Pregnancy is a physiological event that brings significant physical and mental changes to the life of the woman and her family.
A good pre-pregnancy planning is beneficial in order not to encounter various problems during and after pregnancy. Diseases experienced during pregnancy, drugs used, vaccines, and lifestyle habits may cause some problems for the child to be born as well as for the pregnant woman.
With some simple precautions to be taken before pregnancy, it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy, have an uneventful birth and have a healthy child.
Table of contents
Pre-pregnancy planning recommendations:
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Cigarette:
Smoking causes congenital problems such as stillbirth, premature birth and heart anomalies. It also affects lung development in infants, increasing susceptibility to lung diseases. There are also publications that affect the baby’s brain development and cause learning problems. Although the risk for the baby is proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked, even a single cigarette can sometimes be the cause of congenital anomaly. Smoking also puts pregnancy at risk. Considering all these risks, it is recommended that women who are planning pregnancy stop smoking at least 3 months before and not smoke during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It should not be forgotten that the use of smoking cessation drugs during pregnancy is also risky. On the other hand, smoking of fathers-to-be may cause secondary exposure. In order to support the expectant mother and not to expose the mother and baby to the harmful chemicals of smoking, it is recommended that fathers-to-be should quit smoking before pregnancy and not smoke during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
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Alcohol:
Alcohol use during pregnancy may be the cause of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which presents with findings such as low birth weight, developmental delay, mental retardation, heart anomalies, lung problems, skeletal system disorders in the baby. For this reason, it is recommended that expectant mothers who are planning a pregnancy should stop using alcohol before pregnancy and not drink alcohol during pregnancy. Father candidates should also support mother candidates in this process.
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Drugs:
Drug use during pregnancy is harmful for both the mother and the baby. It poses a risk in terms of anemia, coagulation problems, lung problems and infectious diseases in the expectant mother. It disrupts the nutrition of the expectant mother and reduces her chances of having a healthy pregnancy. On the other hand, the risk of ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth increases. It becomes difficult for the placenta to separate from the baby. Infants are at risk of Sudden Infant Death, delayed head growth, congenital anomalies, heart problems, and lung problems. Withdrawal symptoms can be seen in babies after birth, treatment may be required. The tendency to use drugs increases. If the mother has acquired a contagious disease, some of its effects will also occur in the infants. For this reason, it is recommended for the expectant mother to give up drug use before pregnancy and not to use it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
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Genetic Counseling:
In cases where the expectant mother is 35 years or older, genetic disease, mental retardation, stillbirths, growth retardation, congenital anomalies (cleft palate, heart valve anomalies, lung problems, etc.), bleeding disorders (hemophilia A and B), If there are consanguineous marriages, and those who have problems in screening tests (triple screening test, alphafetoprotein, etc.), genetic counseling may be required for families planning pregnancy. In addition, genetic counseling should be obtained for genetic diseases that are detected as carriers in the father-to-be.
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Vaccines:
Live vaccines during pregnancy can pose serious risks to both mother and baby. For this reason, expectant mothers who are planning a pregnancy should complete their vaccinations at least 3 months before pregnancy. Tetanus toxoid can be done during pregnancy without any risk. In risky pregnancies, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines can be administered under the control of the healthcare team. However, if tetanus, measles, rubella, diphtheria, poliomyelitis (polio) vaccines are missing, they must be completed before pregnancy.
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Chronic disease:
If there is a chronic health problem, expectant mothers should receive treatment for this disease and evaluate the pregnancy issue with the healthcare team following it, discuss the possible risks and decide on pregnancy accordingly. Even if she becomes pregnant, regular follow-ups should be made for this health problem.
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Nutrition:
It may be important for expectant mothers who are planning a pregnancy to adjust their weight before pregnancy. Being underweight or overweight can pose a problem for pregnancy and the baby. It should not be forgotten that weight gain will be gained during pregnancy. It may be beneficial to regulate nutritional habits and to use supplements such as folic acid under the control of the health care team.
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Birth control:
Pre-pregnancy contraception measures should be reviewed. Those who use birth control pills should stop using them some time before pregnancy. The time it takes to achieve hormonal balance should be taken into account.
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Exercise:
During pregnancy, especially in the period close to birth, the expectant mother will need to be active and exercise. Starting appropriate exercise movements before pregnancy can be beneficial in terms of both habit formation and effectiveness.
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Medicines:
Pregnancy is extremely risky in terms of drug use, especially in the first trimester. Medicines used during this period can cause serious damage to the baby. For this reason, expectant mothers should review all the drugs they use before pregnancy and use the drugs that are not considered a risk for pregnancy by their doctor at the recommended doses.