4th March – PRECONCEPTION COUNSELLING
Slogan: THINK ABOUT YOUR BABY BEFORE GETTING PREGNANT!
Are you ready for pregnancy? There are lots of things you need to know before you get pregnant!
You should prepare yourself actively by consulting a health care provider before you get pregnant. During your preconception check-up you may discover something you didn’t know and which could be bad for your pregnancy like thyroid dysfunction or anemia. Identifying any problems before getting pregnant allows you, with the help of your health care provider, to take the necessary steps to increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy child.
Be kind to yourself and your baby!
https://www.cdc.gov/preconception/showyourlove/documents/healthier_baby_me_plan.pdf
http://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Good-Health-Before-Pregnancy-Preconception-Care
http://patient.info/doctor/pre-pregnancy-counselling
http://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/your-checkup-before-pregnancy.aspx
http://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-disease-pregnancy/
You should start taking Folic acid before getting pregnant!
Plan ahead! By the time you know you are pregnant it may be too late to prevent some problems for your baby. Birth defects of the brain and spine occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often when you don’t know that you are pregnant.
Which is why starting today is the best way!
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html
https://www.cdc.gov/features/folicacidbenefits/index.html
http://www.webmd.com/baby/folic-acid-and-pregnancy#1
http://www.nutritionnews.abbott/healthy-moms-babies/figo-nutrition.html
http://www.sego.es/Content/pdf/Best_practice_advise-July_2014.pdf
Check your weight if you are thinking of becoming a mum!
Being overweight during pregnancy may increase your risk of complications, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, thrombosis, miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects, preterm labour, difficulties during delivery and/or hemorrhage.
And please remember that if you don’t lose weight before getting pregnant you may also be putting your child at greater risk of developing obesity, diabetes and other medical problems in the future.
You may not be aware that being underweight is also not good for you because it increases your risk of poor growth of the foetus, preterm labour and more complicated delivery due to the position of your baby.
You may even discover a “hidden hunger”, such as a lack of micronutrients or iron, which is to be corrected.
http://www.figo.org/news/micronutrient-supplements-vital-pregnancy-0014881
http://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Obesity-and-Pregnancy
https://www.cdc.gov/preconception/planning.html
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/overweight-pregnant.aspx
http://www.healthpages.org/pregnancy-guide-healthy-mother-healthy-baby/weight-gain-diet-pregnant/
http://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Good-Health-Before-Pregnancy-Preconception-Care
If you have a chronic disease, you need specialist counselling.
If you already have a medical problem, it is particularly important to plan your pregnancy and to follow your health care provider’s advice to the letter. If you are taking medicines that may cause harm to the foetus, you will need to change to an alternative before you become pregnant. Above all do not stop your medication without consulting your doctor. Start your pregnancy in the best possible health!
A healthier you and baby too!
http://beforeandbeyond.org/toolkit/at-risk-unsure/chronic-disease/
https://familydoctor.org/epilepsy-and-pregnancy/