The 11 baby-ready questions you need to ask
Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss your plans to become pregnant, then fill out this preconception checklist and take it with you.
Once you’ve made the exciting decision to start trying for a baby, the next step is to think about your own health. If you need to, there are lots of small changes you can make to your daily life to help maximize your chances of conceiving and reduce your risk of pregnancy complications, including quitting smoking and striving for a healthy weight. It’s also important to talk to your healthcare provider about any current health problems and medications you’re taking, as well as any family history of illness. He or she will be able to tell you whether you need to make further changes before you get pregnant.
My preconception checklist
- My current health problems: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Will these affect my pregnancy? Can I do anything about them before I conceive? - My current medicines: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are these safe to take while I’m trying to conceive? If not, what can I take instead? - My current over-the-counter/non-prescription medicines: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are these safe to take while I’m trying to conceive? If not, what can I take instead? - Health problems that run in my family: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Health problems that run in my partner’s family: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Do I need to worry about these? Do I need any extra tests? Or should I see a genetic counsellor? - Problems I had with previous pregnancy/pregnancies: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What can I do to reduce the risk of these problems happening again? - Supplements I’m currently taking: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are these OK when I’m trying to conceive? Do I need to take folic acid or another nutritional supplement? - Number of units of alcohol I drink per week: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is this safe? How can I cut down? - Vaccines/screenings I might need: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When is it safe to have these? How do I arrange them? - What social support is available to me if I feel I need it?
(Pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, and during the first months) - How can I improve my overall health to prepare for pregnancy?
Am I a healthy weight? If not, how can I strive to reach a healthy weight? - Smokers only: What support is available to help me quit smoking?
Sources
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/preconception-visit.pdf
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