Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Conceiving is a huge step towards responsibility not only for a woman but for a couple as a whole. Thus, before conception, people choose to visit their doctor for a pre-conception counseling. A woman, or a couple meeting a professional working in the health care sector, for assessment of pre conception risks, and other issues related to pregnancy, is called pre conception counseling. It is better to visit your gynecologist at least 3 months before you are attempting to get pregnant. Here are some information about pre conception counseling that you may find relevant, if you are planning to conceive.

All about Pre Conception Counseling

There are certain important points that should be made a part of pre conception counseling. These are as follows-

• Firstly, the counseling should include informed choice. It helps a couple to understand the health related issues they might have, and the basis of this knowledge they can make this choice.
• Next, once the choice is made the couple especially the woman is encouraged to actively prepare for pregnancy. This includes choosing a healthy lifestyle.
• In the next part comes the management of any chronic disorder that the woman might have.
• Some couples who visit for counseling may have a greater risk of having genetically malformed babies. It is the duty of the counselor to identify these couples and explain to them the chances of the genetic malformation and associated risk.
• At times, sexually transmitted diseases can affect a woman’s fertility. In such cases, the doctor may advise a few tests.

After counseling the couple about these issues, the physician or baby expert will provide them with certain lifestyles advises to build a healthy environment for the baby such as

• A woman desiring to conceive should take a healthy diet along with some pre natal vitamins. The vitamins that are to be prescribed, must contain between 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid. This reduces the chance of brain and spinal malfunction in the baby.
• Along with these vitamins, you must also consume a healthy and balanced diet. People who have anemia, or are frugal eaters, will have to alter their eating habits to an extent, because food will provide you with nutrients, absence of which can lead to less development of the baby.
• Being fit is also important for a mother to be, because according to a number of researches, being physically fit ensures that a mother will have easier labor and birth procedures. You should not have more than 15% of ideal body weight when you have conceived. Being overweight or underweight, it is difficult for a woman to conceive.
• Some bad habits like smoking or drinking in a high quantity must be avoided. Instead healthy habits need to be developed. If you cannot quit on these completely, you must at least reduce the amount of drinking or smoking.

Thus, pre conception counseling is important, but at times it is difficult to attain since a lot of pregnancies are not pre planned.