The Fertility Enigma/ Fertility

Preparation for pregnancy - what can we do before?

Your chances of becoming pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy and baby are better if you and your partner are as fit and healthy as possible. What you eat, how much you exercise, and whether you smoke or drink alcohol are all important factors to look at once you have decided to try for a baby. If you are concerned about your sexual health you can have checks to make sure all is well. Before you try for a baby there are some things to consider that can help improve your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy. If you are planning to get pregnant, talk to your doctor, nurse or midwife they will be able to advise you on pre-pregnancy and pregnancy health care.

Medical conditions

Talk to your doctor about how your pregnancy might be affected if:

• you have any medical condition, such as diabetes or epilepsy

• you have a history of heart or circulatory problems, such as high blood pressure or thrombosis

• you or your partner have any hereditary conditions in the family, such as sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia, cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy

• you have gynaecological problems, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or previous ectopic pregnancy(when the fertilised egg implants outside the womb, often in the fallopian tube).


Medicines and drugs

If you take medicines for any reason tell your doctor that you are planning to get pregnant, as some drugs may affect the developing baby. Don’t stop any medication you are taking for a medical condition until you talk with your doctor, as this may affect your health. If you buy any medicines from the pharmacy, always check with the pharmacist to see if these are safe to take while trying for a baby or when pregnant. Avoid any treatment which is not essential. You should also check that any herbal or alternative remedies or complementary therapies are safe to use during pregnancy, or while trying to get pregnant. Ask your doctor, nurse, midwife or pharmacist. Recreational (illegal) drugs, also known as street drugs, can affect the developing baby. Avoid taking them when you are trying to get pregnant or once you are pregnant. Your partner should avoid using them too as they can harm sperm.

Sexual health

If either you or your partner think you might have a sexually transmitted infection, or be at risk of getting an infection, you can get confidential advice and help from a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic or your general practice. Some sexually transmitted infections can affect your chances of getting pregnant, and if not treated they can be passed on to your baby during pregnancy or birth.

You may be offered a cervical screening test if you have not had one in the last five years. If you or your partner has a sexual problem, a counselor who is specially trained in this area may be able to help you. Talk to your doctor, nurse or midwife.

Rubella

It is very important to have a German measles (rubella) test before you try to get pregnant, as infection when you are pregnant can harm your baby, particularly in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Rubella infection can seriously damage the baby's heart, eyes and ears. If you have had a German measles vaccination, or the infection itself, you will probably be immune (protected against the infection) for life, but it is important to check with a blood test before you become pregnant.

Stopping contraception

Once you decide to plan a pregnancy, you will need to think about stopping the contraception you have been using. Many women worry that some methods of contraception, such as the pill, injection or IUD, will make it difficult to get pregnant when they stop using them. No method of contraception causes infertility. When you stop using contraception your periods and normal level of fertility will return, usually very quickly. Sometimes ovulation (releasing an egg) can be delayed or be irregular for a short time. If you use the contraceptive injection, your periods and natural fertility will take longer to return than after other methods of contraception. Don’t worry if you get pregnant very soon after stopping hormonal contraception, this will not harm the baby.

Eating healthily

Think about what you eat. Eating a variety of foods, with as much fresh food as possible, helps to ensure that you get all the vitamins and minerals you need. A healthy diet is made up of:

• starchy foods, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, bread, pasta, rice and cereals

• at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day (these can be fresh, dried, frozen, tinned or juice)

• protein foods, such as meat, beans, chicken, eggs, pulses (for example, lentils), and nuts (see Foods to avoid for advice on peanuts)

• dairy foods, such as milk, yoghurt and cheese (see Foods to avoid for advice on cheese)

• fish (see Foods to avoid for advice on fish).


Folic acid

Medical advice for all women planning a pregnancy is to take a daily supplement of folic acid. You should take 0.4mg (400 micrograms) of folic acid from the time you stop contraception, or as member of the vitamin B family and is needed for a baby’s development in the early weeks of pregnancy. It helps to prevent serious abnormalities of the brain and nerves (such as spina bifida). If you have had a previous pregnancy affected by spina bifida, or you or your partner have a neural tube defect, or you suffer from epilepsy, you should take a higher dose of folic acid. Your doctor will advise you.

Source of the above article: http://www.fpa.org

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