Your Pre-Pregnancy Check Up - Why it Matters and What to Ask
So you’re ready for parenthood. Congratulations! We’re ready to support you and your partner and we’re looking forward to meeting your baby.
Booking your pre-conception consult with one of our family doctors can be a great first step towards enjoying a healthy pregnancy.
If possible, bring your partner so you can both tell your GP about your health and your family histories and ask your important questions.
Here are six reasons not to miss this appointment.
A comprehensive health check
Take this early opportunity to maximise your overall wellbeing, and identify and minimise any risks. Some of the key things to expect during your consult are:
Specific pre-pregnancy screening tests as well as many of the regular tests you’d expect during any check up. These may include:
- A cervical screening test or pap smear
- A pelvic, breast, and abdominal exam
- A blood pressure reading
- A weight check
If you are overweight or underweight, you may have irregular periods, which make it harder to conceive. If you’re not close to the appropriate weight for your size and body type, your GP can help you set some goals to reach a conception-ready weight that supports a healthy pregnancy. - A urine test to screen for urinary tract infection and kidney disease
- A blood test to check (among other things) your:
- Haemoglobin count for signs of anaemia
- Vitamin D levels to make sure you’re not deficient
- Rh factor to see if you are positive or negative
A preconception vaccinations update
Your GP can ensure that your vaccinations are up to date. This is very important because contracting rubella and chickenpox while pregnant can cause serious problems. They can also advise you about any other immunisations you may need.
Discuss any travel plans with your doctor. Some required travel vaccinations are not recommended during pregnancy and you may need to factor this into your plans. Furthermore, your doctor may advise against travelling to countries where the Zika virus is prevalent.
A review of your family and gynaecological history
Prepare for your consultation by asking your family about relatives born with a birth defect, or a genetic syndrome. During your pre-pregnancy consult, you and your partner can be screened with a blood or saliva test to see if you are carriers of certain conditions.
Additional pre-pregnancy genetic testing is also available for cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and fragile X syndrome. Your GP can arrange a referral.
Your gynaecological history can also be important. If you’ve had irregular periods, abnormal pap smears, cervical surgery, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), ectopic pregnancy or terminations, or any other gynaecologic surgery, your doctor needs to know. Similarly, if you’ve experienced recurrent miscarriages, preterm birth, preeclampsia, or gestational diabetes, telling your doctor is an important step towards reducing your risks this time.
Advice on managing medications and health conditions
It’s vital to plan for any special care you may need to manage a pre-existing health condition. If you have a treatment plan for a condition such as high blood pressure, epilepsy, diabetes, depression, clotting disorders, asthma or hypo/hyperthyroidism that plan may need to be changed before you conceive and throughout your pregnancy.
Give your GP a list of all medications, supplements, and vitamins you’re taking in case anything needs to be reviewed. They may recommend that you take folic acid a ‘B group vitamin considered essential for healthy foetal development in early pregnancy, especially the neural tube.
It’s also important to tell your doctor if you have ever had problems with anaesthesia.
Support for a healthy pregnant lifestyle
The benefits of exercise in pregnancy are well established. If you already have an exercise routine you enjoy, your GP will probably tell you to keep going. If you’re not currently exercising, they will almost certainly encourage you to begin.
If you have concerns about your diet or the safety of certain foods this is the time to discuss them. If you’re wondering whether to change things like your coffee or wine drinking habits ask for advice.
A discussion about fertility
Ironically given how much effort we make avoiding pregnancy around 1 in 6 Australian couples have some difficulty falling pregnant. If you're using birth control your GP can advise you on how to stop and how long you may need to wait before trying to conceive.
They can also discuss lifestyle changes linked to increased fertility and refer you to a fertility clinic or a hospital for some initial fertility testing.
10 top pre-pregnancy questions
Your pre-conception consult is designed to cover lots of vital things linked to supporting a healthy pregnancy.
Therefore, we recommend writing a list of questions, concerns or symptoms, you’re keen to discuss. That way you’re less likely to forget something important.
Here are the top 10 questions our prospective parents ask us. They’re randomly ordered here, because everyone’s priorities are different.
- Is my weight healthy?
- What is an appropriate exercise program?
- Should I take a prenatal vitamin?
- Are my vaccinations current?
- What risks should I avoid?
- My family has a history of ‘x’ does this matter?
- Could something in my obstetric or gynaecological history affect this pregnancy?
- Are my current medications safe for pregnancy?
- How might pregnancy affect my health condition(s)?
- What question should I have asked, but didn’t?
Ready for parenthood? Book your comprehensive pre-pregnancy consult now.