If you’re planning to start a family soon, taking care of your health before getting pregnant is essential. Preconception care refers to the medical care and lifestyle changes you make before trying to conceive to ensure a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of preconception care, provide a checklist for Sri Lankan women to follow when preparing for pregnancy, and highlight the importance of folic acid supplementation, COVID-19 vaccination, and rubella vaccination as part of preconception care.
The Benefits of Preconception Care
Preconception care has several benefits, including:
- Reducing the risk of complications during pregnancy: By getting your health in check before becoming pregnant, you can reduce your risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and preterm labour.
- Improving fertility and chances of conception: By ensuring your body is healthy, you can increase your chances of getting pregnant and reduce the risk of infertility.
- Reducing the risk of congenital disabilities: Preconception care can help reduce the risk of congenital disabilities by ensuring you get enough nutrients, such as folic acid and avoiding harmful substances that can affect fetal development.
- Improving maternal and fetal health: When you take care of your health before pregnancy, you give your baby the best possible start in life.
Preconception Care Checklist
Here’s a checklist of things to consider when preparing for pregnancy:
- Medical check-up: Schedule a preconception visit with your gynaecologist. Your doctor can check your overall health and recommend any tests or treatments you may need before trying to conceive. This visit is essential if you have pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or thyroid disorders.
- Reviewing medications and vaccinations: Make sure that any medications you are taking are safe for pregnancy. Some medicines can harm your baby, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about any medications you take. You should also ensure you’re up-to-date on all your vaccinations, including the COVID-19 and rubella vaccinations.
- Healthy lifestyle habits: Healthy lifestyle habits can improve your overall health and increase your chances of getting pregnant. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and alcohol, and managing stress are all important for preconception care.
- Managing chronic health conditions: If you have any chronic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or thyroid disorders, it’s important to manage them before becoming pregnant. This can help reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy.
- Getting ready for conception: Understanding your menstrual cycle, ensuring adequate nutrition and supplementation, considering genetic counselling, and reviewing financial and social considerations are all necessary steps to take when preparing for pregnancy.
- Understanding your menstrual cycle: Knowing when you’re ovulating is key to getting pregnant. You can use ovulation predictor kits or fertility tracking apps to help you identify your fertile window.
- Ensuring adequate nutrition and supplementation: Eating a healthy diet that includes foods rich in folic acid, iron, and other nutrients is important for preconception care. Your doctor may also recommend prenatal vitamins to ensure that you’re getting all the nutrients you need, including folic acid.
- Considering genetic counseling: If you have a family history of genetic disorders or are concerned about passing on a genetic condition to your child, consider genetic counseling before getting pregnant.
- Reviewing financial and social considerations: Having a baby can be expensive, so it’s important to review your finances and make sure you’re financially prepared for a new addition to your family. You should also consider how having a baby will affect your work and social life.
Folic Acid Supplementation
Folic acid is a B vitamin that is important for healthy fetal development. It can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine, such as spina bifida. Women who are trying to conceive should take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid. Folic acid can be found in foods such as leafy green vegetables, beans, and citrus fruits, but it can be difficult to get enough through diet alone.
COVID-19 Vaccination
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for women who are trying to conceive or are pregnant to protect against the virus. The vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in pregnant women and can help prevent severe illness and hospitalization. If you’re planning to start a family soon, it’s a good idea to get vaccinated before becoming pregnant.
Rubella Vaccination
Rubella is a viral infection that can cause serious complications during pregnancy, including birth defects, miscarriage, and stillbirth. If you’re not immune to rubella, your doctor may recommend that you get vaccinated before getting pregnant. The rubella vaccine is safe and effective and can help protect you and your baby.
Conclusion
Preconception care is an important step in ensuring a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. By taking care of your health before getting pregnant, you can reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy, increase your chances of getting pregnant, and give your baby the best possible start in life. Schedule a preconception visit with your doctor, adopt healthy lifestyle habits, manage chronic health conditions, and prepare for conception. And remember to consider folic acid supplementation, COVID-19 vaccination, and rubella vaccination as essential parts of your preconception care. By following these tips, you can have a healthy and happy pregnancy. Good luck!
