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'We can offer you information about planning
a pregnancy and some of the things you can do to help it be a safe
and healthy one - including taking care of your diet (including
folic acid supplements) and protecting yourself from infections
such as rubella (German measles)'
The information in this section should help you to give yourself
the best chance of having a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Your general health - 'for mother and fathers to be'
You should both pay attention to your general level of health in
the months before you plan to get pregnant:
-
Diet: Eat a well-balanced diet.
-
Weight: If you know you are overweight, try to get
closer to a healthy weight for you - if you are struggling,
ask your general practitioner (GP) for advice. Being underweight
can also interfere with conception and weight gain might be
required.
-
Exercise: Take some regular exercise - a brisk walk
three or four times a week is a good start and costs nothing.
-
Smoking: Stop smoking if you possibly can - if this
is impossible, cut down.
-
Alcohol: Don't overdo it - aim for moderation.
-
Drugs: Avoid recreational drugs.
-
'Get yourself checked out': If you think there is any
possibility that you have a sexually transmitted infection,
get yourselves checked at a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic
- in Cambridge, this is Clinic
1A at Addenbrooke's.
Your health risks - for both partners
-
Serious inherited (genetic) diseases
If you or your partner know of any inherited genetic diseases
(such as cystic fibrosis) in your family, you should ask your
general practitioner for advice. Your doctor can refer you to
a clinical geneticist before you plan to get pregnant. The geneticist
can advise you on the risks of your baby being affected, and
on any special tests that might be possible to detect abnormalities
in early pregnancy.
-
Medical problems and long-term medication
Some medical problems can make it more difficult or hazardous
to become pregnant. If either of you need to take regular medications,
it is sensible to check whether this might cause problems, either
with getting pregnant or during pregnancy. Sometimes your medications
can be changed before or during pregnancy. Don't just stop taking
medications, you must always discuss this with your doctor first.
If in doubt, check with your GP. For women who have chronic
medical conditions (including diabetes, epilepsy, bowel disease,
asthma and heart problems) it is important that your disease
is in the best possible state of control before you stop using
contraception. Talk to your GP, specialist nurse (if you have
one) or hospital clinic about your plans for a family.
For all women planning pregnancy
There are additional things you should do for your own and your
baby's health. These include:
-
Rubella status: It is very important that you check
you are immune to rubella (also known as German measles) - before
becoming pregnant. If you catch this virus infection when you
are pregnant, your baby can be seriously damaged. Most girls
in the UK are immunised, but it is best to take the test. Your
GP or practice nurse can take a blood test to check whether
you are immune. If you are not, they can give you a rubella
vaccination. Don't stop using contraception until you have checked
this out.
-
Folic acid supplements: We know that taking folic acid
supplements (a vitamin) in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy greatly
reduces the chance of babies having neural tube defects, for
example, spina bifida. You need to take a quite high amount
of the folic acid [400 micrograms (mcg) or 0.4 milligrams (mg)]
each day as a tablet. This is because it is very difficult to
get enough folic acid from your diet. You can buy the folic
acid from pharmacies (chemists), health food stores, and some
supermarkets. Don't be tempted to take 'multivitamins' in large
doses in order to get enough folic acid that way - you would
be 'over-dosing' on the other vitamins if you did this. You
should start taking the folic acid as soon as you stop using
contraception - don't wait until you know you are pregnant.
Some women prefer to start taking it a few weeks earlier than
this.
Avoiding some sources of infections
Some infections in early pregnancy are hazardous to you or your
baby. You can take precautions that will reduce your chances of
catching some of these, and we can test and treat for others:
-
Listeria: Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria
that is common in soil, water and plants. It can cause a woman
to miscarry, or make her baby very ill at birth. Listeria
is sometimes found in soft cheeses, paté, raw chicken
and ready prepared cook-chill food. It is best to avoid eating
these foods during pregnancy and be careful to wash fruit
and vegetables very carefully to remove any soil.
-
Toxoplasmosis: Toxoplasma gondii is a bacteria-like
infection, which can also cause harm to a baby in the womb.
It is carried by a range of animals including domestic cats.
You should always wash your hands after touching animals,
particularly before preparing food or eating. While you are
pregnant, it is best to ask someone else to clean out any
cat-litter trays.
When should I stop using contraception?
For the best possible outcome of a planned pregnancy, it is best
to follow the advice above before you stop using contraception.
How long does it take for contraceptives to 'wear off'?
Barrier methods only work for as long as you use them correctly.
In most women, most other methods of contraception are rapidly
reversible. This means you shouldn't stop using them until you
are definitely ready to get pregnant. Don't assume that it is
going to take a year to conceive, then find you get pregnant the
very first time you have unprotected sex. The method that takes
longest to 'wear off' in some women is the contraceptive injection.
For this reason, some couples decide to stop using this a few
months ahead of when they wish to get pregnant and use condoms
instead.
How long will it take me to get pregnant?
Many women become pregnant the first time they try to conceive.
Others take six months or more. The time it will take you to become
pregnant depends on several factors:
-
Innate fertility (how fertile you 'naturally' are): infertility
affects one in seven couples in the UK.
-
Your age: fertility in women falls off rapidly after the
age of 35 years. In women aged less than 35 years, between
80 and 90% will be pregnant within one year of trying; at
age 40, the figure is 40 to 50%, and at age 45 it is only
10 to 20%. If you are keen to have one or more child, it is
risky to delay 'trying' for too long.
-
How often you have sex: the more often you have sex while
you are fertile, the more likely you are to conceive.
-
When you have sex: you can only conceive at some times of
your monthly (menstrual) cycle. You are most likely to get
pregnant by having sex about 14 to 18 days before your next
period is due. For a woman who has a 28-day cycle, this is
usually 10 to 14 days after the first day of her last period.
-
Whether there are any sexual problems: some partners have
emotional or physical problems such as impotence, delayed
ejaculation or vaginismus. These can prevent the sperm from
reaching the egg (see also problems
with your sex life).
-
Luck. we can't help you with this.
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