When you make the big decision in your life that you are ready to try to become pregnant, it’s important to plan a visit to your OBGYN. They will be able to help you along the way during conception and can answer any burning questions you might have.
There are some things you need to be prepared for your first visit for pre-conception, let’s talk more about them now. When planning for your preconception doctor visit, your doctor will need a complete history background of your health. There are many questions you need to be prepared to answer and the list is quite long. Let’s sum them up and into categories to make it easier for you to be prepared.
Gynecological History and Age
Your doctor will need to know you and your partner’s age, as well as your gynecological history. Questions like when was your last menstrual cycle and how long did it last will be asked in this section. Anything pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, HIV, and infertility will be asked in order to help you come up with a pre-conception plan.
Obstetric History
These questions all relate to any prior pregnancies or miscarriages. Your doctor will need to know about any problems you may have had during pregnancy and if you are at risk of being a high risk pregnancy. It helps your doctor to know your background in detail because they will be able to help you come up with a great pre-conception plan.
Medical History
Your doctor will need to know everything about your medical history outside of your gynecological history. Any diseases or health problems like diabetes, cancer, prior surgery’s, conditions, all of these will need to be analyzed by your doctor. Once they know everything about your medical history, they will know the best way to move in pre-conception.
Medications and Allergies
This is very important, mainly because when you are pregnant there are a number of medications and supplements that should be avoided. Certain things do not go well with pregnancy, and can cause pregnancy problems later down the road. They also need to know about allergies, such as those to latex, to make sure they don’t use things like latex gloves during examinations.
Vaccination History
Your doctor will need to know if you have had all vaccinations and if you are currently up to date with yours. If you are not they may suggest that you get your vaccinations up to date.
Lifestyle Questions and Genetic Screening
Your doctor will need to know what your lifestyle is like. Such as if you smoke, drink, or do recreational drugs. This is extremely important because any of these are not good for your body, especially during pregnancy. If you currently do any of these you will need to stop before trying to become pregnant. Also your doctor will want to know your background as far as ethnicity and any birth defects that may be common in your family. This will help them to be better prepared in your pre-conception plan.
If you are considering becoming pregnant and live in the Brooklyn area, come and see us at New Life Wellness Center.
