• medical centre south yarra - doctors toorak - gp practice prahran - pregnancy planning - header image

Pregnancy Planning – One Point Medical

The start of your pregnancy planning is a perfect time to make a healthy lifestyle a priority. Our doctors can provide positive and supportive advice for your pregnancy needs.

Below are some things to consider before you conceive.

QUIT smoking

  • smoking increases the risk of miscarriage, premature labour and low birth weight babies
  • smoking is associated with serious long term health issues including chronic lung disease, cancer, heart disease and stroke

OPTIMISE your weight

  • being overweight, or underweight can affect your fertility

MODERATE your alcohol intake

  • less is best while trying to conceive
  • try to stick to the Australian Guidelines of no more than 2 standard drinks/day

EXERCISE regularly

  • any exercise is better than none
  • start slowly and build up, if you are not already exercising
  • aim for 2 1/2 – 5 hours of moderate intensity exercise per week (approx 30 minutes/day)
  • include muscle strengthening exercise on at least 2 days

FOLIC ACID

  • folic acid is a B group vitamin essential for the development of your baby’s spinal cord and brain
  • it is found in green, leafy vegetables and legumes
  • in addition to what is in your diet, a supplement of 400 micrograms/day, has been shown to reduce your baby’s risk of abnormal brain or spine development eg spina bifida
  • supplements are best started at least one month before conception, but the longer the better

IODINE SUPPLEMENT

  • iodine is needed for your baby’s thyroid hormone production, which is important for growth, development and brain function
  • iodine is found in seafood, seaweed, eggs, meat and dairy products, as well as iodised salt
  • iodine deficiency is prevalent in Australia and a supplement of 150 micrograms/day is recommended while trying to conceive and during pregnancy

CAFFEINE

  • limit your caffeine intake to 1-2 coffees/day, as more than this can increase your risk of miscarriage
  • watch for hidden caffeine in cola and energy drinks and chocolate
medical centre south yarra - doctors toorak - gp practice prahran - pregnancy planning - icon1

Talk to Your Doctor About

PAP SMEAR

  • have you had a Pap smear in the last 2 years?
  • best to be up to date, especially if your last Pap was abnormal

IMMUNISATIONS

  • do you need a Rubella, or Chicken Pox booster?
  • this is important to action before pregnancy as you will need to wait 1-2 months after immunization to conceive

BLOOD TESTS

  • you can check whether you need the booster injections with a blood test
  • are you low in iron or Vitamin D?
  • before you conceive is a good time to get these supplements started

YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

  • are you regular and if not, how may this affect your fertility?
  • when is your most fertile time of the month?

MEDICATIONS

  • are your regular medications safe to take during pregnancy?
  • if not, when should you stop or change them?

NOT PREGNANT YET

  • how long is “too long” to wait to conceive?
  • when should you start looking for a possible fertility issue and what tests are available?

Category A rating

One Point Medical has once again received a category A rating on accreditation, demonstrating its commitment to quality and safety within the practice.

More information can be found here.