Preparing for Pregnancy

It's an exciting time when that 'switch' turns on and you start thinking about having a baby.

You are unique and so seeing your GP is a great place to start so we can tailor our advice to your health background and goals.

Some things we include in a preconception consultation are:

• Update your cervical screening test
• Ensure immunity to things like Rubella and Chickenpox
• Optimise your health conditions, like asthma
• Support you to quit smoking or avoid other harmful exposures
• Check that any medications you use are safe in pregnancy
• Assess your chance of genetic conditions and discuss pre-pregnancy testing
• Consider any adverse outcomes in previous pregnancies and implement measures to reduce risk
• Provide you with personalised education to help you on your journey

In the meantime, there are some things that you can start doing:

• Take a pregnancy vitamin that contains folic acid and iodine
• Avoid harmful substances like smoking or workplace exposures
• Think about timing, when you start trying it could happen straight away or take years
• Consider if you need private health insurance, most companies have a 12 month waitlist to cover pregnancy
• Consider if you are going to be entitled to paid maternity leave from your workplace or Centrelink
• If you want to take a bit more control, start noticing your menstrual cycle and the changes in your body during each phase

If you are already pregnant and feel like you haven't done any of these, don’t worry, these are just some ideas.

And if you're ready to get started, see you soon!