You’d like to expand your family in the coming year, and you’re planning to start trying to conceive in the next few months. Now’s the perfect time to focus on your preconception health — or the various aspects of your wellness that help support:
Your first step is scheduling a preconception counseling visit at New Beginnings OB/GYN in Shenandoah, Texas. Our women’s wellness team can provide you with a strategic checklist that sets you up for a proactive, healthy pregnancy.
Six months to a year before you start trying to get pregnant — a time we like to call the “proactive preconception window” — schedule an appointment with our OB/GYN team. This all-important pre-pregnancy visit covers a checklist of health needs, including:
To evaluate your physical readiness for pregnancy, we review your personal and family health histories, check your blood pressure, assess your body mass index (BMI), and conduct routine bloodwork to screen for diabetes and high cholesterol. We also:
If we find anything concerning, such as elevated blood glucose levels, we create a treatment plan to address the issue. If you’ve already been diagnosed with any chronic conditions, such as asthma, we check to ensure it’s well-controlled heading into pregnancy.
We review all prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and herbal supplements you take to ensure that they’re safe to continue taking during pregnancy. If there’s anything you shouldn’t continue taking, we help you safely “taper” your usage or swap the medicine out for something you can safely take while pregnant.
Depending on your medical history, we may check your immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases like whooping cough (pertussis) or measles. Ensuring your immunizations are up to date before conception helps protect both you and your future child.
Pregnancy hormones make gum tissues more vulnerable to disease. Before you’re expecting, visit your dentist and address any cavities or gum inflammation; untreated infections can lead to worsening oral health and even tooth loss once you’re pregnant.
A nutritious, balanced dietary pattern is a foundational element of good health — one that becomes all the more important when you’re trying to conceive, during pregnancy, and in the postpartum period if you choose to breastfeed.
Your “proactive preconception window” is the perfect time to shift your dietary focus to whole foods like leafy greens, colorful fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and unsaturated fats, while reducing your consumption of processed foods and added sugars.
In the weeks before conception through every trimester of pregnancy, sufficient intake of certain nutrients — including protein, iron, iodine, choline, calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and dietary fiber — becomes even more important.
A few months before you plan to start trying to conceive, begin taking a daily prenatal vitamin that provides 400-800 micrograms (mg) of folic acid. This essential B vitamin helps prevent birth defects in your baby’s brain and spinal cord during the first trimester, and you may not get enough from your diet alone.
Prior to conception and continuing through pregnancy, we recommend avoiding alcohol and high-mercury fish like tuna. Limiting your daily caffeine intake to 200-300 milligrams (mg), or about one 12-ounce cup of coffee, can support fertility.
There are several foods you’ll need to avoid once you’re pregnant — such as unpasteurized dairy products, deli meats, sushi, and raw sprouts — because they may have bacteria that can harm your developing baby.
Recommended lifestyle changes before pregnancy aim to support ovulation and fertility, prepare your body for the physical demands of carrying a baby, and eventually, protect fetal health and development. Six to 12 months before pregnancy, you should:
The bottom line? Preparing your body for pregnancy is a multi-step process, and starting at least six months before conception gives you ample time to build essential nutrient stores, establish healthier lifestyle habits, and manage any existing medical concerns.
Proactive preconception care supports better health and a reduced risk of complications for both you and your future baby, and we’re here to help every step of the way. Schedule a visit with Dr. Rania Ibrahim at New Beginnings OB/GYN in Shenandoah, Texas, today.