Health Center - Fertility
Have you been having a hard time getting pregnant? Trouble conceiving can be stressful on both you and your relationship—and the options can be confusing. Learn more about coping with infertility and the many reproductive technologies and specialists available to help. Get the information and support you need to make educated decisions.
5 Ways to Prepare for Pregnancy
Technology can help in many ways, but don't overlook basic health practices when planning for pregnancy. For example, one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your baby is also one of the simplest: remember to take a daily vitamin before you try to get pregnant and throughout your pregnancy. Folic acid, found in prenatal vitamins, can slash the risk of major birth defects of the fetus' brain and spine between 50 and 70 percent. There's even some evidence it can reduce the risk of other birth defects, including cleft palate, stomach problems and defects in arms and hands.
That's why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated fortifying all cereal products with folic acid in 1998. Since then, the incidence of neural tube defects dropped 26 percent.
All of which makes pre-pregnancy planning important, says Michelle Collins, CNM, a certified nurse midwife and clinical faculty member at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Pre-pregnancy or "preconception" planning involves a visit to your health care provider for a full medical evaluation, including a detailed medical history before you begin trying to get pregnant.
