The pre-pregnancy checklist

A woman’s health and lifestyle before falling pregnancy is critical to the outcome of the pregnancy and may have a lifelong impact on your baby’s health.

Although a significant number of pregnancies are unintended, it is strongly recommended that women seek appropriate pre-conception advice from their family doctor, at least three months prior to falling pregnant.

Many risk factors for preterm birth have been identified over the years. These include any personal or family history of preterm birth, previous surgeries to the cervix, medical conditions, chronic stress and anxiety and smoking and recreational drug use.

Preventative measures can be instituted on identification of these risk factors before pregnancy. Pre-conception counselling includes:

Strategies to achieve an ideal and healthy body weight
Control and stabilisation of pre-existing chronic disease
Check for use of teratogenic medications
Screening and management of depression and anxiety disorders
Cervical cancer screening
Strategies to minimise exposure to cigarette smoking
Avoidance of alcohol and other recreational drugs
Screening and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases
Ensuring that all immunisations are up to date
Ensuring adequate folate supplementation at least three months before conception.

Taking a proactive approach before pregnancy will help achieve a better pregnancy outcome and consequently, a healthy mum and baby.

The Whole Nine Months magazine is valuable resource for all pregnant women and those considering a pregnancy. It contains expert editorial relating to the key interventions to prevent early birth, preconception and pregnancy care, and the latest from the National Preterm Birth Prevention Program.

2022 Whole Nine Months Magazine

The Whole Nine Months magazine is a nationally distributed resource that contains articles describing things every pregnant woman needs to know to ensure the best possible outcomes from their pregnancy.

If you are pregnant, or considering a pregnancy, this magazine is for you!

Read the magazine here.

Contact details

Women and Infants Research Foundation
Carson House, King Edward Memorial Hospital
374 Bagot Road, Subiaco, WA 6008

Telephone: 08 6458 1437
Fax: 08 6458 1642
Email: info@wirf.com.au

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The pre-pregnancy checklist

2022 Whole Nine Months Magazine

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