Preconception Counselling
The healthiest pregnancies often start before conception — with the choices, checks, and adjustments made in the months beforehand. Preconception counselling with Dr Sheri Lim gives you a clear, personalised plan to optimise your health before you start trying to conceive.
What Is Preconception Counselling?
Preconception counselling is a dedicated consultation — ideally 3 to 6 months before you start trying to conceive — to review your health, identify anything worth addressing beforehand, and set you up for the healthiest possible start to pregnancy. It typically covers:
Immunity checks
Confirming you are immune to rubella (German measles), since infection during pregnancy can seriously affect your baby, and topping up immunity beforehand if needed (rubella vaccination itself cannot be given once you are pregnant).
Chronic conditions
Reviewing how conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, or hypertension are managed, since good control beforehand improves pregnancy outcomes.
Genetic and carrier screening
Including thalassaemia screening, which is particularly relevant given its prevalence across Asian populations.
Medication review
Some medications need to be adjusted or switched before pregnancy, not after a positive test.
Nutrition and supplementation
Starting folic acid before conception, since it's most protective in the earliest weeks of pregnancy — often before you know you're pregnant.
Lifestyle factors
Smoking, alcohol, weight, and general fitness all genuinely affect your chances of conceiving and your pregnancy's course.
How Eden Women's Health Can Help
A dedicated preconception review
Not squeezed into another appointment, but a proper consultation focused entirely on preparing for pregnancy.
Targeted blood tests
Covering immunity, thyroid function, and relevant nutritional markers.
A personalised action plan
Clear, prioritised guidance on what to address before you start trying — not an overwhelming generic checklist.
Coordination with your broader care
If you have an existing condition or are also working through fertility concerns, preconception counselling fits naturally alongside that care rather than duplicating it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I start preconception counselling?
Ideally 3 to 6 months before you plan to start trying, though even a single visit shortly before conception is genuinely worthwhile if that is what timing allows.
Do I need this if I have been pregnant before?
It is still worth it — your health, medications, and risk factors can change between pregnancies, and it is a good opportunity to review what went well or did not previously.
When should I start taking folic acid?
Ideally at least one month before conception and continuing through the first trimester, since the protective window for your baby’s neural development is very early — often before pregnancy is confirmed.
What if I have a pre-existing medical condition?
This is exactly what preconception counselling is for — many conditions (thyroid disorders, diabetes, hypertension) are very manageable in pregnancy, but benefit enormously from being well-controlled beforehand.
Is preconception counselling only for first-time mothers?
Not at all — it is relevant any time you’re planning a pregnancy, whether it is your first or your third.
Schedule An Appointment
Give your pregnancy the best possible starting point. Book a preconception consultation with Eden Women’s Health today.