Here are a few ways to help you Plan Your Pregnancy:
● Talk with your partner about the implications of parenthood and make sure that you are both happy to start a family.
● Allow at least three months to get fit and improve your lifestyle.
● Consider any previous or long-term health problems.
● If you had problems in a previous pregnancy, for example, pre-eclampsia, talk to your doctor.
● If you need to take medication, make sure your doctor knows you are planning to get pregnant.
● Allow sufficient time to pass since an earlier conception or pregnancy.
● See a genetic counsellor if you are worried about inherited diseases in either side of your families or you have had repeated miscarriages.
● Have a blood test to see if you are immune to rubella and toxoplasmosis.
● Check your blood group. If you are rhesus negative, check with your doctor about treatment at birth or if you should bleed in pregnancy.
● Make sure you are not anaemic. If you are, treat this before you become pregnant.
● If you have irregular periods, check that your thyroid function is normal.
● Have a cervical smear to confirm that your cervix is healthy.
● If you have been at risk of an STD infection, visit a GU clinic for a check-up and complete any treatment before trying to conceive.