What Tests Should One Be Doing Before Planning A Pregnancy?

Even before trying to get pregnant, there might be a number of tests and procedures your doctor will advice you to do. That’s because screening a woman’s health before pregnancy helps to identify conditions which may adversely impact not only her health but also the baby’s.

While the number of checks and immunity screenings can be intimidating, keep in mind that they’re all designed to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible.

There’s a lot you can do before planning to prepare yourself for an unborn child. Consider this your top to-do list based before you plan to have a baby..

1. General Check Up

Before you stop using birth control, make an appointment with your doctor. You should be prepared to discuss yours and your partner’s medical history, medications if any being taken, and lifestyle. This can assist your doctor in determining which tests are required.

• Scheduling an appointment with your doctor must be your most vital step. A healthy parent results in a healthy preganancy and a healthy baby.

• In a preconception visit to your doctor, be ready to be thoroughly interrogated, and for the right reasons.It’s a matter of a child’s birth after all.

• The doctor may interrogate you about your weight, exercise, the medications you might be taking then, nutrition, your medical and genetic history, your birth control practices, lifestyle, routine, regulations of your menstrual cycles, and your previous pregnancies (if any).

• Your doctor might also ask you to consider having your blood pressure checked, along with a pelvic examination, Pap test, and more.

2. Vaccines

Being up to date with immunisations will aid in the prevention of diseases for both you and your child

Make sure you’re up to date on all of your immunizations before you get pregnant. Being up to date will aid in the prevention of dangerous, preventable diseases for both you and your child. Rubella,for example, is an infectious disease that can be harmful if contracted while pregnant.

• While it’s important for a lady to get vaccinated before pregnancy, it is also important for your partner to get thoroughly checked because it takes two to make a baby.

• Moreover, If your partner has a sickness during the third trimester or shortly before birth, you will be bringing home a newborn baby to a sick partner, and that’s not good for the baby as their immunity is not very strong.

3. Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Undiagnosed infections can be spread from mother to baby during pregnancy and/or birth, which is one of the main reasons for testing for STIs. This can happen even if the mother has no symptoms, and it might result in lasting damage to the baby.

• Getting screenings for STIs is necessary even if you are in a relationship that is monogamous, because you simply do not want to compromise your baby’s health.

• If STI’s go untreated or are ignored, it could lead to complications in the future.

• For instance, Chlamydia and Syphilis are said to have been linked with preterm labor or premature birth and later in the future for multiple organ problems for your baby.

4. Dental Hygiene

It’s a good idea to undergo a dental check-up before you plan to get pregnant

When you decide to have a kid, it’s a good idea to undergo a dental check-up. Because you’ll be focusing most of your attention on the infant for the next year or two, the mother should be in the best possible health.

There are no restrictions on medication or tests at this time, so you can get any care you need.

• Pregnancy can lead to quite a lot of hormonal changes and developments. This may include dental issues such as gum inflammation called Pregnancy Gingivitis, as well.

• Pregnancy gingivitis may increase your susceptibility to gum disease-causing bacteria

• Another important reason to undergo a pre-pregnancy checkup is to limit the amount of radiation your child is exposed to once you are pregnant. Which means no dental x-rays while you’re pregnant unless you have a toothache.

5. Mental Health

It’s critical to address mental health issues when pregnant. Mothers who are unhappy, nervous, or suffering from another ailment may not receive the medical attention they require.

They may not be able to care for themselves, or they may use drugs and alcohol while pregnant. All of these items can be harmful to a developing child.

• If medication is necessary, there are several choices available to expecting mothers, which you should discuss with your doctor.

• If you or your partner has a mental health problem, this should not be a one-time appointment.

• To ensure that the entire family is psychologically well before, during, and after the pregnancy, you should seek treatment before, during, and after the pregnancy.

Medical examinations during pregnancy are common and have long been suggested by doctors and gynecologists. However, in recent years, the majority of experts have advocated the importance for pre-conception or pre-pregnancy care for a healthy pregnancy.

#momhealth #planningababy