Pre-Pregnancy Check Up : Everything You Should Know

One of the major decisions you take in your life after marriage is giving birth to a healthy baby. It is extremely important to plan in advance so that you have suitable opportunities to stay healthy and enjoy your pregnancy period. You need to talk to your private gynaecologist in London when you want to conceive and have a safe pregnancy. Below have been discussed 10 important things you should consider before making this big leap.

1. Know about private maternity health coverage –

The health insurance requires having maternity coverage for at least 12 months before the arrival of your baby. You need to compare between different health insurers and levels of cover to go through the fine print of each of them carefully.

2. Visit a GP for your pre-conception check-up –

You should schedule an appointment nearly six months before trying for a baby. You might require boosters even when you are completely immunised. Women need to tale the latest vaccination with MMR vaccine which should be done at least one month before conceiving. Other immunisations you may require before getting pregnant include – influenza, hepatitis B and chickenpox and influenza. Some questions you may ask your GP are whether you need to detect for cervical abnormalities, you have genetic problems n the family, suffer from depression and have heart problems.

3. Say no to all your bad habits –

Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and use of drugs might have negative impact on the baby. In extreme cases, you might suffer from miscarriage, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS, premature delivery, complications at the time of child birth, low birth-weight babies, restriction in your baby’s growth and some developmental difficulties. It would be a good decision to quit your smoking habit before conceiving as this can improve the chances of fertility rate and lessen the chances of your baby born prematurely.

4. Plan your pre-pregnancy diet –

Pregnancy is said to be the most demanding time when the body requires proper nutrition and well-balanced diet. You should eat sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits, complicated carbohydrates, adequate intake of protein and fats such as olive oil and nuts. If you have excess weight, it is advised to contact a nutrition professional and discuss about your personal situation. Being overweight might affect the chances of conceiving and labour pain and so, you should seek advice early. In the same way, when you are overweight, you need visit your private GP immediately so that you give birth to a healthy baby.

5. Consider all the supplements for pregnancy –

Your baby’s health should begin well before your pregnancy test result is positive. You should take certain supplements for folic acid at least one month before the conception and during the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. This can lessen the chance of neural tube defects like spina bifida. You are advised to take iodine supplement which should be at least 150 micrograms before the conception. This can help in the development of the brain and nervous system of your baby. In case you are suffering from pre-existing thyroid problem, you should see a private GP before taking pregnancy supplements.

6. Take care of your psychological health –

If you have pre-existing mental condition, it is advised to visit your healthcare professional soon. Some questions you may ask are – if pregnancy can affect your mental health, you need some information about the medications you are taking and where you should go when facing mental problem at the time of pregnancy. Besides, your stress level is another thing that can affect the chances of conceiving properly. It is suggested that you do meditation and exercise to have a peaceful mind. Bringing your baby into the world is a wonderful journey of your life and you will definitely feel nervous when you have already conceived.

7. Know your caffeine intake –

You will find warnings related to consuming caffeine both before and during pregnancy. It is advised that heavy coffee drinkers reduce its intake as lots of women cannot take caffeine when they are pregnant and so, the symptoms aren’t that pleasant when you get pregnant. Caffeine can increase your level of anxiety and when you struggle to conceive or suffer from tension, this is certainly a good move for your body and mind. You will also find caffeine in chocolate, tea and fizzy drinks.

8. Increase your physical activities –

You need not worry much related to staying fit and losing weight though it can be of great help to increase physical activities and move the body often. Doing regular exercises can increase your energy level when you are tired, change your mood for improved heath during pregnancy, reduce weight, risks with gestational diabetes and improve your core muscles.

9. Know your ovulation phase –

Women should be aware about their ovulation period so that they have the best chance of conceiving properly. This is extremely important for women who suffer from irregular periods as the fertile period may fall outside of 28-day cycle. It is nothing unusual for women’s menstrual cycles to range somewhere from 21 and 40 days. If you want to track your menstrual cycle, then find out about the first day of your period in the last month. Your fertile window is meant to last from 10 and 15 days having ‘peak’ fertility day around day 14. It is suggested to enjoy sexual intercourse at least two to three times in a way week and increase the chances, but you do not have to try right on the peak ovulation day. This is because you have greater chances of conceiving conceive in the day or two before the ovulation phase.

10. Go off the contraception –

Though this might seem something obvious, it will require sometime for the fertility to return after you have stopped contraception. This is the time span for your next month period which should be almost four weeks after being stopped and most women find their fertility has returned back to normal after three months. Some women can get pregnant the day after they stop taking the pill and also there are women who become pregnant when they are on the contraceptives, so everything is possible.

Thus, your private gynaecologist will suggest it is worth waiting for one month after you finish the contraception. This will help to keep a track of your menstrual cycle and know about the next month period date in case you become pregnant soon.