Things to do before you fall pregnant

Here are some of them…

Get a full physical examination and ask your doctor to check your • Blood pressure and pulse rate • Heart for a murmur • Abdomen • Breasts • Pelvic examination and pap smear Ask your doctor to check your blood for… • Anaemia and deficiencies (FBC) • Thyroid Functions • Blood sugar • Blood group • HIV • Syphilis • Any other tests that your doctor might want to do, according to your signs and symptoms or medical history Ask your doctor for the following vaccinations • MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) – you should get it, even if you have had it as a child. If you have never had it, you will need two dosages, one month apart. • Adacel Quadra (Tetatus, Polio, Diphteria and Pertussis) – Pertussis is whooping cough; a major cause of hospitalisation in infants. • Varicellla (Chicken pox) – only if you have never had chicken pox • Flu – all women trying to fall pregnant and all pregnant women further than 12 weeks should get this. • Hepatitis A and B – it takes six months to complete this course, so start early! You can have all these vaccinations now, even if you are not planning to fall pregnant soon, they all valid for at least 10 years (apart from flu, which needs to be done annually). You have to wait at least a month after your last vaccination before you can fall pregnant.

• Stop smoking!
• Get to a healthy weight
• Follow a healthy diet and lifestyle
• Take a pregnancy multivitamin with Folic Acid to prevent birth defects before you start trying and all the way through your pregnancy.