It’s Time to Think and Talk About…..

• Lifestyle factors – such as smoking, alcohol and taking non-prescribed drugs (these can all have a significant impact on the risk of miscarriage, growth restriction, stillbirth and birth defects and should all be stopped before trying to conceive and throughout your pregnancy)
• Diet and nutrition – certain foods should be avoided when trying to conceive or when pregnant; even with a healthy diet, it is important to take Folic Acid 400mcg daily for 8 weeks before and 12 weeks into the pregnancy to reduce the risk of spina bifida
• Your weight and fitness – being obese has significant risks to mother and baby and being overweight also increases your risk of hypertension and diabetes (it can also create difficulties in monitoring and scanning in pregnancy); similarly, if you have a very low body weight then you might be at an increased risk of growth restriction in your baby
• Staying calm and relaxed as you plan your pregnancy (and during your pregnancy) is also important!
• Whether you have risk factors for a complicated pregnancy or for a baby with birth defects or chromosomal abnormalities
• Whether you’re planning to have a baby later in life and need to assess your ovarian reserve (body clock test)
• Whether or not you and your partner should consider carrier screening to see if your baby would be at risk of various rare genetic conditions.
• Rubella (the virus that causes German Measles) – this can cause devastating birth defects if contracted in pregnancy (sadly there is no treatment for it); vaccination before pregnancy ensures that both mum and baby are protected and so it’s really important to confirm your rubella status if you’re not sure
• Whether you’ve had a previous traumatic birth or a stillbirth, the likelihood of similar complications again, how best to screen and monitor the pregnancy and how and where to give birth
• Although there will be plenty of opportunities later on in your pregnancy to discuss important issues about prenatal screening, planned place of birth and planned mode of delivery, it’s also useful to consider these now at an early stage