Preconception Care

Before you Conceive

Give your baby the best possible start in life by making sure that you and your partner are fit and healthy before trying to conceive.

Screening for rubella (German measles)
Pap smear
Control of Diabetes – starting insulin may be recommended.
Good control over other health problems like hypertension, asthma, epilepsy, thyroid dysfunction etc. The doctor may recommend switch over to drugs relatively safer to continue in pregnancy.
Genetic counseling – in cases where there is family history of inheritable diseases such as cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophies.
Start preconceptional folic acid 500mg / day.
Stop using contraception

Diet
- Make eating healthy a way of life. Avoid junk food which gives only 'empty' calories.
- Cut down your intake of caffeine. Aim for a low fat, high carbohydrate diet, based on fresh whole foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grains.

Fitness
- Women who exercise before conception can maintain their fitness throughout pregnancy.
- Keeping muscles toned & strengthened helps a woman to carry the extra weight associated in pregnancy more comfortably.
- Exercise improves circulation & supply of O2 to the baby & reduces likelihood of varicose veins, hemorrhoids & fluid retention in the mother.
- Exercise prevents excessive weight gain & helps you sleep better.
- Spend 20 minutes on organized exercise at least two to three times a week. Vary the routine to avoid getting bored.

Give up tobacco, alcohol or drugs.
- These can cause fertility problems as well as lot of problems in pregnancy like preterm birth, low birth weight babies, SIDS etc.

Reduce stress levels
- Excess stress causes physical problems like tension, headaches, ulcers, reduced immunity etc. More importantly in people hoping to conceive, stress lowers the libido in both sexes, produces irregular ovulation in women or lowers the sperm count in men.