What to prepare before getting pregnant?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Nhu Thu Truc - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital

To have a healthy pregnancy, a woman should prepare well before getting pregnant. The following article will provide women with important things to prepare before becoming pregnant.

1. Pre-pregnancy health check

The main goal of this preparation is to find out what factors can affect the pregnancy. Identifying these factors before getting pregnant increases your chances of pregnancy and a healthier baby. When visiting a hospital or reputable gynecological clinic, the doctor will ask about information such as lifestyle, diet, health history of you and your family, medications you are taking. and have been pregnant before.
If you are planning to become pregnant, women should check their health so that they can adjust their lifestyle, get appropriate nutrition advice or treat diseases necessary for a healthy pregnancy. The first 8 weeks of pregnancy are key for the baby's development in the womb. Most of your baby's major organs and body systems will begin to form during the first few weeks. Your health and nutrition can affect your baby's growth and development during these early weeks.

How does a health condition affect pregnancy? Women with medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and seizure disorders may be at increased risk during pregnancy. If you're trying to get pregnant but have any of these health conditions, see your doctor for advice on the risks and measures to take to manage your pre-pregnancy health condition.

2. Why is a healthy diet important?

Women's body during pregnancy needs to actively supplement regular sources of nutrients to grow, replace worn out tissues and provide energy for the body. Most of the nutrients come from the foods you use every day, so you should plan to eat a reasonable amount of nutrients to ensure the health of both mother and baby.
To make sure that the diet provides enough nutrients, a woman needs to know what is in the food she eats every day.

3. How does being overweight affect pregnancy?

Excessive weight during pregnancy can cause a number of complications during pregnancy and delivery, including high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, premature birth, and gestational diabetes. Obesity during pregnancy also causes Macrosomia syndrome - the baby is larger than normal, increases the risk of trauma during vaginal delivery and cesarean section, causes neonatal hypoglycemia and can even cause sudden death of the baby in the womb. mom. In addition, being overweight during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects, especially birth defects, or birth defects of the digestive and nervous systems. If the mother's body weight is too large, causing a lot of fat accumulation in the abdominal wall, it will make it more difficult for the doctor to monitor the fetus through ultrasound examination and listen to the fetal heartbeat.
How to lose weight if overweight? To lose weight, a woman needs to know how many calories her body needs each day. The best way to lose weight is to make a few changes to your diet and be more physically active. The first step is to cut calories through regular exercise.
How does being underweight affect pregnancy? Being underweight also poses some risks during pregnancy. It increases the risk of having a low birth weight or premature baby. These babies are at risk for problems during labor and can have long-term health and behavioral effects throughout life.

4. Should vitamin supplements be taken?

Although most nutrients are obtained from foods during pregnancy, it is also extremely important to take prenatal and prenatal vitamins. Doctors recommend pregnant women to supplement with the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals each day before and during pregnancy so that both mother and baby are healthy and full of energy.
Why should provide enough folic acid before pregnancy? Getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects. The recommended intake for pregnant women or even those who are not planning to become pregnant is 400 micrograms of folic acid per day by supplementing with vitamins or by foods rich in folic acid.
Why should provide enough iron during pregnancy? Iron is an indispensable element for a woman's body during pregnancy. It is used to make the extra blood needed to deliver oxygen to the fetus. Not getting enough iron can cause health problems for both mother and baby such as premature birth or anemia in women.

5. How does lifestyle affect pregnancy?

Smoking, drinking and using drugs during pregnancy can harm the health of the unborn baby. The time when the fetus is most vulnerable to the harmful effects of these substances is during the first three months of pregnancy. If the mother stops these negative lifestyles before getting pregnant, it can reduce or even eliminate the risk of some birth defects that occur early in pregnancy.
How does the environment affect pregnancy? Certain chemicals in the living and working environment can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant or harm the health of her unborn baby. If you're planning to become pregnant, watch out for chemicals you're using such as lead (in lipsticks, cosmetics), mercury (from some marine fish...), pesticides, solvents or radioactive substance.

6. Does drug use affect pregnancy?

Some medications, including vitamin supplements, skin beauty products, over-the-counter medicines and herbal medicines, can harm an unborn baby and should not be taken while pregnant. It's also worth noting that pregnant women should ask their doctor about any medications you're taking during your prenatal care check-up to make sure they're not harmful to your pregnancy.

7. Can infection affect pregnancy?

Infection can harm both mother and unborn baby. Certain infections during pregnancy can cause birth defects or illness in the baby.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) affect your ability to get pregnant and infect your unborn baby. If you or your partner has an STI, get tested for STIs and get treatment right away so it doesn't affect your pregnancy.

8. Get vaccinated before planning a pregnancy

According to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, before becoming pregnant, the mother should be vaccinated with some necessary vaccines to protect the woman and the baby in the future from infectious diseases. dangerous infection with flu, Measles - mumps-rubella, chicken pox,...
Pregnancy is a period when a woman's body is susceptible to the impact and attack of bacteria and viruses that cause disease. Infection during this period, if not treated well, will affect the health of both mother and baby, especially in the first 3 months of pregnancy and the last 3 months. For example, rubella is an infectious disease that has the potential to be complicated. If acquired during pregnancy, there is a risk of miscarriage or birth defects for the fetus. In the case of pregnant women but still not vaccinated, pregnant women can supplement the necessary vaccinations during pregnancy according to the doctor's advice after the examination.
Vinmec International General Hospital is a reliable choice to ensure the quality of pre-pregnancy examination and vaccination with a full range of vaccines imported from reputable companies such as GSK (Belgium), Sanofi (France), MDS (USA), ... and preserved on the cold chain according to strict standards of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. Customers are carefully examined and screened before vaccination, and their health is monitored after injection to ensure the highest safety and effectiveness of vaccination.
Read more: Pre-pregnancy vaccines by Resident Doctor Nguyen Thi Kim Dung - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

8. Will problems in the previous pregnancy affect the next pregnancy?

Some problems in a previous pregnancy can increase the risk of having the same problem in a future pregnancy. These problems include early miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. However, with proper care before and during pregnancy, the chances of having these risks will not be repeated.

To prepare for a healthy pregnancy, both husband and wife should have a reproductive health check from 3-5 months before pregnancy and should pay attention to:
For the wife, should:
Vaccinate before pregnancy pregnancy (especially to prevent rubella because rubella in pregnancy is extremely dangerous). Genetic testing to screen for genetic diseases before pregnancy Check for gynecological inflammation to avoid affecting the health of mother and fetus Especially women over 35 years old if they want to get pregnant (especially have never been pregnant) will have to have a very detailed health check-up because pregnancy at this age often has problems: ovarian failure, premature birth, higher risk of fetal malformations, placenta previa, pre-eclampsia . For the husband, should:
Check reproductive health, detect diseases of testicular atrophy, physiological weakness, weak sperm... The most sexually transmitted diseases are those that cannot be cured. Vinmec currently has many comprehensive health care programs for couples, pregnant mothers and their unborn babies, including basic pre-marital examination packages, advanced pre-marital examination packages, and pregnancy programs. package product. Vinmec has a team of experienced doctors in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, IVF, stem cells, gene technology, capable of synchronously and comprehensively deploying the most advanced assisted reproductive techniques today.
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