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Ready, Set, Conceive!
Preconception Planning for a Healthy Pregnancy
By Lisa Hurt Kozarovich
Not so many years ago, women trying to have a baby didn't think much about their health until they were pregnant. Today, that focus has shifted – more and more women are ensuring they're in good health before they start trying to conceive.
"Pregnant women now are a little bit of a different crowd," says Dr. Boris Petrikovsky, M.D., Ph.D. "As a group, they're older, more educated, more financially stable and more aware of how their preconception health can impact their pregnancy and their baby. Preconception planning is not only trendy, but also important to the health of mother and baby during the pregnancy and in the future."
The first thing women considering getting pregnant need to do is talk with their relatives and their partner's relatives about the family medical history. Ask if the parents or grandparents had a history of miscarriages or any genetic birth defects. Ask if diabetes runs in the family, or if there are any other potentially inheritable diseases. Consider your ethnicity. If you're African-American or Mediterranean, your doctor may want to test you for sickle cell disease. If you're Caucasian and have a family history of cystic fibrosis, your doctor may run a test for that disease.
Next, the couple should consider their own health and habits. Is the woman older than 35? If so, she needs to be aware of potential birth defects associated with having a baby at an older age. Are the woman's immunizations up-to-date and are they still effective?
"You want to be sure you're vaccinations are current for rubella, chicken pox and tetanus," says Dr. Jill Powell, OB/GYN and professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. "If you're not sure, you should be tested for immunity prior to becoming pregnant. If a woman contracts rubella or chicken pox when she's pregnant, it can have serious consequences for her and the baby."
