11th Issue

Simple Pre-Pregnancy Checklist
Wanting to have a baby?
There are a few things that
you should know about
when are you are planning
for your baby. Please use
the following as a rough
guideline. You need to get
Doctor’s advice before and
during the pregnancy.
Visit the doctor for
a health check.
Tell the doctor (general practitioner,
GP) of your interest in conceiving. Tell
him of any medical conditions and
allergies you have, previous surgeries
and visits to hospitals etc. Get advice
on any conditions that are common in
your family history (genetic conditions)
like Thalassimia. Also check if
you’ve already got the following
vaccinations at the end of this
article, if not get GP advice.
Take Folic Acid
You need to start taking Folic Acid
(Folate) while you are planning to
get pregnant (during
pre-conception). This is to lower the
probability of the baby having
neural tube defects (e.g. Spina
Bifida). You would need to
consult a doctor in taking Folic
Acid. You can also have the following
vegetables which contain Folic acid:
Spinach, Avocado, Beef, Eggs, Chick
Peas, Soy Beans and Oranges.
Have Good Food
Start eating healthily. Have good
meals for the three main meals, daily.
Take vitamin supplements following
the doctor’s recommendations (as
mentioned previously). Do note
that vitamins should be used as
58
supplements to your normal
food intake. Do not rely on
the vitamin tablets for your daily
vitamin needs. Do not take excess
amounts of Vitamin A, than
prescribed as it may be harmful for
baby (birth defects). Eat what you
prefer but eat healthily.
Don’t Smoke.
Don’t Consume
Alcohol.
Don’t smoke or consume alcohol while
you are looking to get pregnant and
during pregnancy and breast
feeding.
Limit Caffeine
Intake
We are used to having tea and
coffee (which contain Caffeine) in
our daily lives to refresh ourselves.
But if you are planning on getting
pregnant, you would have to
limit intake of coffee and tea.
You also need to control
consumption of energy drinks
and chocolate.
Avoid and
Manage Stress.
You may not believe it, but stress does
contribute to your chance of getting
pregnant. Try to lead a relaxed
lifestyle, avoid stressful situations
and get 8 hours of sleep every night.
Rubella Vaccine OR Measles, Mumps & Rubella – MMR Vaccine
(this needs to be taken BEFORE pregnancy, AND you should
avoid getting pregnant within three months of being administered
the Rubella or MMR vaccination)
Chicken Pox Vaccine (if you have not had Chicken Pox as a
child, you may take this, though not compulsory. This needs to
be taken few months BEFORE pregnancy).