The first step of pregnancy and the most correct one is to plan it in advance. In this way, the chances of your pregnancy being normal and your baby being healthy are increased, and your chances of encountering some unexpected risks are reduced. For this purpose, it is best to get counseling from a gynecologist at least 3 months before you plan to get pregnant. This is also called “Pre-pregnancy counseling”.
Your Physician Will Question the Following!
- Your reproductive history: Your previous pregnancies and unusual situations in these pregnancies, early pregnancy losses, your menstrual cycle, the use of birth control methods, your previous smear test results, any history of vaginal infections or sexually transmitted diseases in the past
- Your medical history: If you have any health problems, this should be taken under control before pregnancy. If you have a known chronic disease (epilepsy, diabetes, heart, hypertension, goiter, etc.), the follow-up doctor should be consulted and if a change in treatment is necessary before pregnancy, it should be made.
- Surgeries you have had: Surgeries you have had, blood transfusion, hospitalization history, myoma. or your problems such as other gynecological surgeries, pathological pap smear results.
- Drugs you currently use: All prescription or over-the-counter drugs or herbal medicines you use. For some medications, a certain period of time must pass even after they are stopped in order to prevent them from causing birth defects.
- Your family history: All diseases in your family such as diabetes, hypertension, blood clotting problems.
- Your home and work environment:Ç All factors in your life such as cat feces, X-rays, chemicals such as lead or solvents that may prevent you from getting pregnant or may be harmful during pregnancy
- It is best to reach your ideal weight before getting pregnant. The ratio of weight to height (BMI) should be evaluated. If you are overweight, losing weight will reduce the problems that may occur during pregnancy, or if you are underweight, gaining weight will reduce your risk of giving birth to a low birth weight baby.
- Your lifestyle: Your or your partner's habits that will negatively affect pregnancy, such as smoking, alcohol or recreational drugs, will be questioned. It is necessary to stay away from these habits during your pregnancy.
- Exercise: If you were exercising before pregnancy, you can continue your routine exercises unless a situation develops that will restrict your activity.
- Nutrition-related features should be reviewed, such as intake of fiber-rich foods, adequate calcium, folic acid and other foods with high nutritional value. Appropriate nutritional habits for pregnancy should be developed.
- Caffeine intake should be restricted. Daily caffeine intake should not exceed 300 milligrams. It should not be thought that caffeine is only in tea and coffee, it should be taken into account that chocolate, cola and some drugs also contain caffeine.
- Pre-pregnancy vitamins: Folic acid should be started before pregnancy. Folic acid reduces the risk of anomaly of the cerebrospinal system called neural tube defect in your baby. It is enough to take 400 micrograms daily.
In addition to these;
- Physical examination, gynecological examination and, if necessary, Pap to evaluate your heart, lungs, breasts, thyroid and abdominal area. smear test
- Some laboratory tests: such as Rubella, hepatitis, HIV
- Discussing your menstrual cycle to determine your ovulation and estimated time to get pregnant
- Immune to rubella, chickenpox If you are not, your vaccinations should be done.
- Your dental health should be evaluated
- Genetic counseling is given to those who are planning a pregnancy at an older age, those who have genetic diseases in their family, and those who have previously given birth to children with congenital disorders or mental defects.
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