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Preparing for Pregnancy:planning before you get pregnant
Planning before you get pregnant is very important. Simply put, the healthier you are as you are planning your pregnancy, the more likely you are to have a healthy baby. We hope you'll start planning for pregnancy as soon as you begin to have thoughts about having a baby. A baby's organs begin to form in the first few weeks of pregnancy, before you may know that you are pregnant. As this is a critical phase of development, the more planning you do, the greater the pay off can be in terms of the health of your baby. Unfortunately, there are no foolproof methods for having a healthy baby, but there are many things you can do that may improve your chances of a good outcome. Planning your pregnancy may help you to:
Inside Planning Pregnancy:Body AwarenessExperts recommend that women start preparing for pregnancy one to three months before trying to conceive (get pregnant). Learn about preparing your body for pregnancy, getting off birth control, how you'll know if you are pregnant, special issues for women over 35, and more here.Go to Body Awareness  Caregivers & Birth SettingsTwo important decisions that you will need to make as you are planning your pregnancy are who will provide your prenatal care and where you will give birth. Here is a good place to start that will help you to make an informed decision.Go to Caregivers & Birth Settings Dental CareIt is important to have good oral health during your pregnancy. You should try to have a thorough dental checkup and take care of dental health issues before you get pregnant. Read about how oral health affects your fetus here.Go to Dental Care  Drugs, Alcohol & TobaccoHow do these substances affect my fetus? Why should I stop? We explain the risks to you and to your baby from prescription medication, recreational drugs, alcohol, and smoking.Go to Drugs, Alcohol & Tobacco Emotions & StressHow should I expect to feel when I am pregnant? Why can pregnancy be stressful? Read about the importance of getting enough sleep, developing effective stress management skills, and more.Go to Emotions & Stress Environment: Home & WorkYour home and work environments can impact on your ability to get pregnant or could expose your fetus to harmful substances. Learn how to identify these hazards and what you should do to reduce or remove them before you become pregnant.Go to Environment: Home & Work Exercise & FitnessStaying active and being fit should be a vital part of your planning to become pregnant and throughout your pregnancy. Here's more on the types of training you can do and the simple ways you can be active.Go to Exercise & Fitness Finances & InsuranceCan you afford to have a baby? Do you have adequate health insurance? There are many financial and insurance related issues that you (and your partner) should investigate while you are planning your pregnancy. We discuss what you need to know in this section.Go to Finances & Insurance Genetic Counseling & TestingYou may need to consider genetic testing if there is a history of certain health conditions in your family or in your partner's family and if you are over 35 years old. Here is an overview of what a genetic counselor is, what you can expect at your appointment, how one can help, and more.Go to Genetic Counseling & Testing Healthy Lifestyle HabitsBefore and throughout your pregnancy you will need to make many decisions about how you will take care of yourself. Making appropriate lifestyle changes and starting new good habits while you are planning to conceive can help you to have a healthier pregnancy. Learn how to make these important changes here.Go to Healthy Lifestyle Habits MedicationsIt is prudent to review all medications you are taking, including all prescription, over-the-counter, and alternative remedies in the planning pregnancy stage. We will give you guidance here.Go to Medications NutritionWhat is folic acid? What foods should I avoid while I am pregnant? Making informed decisions about what you eat and when you should eat can help you have a healthier pregnancy.Go to Nutrition Pre-Pregnancy CheckupThe healthier you are, the greater the likelihood that you'll have a healthy baby. Learn more about how you can establish a health status baseline and determine if you have any risk factors that should be addressed before you become pregnant.Go to Pre-Pregnancy Checkup RelationshipsAre you and your partner emotionally ready to have a baby? How will you handle the stress? Pregnancy and a new baby will mean changes in your family dynamics and interpersonal relationships. Read more about the issues you may face.Go to Relationships WeightHaving and maintaining a healthy body weight is important as you are planning pregnancy, just as it is central to achieving overall good health. Some information you need to know before you become pregnant can be found here.Go to Weight Most recent page update: 2/28/2008
Related Links
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Childbirth Connection is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1918 as Maternity Center Association. Our mission is to improve the quality of maternity care through research, education, advocacy and policy. Childbirth Connection promotes safe, effective and satisfying evidence-based maternity care and is a voice for the needs and interests of childbearing families. |
News and Features
New VBAC Guidlines
ACOG has just issued new Guidlines for VBAC. What changed? What continues? We've Moved!
On July 1, 2010, the Childbirth Connection office moved to 260 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10016. All other contact information is unchanged. New Pregnancy Video Library Available
Our new Video Library features links to a wealth of resources for health professionals as well as for women who are planning pregnancy, are pregnant or are new mothers. Visit the Video Library  "2020 Vision" and "Blueprint for Action" Reports Available Learn about Transforming Maternity Care project Read the "2020 Vision" Read the "Blueprint for Action" Read the Consumer Workgroup report Help implement Blueprint recommendations Listen to report release event audio, 1/2010 eNews Sign Up
Help Transform Maternity Care! Rising Maternal Mortality
Updated Maternity Care Statistics Available
US Cochrane Center (USCC)/Consumers United for Evidence-based Healthcare (CUE) Evidence-Based Maternity Care Report Released New Mothers Speak Out National Report Released New Content!
 Journey to Parenthood Full Book Available Online! A family-friendly book covering the trimesters, pregnancy resources, and the latest information on baby's first year of development. Available online (free) and for purchase in the Bookstore. Browse through Journey to Parenthood Buy this book and learn more
Popular Pages
"As much as you want the baby to be born, try to enjoy your time being pregnant--it may never happen again, and you will not get much quiet time for a while."
Every woman has the right to choose a midwife or a physician as her maternity care provider. Both caregivers skilled in normal childbearing and caregivers skilled in complications are needed to ensure quality care for all.
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