Preconception Checklist

Before planning to get pregnant, women should know there are many Prenatal Diagnostic Centers nationwide offering comprehensive program to help them with genetic counseling and testing prior to conception and during their pregnancy.

In fact, if you are not attending one of these centers, you should have one of your own preconception checklists. This checklist is as important as the plan you have for your pregnancy after it is confirmed that you are going to have a baby. At the time that you learn that you are pregnant the embryo has already made critical developmental changes.

Since the health of the baby may be affected by the parents' health, early prevention, screening and diagnose might be decisive to guarantee that everything will be okay when the time of labor and delivery comes.

Prospective parents should be prepared for pregnancy by making lifestyle changes and improving their health before getting pregnant, this way any disorder or problems can be resolved or minimized before conception occurs.

A preconception visit to the doctor at least 3 months before the first attempt to conceive may detect and foresee if anything could go wrong.

For mom:

• Pelvic examination
• Review of her menstrual cycle
• Blood tests to determine immunity to infections
• Female Assessment of chronic medical conditions

For the couple:

• Female and Male reproductive history
• Screening for potential fertility problems
• Screening for sexually transmitted infections
• Family history of birth defects for possible referral to a genetic counselor.
• Counseling on nutrition, diet, exercise, and life style behaviors for both.
• Woman's nutrition and intake of Folic Acid, plus weight control complete this checklist.