A pre-pregnancy check-up is the set of tests your doctor may ask you and your partner to perform. This ensures both of you do not suffer from any disease that may lessen the chances of getting pregnant. Based on your test results, your doctor provides necessary instructions to follow in certain areas like diet, exercising, lifestyle and necessary supplements. He may even suggest changes in some habits like smoking and drinking for your safe pregnancy and healthy baby.

Importance of Preconception Checkup

A pre-pregnancy check-up is necessary so that a woman remains physically active and healthy to conceive a child. The checkup is also essential for a couple as it improves the chances of the woman who is planning to conceive. So, the risks of anomalies, congenital disabilities or miscarriage are reduced when a pre-pregnancy check-up is done. It also prevents further complications that can take place during pregnancy due to the existing health problems with the man and the woman.

What Prenatal Care Providers to See for Pre-pregnancy Examinations

You need to see these providers for your pre-pregnancy examinations:

• Family Physician – Your family doctor can treat almost all diseases and take care of you before, during and for post-pregnancy problems.
• Midwife – A midwife is a trained person who looks after women or pregnant woman, despite their age.
• Obstetrician – The doctor takes care of pregnant women and carries out the process of babies’ delivery successfully.
• Maternal-Foetal Medicine Specialist – An MFM specialist is an obstetrician who has done specialisation in taking care of women who suffer from high-risks. You need to see a Maternal-foetal medicine specialist in case you have health conditions that may cause complications during or after pregnancy.
• Family Nurse – This practitioner possesses nursing qualifications and knows how to take care of pregnant women.
• Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner – Also called WHNP, this qualified individual is specially trained to look after women and has in-depth knowledge on pregnancy-related problems that women face.

What Happens During a Pre-pregnancy Checkup?

During a pre-pregnancy check-up, your health care provider will perform different tests and examinations to know if you are fit to conceive. Some of these tests are as follows:

1. Weight Check – It is essential to know if the weight is ideal for your size and type of body. In case it isn’t, then the doctor may suggest some changes in your food and prescribe certain medications for your normal weight. Unless you have the right weight, the doctor won’t suggest you to conceive. A Body Mass Index or BMI between 18.5 and 22.9 is the ideal BMI in case of women.

2. Mental Health Screening – Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders or eating disorders may lead to some problem when you want to get pregnant. Since you will have massive mood swings, this can increase your disorders and even interfere with conception. If you want to lessen the risks related to mood disorders, then a preconception mental health screening should be done by your doctor at the STI clinic in London during or after the check-up.

3. Urine Tests – A part of pre-pregnancy check up is to check urine for the presence of urinary tract infection and kidney diseases.

4. Gynaecological Screening – This kind of screening is done to detect if you have cysts, uterine fibroids, benign tumours or pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID). It also enables to check for PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), irregular periods or other gynaecological problems that may delay your pregnancy.

5. Breast, Abdominal and Pelvic Examinations – The pelvic examination help to detect some infections like trichomoniasis or yeast that may lead to some problem during pregnancy. The abdomen will be examined carefully to know if you suffer from any physical anomalies. The breasts are then examined to check for lumps that require proper attention.

6. Blood Pressure Reading – The blood pressure will be checked to detect high or very low BP as both can cause certain complications.

7. PAP Test – A Pap smear test is an important part of visiting your doctor for the first time. The test is usually done with the insertion of a speculum into the vagina for the cervix’s view. The doctor runs cotton swab over the cervix and then collects cells that are sent to the lab for evaluation. This test helps to evaluate if you have been infected with sexually transmitted diseases such as – gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, syphilis or HIV. A colposcopy will also be done when the doctor finds abnormal cells during the examination.

8. Blood Tests – You need to perform these blood tests to detect certain conditions during pregnancy.

• Vitamin D deficiency
• Rh factor
• Haemoglobin count
• Rubella
• Varicella
• Toxoplasmosis
• Thyroid functions
• Tuberculosis
• STD
• Hepatitis B

9. Genetic conditions – You need to visit your doctor in case your family has a past record of cystic fibrosis, thalassemia, or down syndrome so that further investigations might be conducted.

10. Contraception – You should inform the doctor about different contraceptive methods you are using. If you had been using these contraceptive injections, then it might require almost a year for your infertility to get back to normal.

11. Past Pregnancies – It is suggested that you discuss about your earlier miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies or terminations that you have had in the past. Though this might be difficult for you, it will enable your doctor to give you the best possible care.

12. General Queries – Your doctor will discuss about your diet, health, lifestyle and exercise to follow. Make sure you share any complications that you face at the time of periods. If you have any health problems such as diabetes and asthma, then this should be informed to the doctor at the time of checkup.

Pre-Pregnancy Tests

You need to undergo these preconception blood tests before getting pregnant.

• Complete Blood Count (CBC) – With this test, you can determine if it is necessary for you to take on iron supplements. You may suffer from anaemia when you get pregnant while your body suffers from iron deficiency.

• Hepatitis B Test – This test is suggested if the doctor feels you are at greater risk for this disease. Before you may conceive, make sure you vaccinate against Hepatitis B.

• Herpes Test – If you or your partner has a past history of contracted herpes, then this test is done before you decide to conceive. The test should also be done if you have not seen the symptoms of herpes in the past.

• Blood Test – Your immunity to rubella or chickenpox may be found by undergoing this blood test.

• Syphilis Test – This test ensures that if the mother gets infected with syphilis, it may not pass on to the baby. Untreated syphilis may be the reason for miscarriage or stillbirth, and so, your doctor will suggest performing this test.

• HIV Test – private HIV testing in London is necessary as HIV lessens the ability of your body to fight against infections by attacking the body’s immune system. This virus may pass on to the baby at the time of birth and during breastfeeding too.

It is a big decision to start your own family and bring a new life into this world. However, it makes great sense to prepare yourself when you decide to conceive by discussing about parental heath issues with your partner. Thus, a healthy mother improves the chances of healthy pregnancy and so, she must carry out all the requisite tests and examinations needed after consulting with the doctor.