drugs may include: Clomiphene citrate . Clomiphene citrate is taken by mouth and stimulates ovulation by causing the pituitary gland to release more FSH and LH , which stimulate the growth of an ovarian follicle containing an egg. Gonadotropins. Metformin. Letrozole . Bromocriptine.