Preparing for pregnancy
Preparing for a healthy and safe pregnancy
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Written by experienced doctors, midwives and other medical professionals – and approved by a specialist Editorial Board
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Enhancing the Welfare of Women
Expert Health Information for Women
The authors of this PREPARING FOR PREGNANCY program are:
- Dr Kavita Nazare
MSc Clinical Fellow (Obstetric Ultrasound and Fetal Medicine), University College London Hospital, London, UK - Dr Nidhi Goswami
Speciality Trainee (ST7) O&G, Arrowe Park Hospital, WUTH, Wirral, UK
The Welfare of Women program has been created under the General Editorship of Dr Kate Lightly, University of Liverpool, UK and is overseen by an expert International Editorial Board
The cost of producing this resource has been partly funded by an educational grant from GSK
Why is it important to plan before having a baby?
Planning before pregnancy helps keep both mother and baby healthy.
It can:
- Make it easier to get pregnant
- Help the mother’s body get ready for pregnancy
- Find and manage any health problems early
- Support healthy changes, like eating better and exercise
- Provide the right nutrition for the baby to grow well
Should I see a doctor before trying to get pregnant?
Seeing a healthcare worker before pregnancy is helpful, if:
- You have health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or mental health problems
- You take regular medication
- You are not sure if your vaccines are up-to-date
- Your family has health problems that can be passed to a baby
A healthcare worker can check your health and give advice to help you have a safe pregnancy.
Discuss contraception
Using contraception helps you wait until your body is ready and healthy for pregnancy.
Your healthcare worker can help you choose a method of contraception that is best for you until the right time comes.
A woman’s body is usually ready to have a baby in her 20s or early 30s. It is also better to wait at least 2 years after having one baby before having another, so the body has time to rest and get strong again.
Manage health conditions
If you have any illnesses or mental health concerns, talk to your healthcare worker. They can help you with these before pregnancy.
Check your medications
Some medications are not safe during pregnancy. Your healthcare worker will advise you and help change them if needed.
Make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date
Vaccines protect both you and your baby.
Talk about family health conditions
If you or your partner’s family has health problems that can be passed to a baby (like sickle cell disease or cystic fibrosis), healthcare workers may recommend some tests before pregnancy.
Take folic acid
Folic acid is a vitamin that helps your baby’s brain and spine grow properly. Most women need 400 micrograms every day, starting at least 3 months before pregnancy and continuing for the first 3 months of pregnancy. Some women need a higher dose. Your healthcare worker will tell you what is right for you.
What can I do to stay healthy before and during pregnancy?
Here are some important steps:
1. Keep a healthy body weight
Being too light or too heavy can make it harder to get pregnant and may cause problems during pregnancy. Reaching a healthy weight before pregnancy helps avoid some of these risks.
2. Eat well, exercise and get enough sleep
Eat a balanced diet with fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and dairy
Do at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, like walking or swimming
Sleep for 7 to 9 hours each night to help your body rest and stay strong
3. Stop smoking, drinking alcohol and using harmful drugs
Things like smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs can harm the baby growing inside the mother. It is best to stop these before getting pregnant, so both mother and baby can stay healthy. If you find it hard to stop, a healthcare worker can help.
Making these changes and talking to a healthcare worker can help you have a healthy pregnancy.
The authors of this PREPARING FOR PREGNANCY program are:
- Dr Kavita Nazare, MSc Clinical Fellow (Obstetric Ultrasound and Fetal Medicine), University College London Hospital, London, UK
- Dr Nidhi Goswami, Speciality Trainee (ST7) O&G, Arrowe Park Hospital, WUTH, Wirral, UK
The Welfare of Women program has been created under the General Editorship of Dr Kate Lightly, University of Liverpool, UK and is overseen by an expert International Editorial Board
The publishing reference for this program is: DOI 10.3843/GLOWM.10090
The Welfare of Women information program is an attempt to provide women everywhere with access to reliable information about key health issues that may be relevant to them. Information is offered at three separate levels which women may select according to their preferences; firstly, short video animations with voice commentary, secondly, more detailed text-based descriptions, and thirdly, links to recommended further reading. With the animated videos, women can also select the images that they feel most comfortable in viewing from a short range of very generalized and non-specific ethnicity options. Because of the special programming used, both the videos and the text information can – when authorized – be translated into any language in a simple and rapid manner.
Recommended links for more comprehensive and detailed reading
The following websites provide more comprehensive and extensive information on this topic, which is both reliable and strongly recommended for readers who want to learn more than the details provided above:
Tommy’s – The pregnancy and baby charity
Planning a pregnancy
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/planning-a-pregnancy
Tommy’s – The pregnancy and baby charity
Are you ready to conceive?
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/planning-a-pregnancy/are-you-ready-conceive
Tommy’s – The pregnancy and baby charity
Health conditions and planning a pregnancy
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/planning-a-pregnancy/health-conditions-and-planning-a-pregnancy
Tommy’s – The pregnancy and baby charity
Planning a pregnancy with a mental health condition
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/planning-a-pregnancy/planning-a-pregnancy-and-mental-illness/planning-pregnancy-mental-health-condition
Tommy’s – The pregnancy and baby charity
Tips for a healthy pre-pregnancy diet
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/planning-a-pregnancy/are-you-ready-to-conceive/tips-healthy-pre-pregnancy-diet
FIGO preconception checklist for women desiring pregnancy
https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1002%2Fijgo.15446&file=ijgo15446-sup-0001-Supinfo.pdf
Resources the author(s) used in preparing this guidance
NHS UK (2023) Planning your pregnancy
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/trying-for-a-baby/planning-your-pregnancy/
World Health Organization (2013) Preconception care: Maximizing the gains for maternal and child health
https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/mca-documents/maternal-nb/preconception_care_presentation_slides.pdf?sfvrsn=c2a5dde6_5#:~:text=What%20is%20preconception%20care%3F,and%20couples%20before%20conception%20occurs.&text=reducing%20behaviors%20and%20individual%20and,maternal%20and%20child%20health%20outcomes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024) About Planning for Pregnancy
https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/about/index.html
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2024) Good Health Before Pregnancy: Prepregnancy Care
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/good-health-before-pregnancy-prepregnancy-care
March of Dimes (2020) Getting ready for pregnancy: Preconception health
https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/planning-baby/getting-ready-pregnancy-preconception-health
World Health Organization (2023) Family planning/contraception methods
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception
National Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (2016) Prevention and control of hemoglobinopathies in India – Thalassemias, sickle cell disease and other variant haemoglobin
https://sickle.nhm.gov.in/uploads/guidelines/NHM_Guidelines_on_Hemoglobinopathies_in_India.pdf
