Pre Pregnancy Checkup & Nutrition: Tips Before and During Pregnancy
When planning to get pregnant, nutrition is more important than ever. You’re not only taking care of your own health but also supporting your baby’s development.
However, eating healthy and right would not be sufficient to ensure a well-planned approach to a better pregnancy experience. Combining a nutritious diet with regular health checks can help women monitor their well-being and their baby’s growth–preventing complications that might get in the way.
Our first tip: Undergo a pre pregnancy checkup to help confirm your body’s preparedness for bearing a child.
Pre Pregnancy Checkup
A pre pregnancy health check is a medical screening performed by a healthcare provider to confirm that you are in optimal health before attempting to conceive. It sets the stage for a stronger foundation for conception.
Importance of Preconception Screening
A preconception screening gives your baby the best opportunity for a strong and healthy start. Specifically:
- Optimise health conditions. It can identify any current health issues and ensure they are appropriately managed. Additionally, it helps prevent potential health complications that could impact a woman’s pregnancy.
- Helps guide healthy lifestyle choices and pregnancy planning. Insights from the pre pregnancy checkup results can be a basis for crafting effective pregnancy plans tailored to a woman’s needs. It guides lifestyle choices and habits to improve overall health, such as maintaining a healthy weight or determining which food to consume.
- Improves the chances of getting pregnant. Since a preconception screening identifies any underlying health conditions that might affect fertility, it allows for early intervention and treatment. Addressing these issues ensures a healthy body which eventually increases a woman’s chances of getting pregnant.
Key Health Checks
When you book an appointment for a pre pregnancy checkup, your doctor may first ask you about the complete medical history of both you and your partner.
They could also run tests to ensure that neither of you don’t have any medical conditions affecting your chances of getting pregnant.
Such tests include:
- Pelvic ultrasound to check for fibroids or ovarian cysts in the womb
- PAP Smear test/Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) test
- Screening for rubella, chickenpox, or hepatitis B immunity, Thalassaemia
- Infections and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) like gonorrhoea, syphilis, or chlamydia
A sperm analysis can also be conducted for your partner.
Aside from physical and reproductive health assessments, your gynaecologist can also evaluate your mental health. Stress levels, anxiety and depression can negatively affect one’s chances of conception.
Vaccinations and Immunizations
Women who wish to conceive are encouraged to receive pre-pregnancy vaccinations to ensure maximum protection against potential health threats.
When vaccinated, your immune system generates antibodies that protect your body against harmful substances. These antibodies can be passed on to your baby during pregnancy. Since the baby’s immune system is not fully developed until after birth, these transferred antibodies offer protection while the baby develops its own system.
Some common vaccines to get before pregnancy include Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR), Chickenpox, HPV and HIV.
Nutrition Before Pregnancy
Insights from your pre pregnancy checkup can provide valuable information and guidance on the nutrition one must meet before conception. Particular dietary adjustments and vitamins are necessary to prepare your body for pregnancy, all of which align with the screening results.
While the results enable a tailored approach, the most common supplements and pregnancy diet plans are as follows:
Folic Acid and Pre Pregnancy Vitamins
Folic acid, a B vitamin, also a synthetic form of folate, helps lower the risk of premature birth and delivering a baby with low birth weight. Consuming enough folic acid before and during pregnancy can also prevent congenital disabilities in a baby’s brain or spine.
- Some foods with folic acid sources include:
- Fortified breakfast cereals, breads, and other grain products
- Citrus fruits
- Leafy green vegetables
Pre Pregnancy Nutrition
What you eat can affect your chances of conceiving. The best pre-pregnancy diet plan should include:
- Choosing whole grains (if possible)
- Eating fibre-rich foods like fruits, beans, etc.
- Being aware of portion control during meals
- Eating a low-fat diet.
Pre Pregnancy Weight Management
A woman’s weight before pregnancy directly influences her baby’s birth weight.
Underweight women are more prone to having smaller babies, while those who are overweight face higher risks of pregnancy complications, like gestational diabetes or high blood pressure. Ultimately, having a healthy weight can increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Your doctor can advise whether you need to adjust your weight before expectancy.
Nutrition During Pregnancy
Maintaining good health and nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for supporting your and your baby’s development, reinforcing the foundation laid by your pre-pregnancy nutrition.
Here are some essential tips for maintaining good pregnancy nutrition.
Essential Nutrients and Dietary Needs
Maintaining a healthy pregnancy requires 300 additional calories daily, all of which come from a balanced diet of fruits, whole grains, protein, and vegetables. You should also limit sweets, fats, and caffeine.
Add these foods to your pregnancy diet chart:
- Proteins (lean beef, nuts, seeds, beans, peas, lamb and pork, salmon, pollock, etc.)
- Fruits (banana, mango, orange, prunes, apricots, etc.)
- Dairy (low-fat or fat-free yogurt, soymilk, etc.)
- Vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, etc.)
- Grains ‘(cooked and ready-to-eat cereals)
Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
- Unpasteurised milk and soft cheeses
- Alcohol
- Raw or undercooked meat, seafood, fish, and eggs
- Refrigerated meat spreads and smoked seafood
Managing Common Pregnancy Symptoms
Proper pregnancy nutrition can help with symptom management.
For example, when experiencing nausea or vomiting, avoid high-fat and greasy foods because they can be more difficult to digest. It may be advisable to eat carbohydrate-rich foods because they provide energy.
Another example is that when you experience constipation during your pregnancy, you must drink a lot of fluids, eat prunes or drink prune juice (as they are natural laxatives), or you can increase the amount of fibre in your diet.
Hydration and Safe Supplements
Staying hydrated is crucial for nutrition during pregnancy. Strive to drink multiple glasses of water daily. Refrain from drinking alcohol and discuss your caffeine and artificial sweetener consumption with your gynaecologist.
Regarding supplements, your healthcare provider may recommend a prenatal vitamin or supplement before or during conception. However, it’s important to remember that these should not replace a healthy diet.
Lifestyle and Exercise
Exercise Recommendations
Performing exercise contributes greatly to the well-being of the mother and her baby during pregnancy.
Having a sedentary lifestyle during pregnancy is associated with the risk of developing ‘deep venous thrombosis, a serious condition wherein one or more blood clots form in your heart or blood vessels. This event threatens both your and your child’s life.
Some benefits of regular exercise during pregnancy include:
- Stress relief
- Weight control
- Improved sleep
- Fewer complications in delivery
- Preparation for the physical demands of labour
- Decreased risk of pregnancy complications
Some common activities are walking, swimming, cycling, yoga, pilates, and pregnancy exercise classes.
However, it is still recommended to consult with your healthcare provider before continuing or starting an exercise program. They can guide you on which activities to perform and which not to perform.
Lifestyle Modifications
Apart from avoiding alcohol and smoking and limiting caffeine intake, it is also important to maintain optimal hours of sleep and practising effective stress management.
Chronic stress can cause problems for your baby, including negative effects on their growth, the length of your pregnancy, and your child’s future mental and physical development.
To reduce stress, try to slow down, do yoga and meditation, take part in an exercise fitting for your pregnancy, and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Our Final Tip: Seek Advice From a Trusted Gynaecologist in Singapore
While these essential tips are generally beneficial for both mothers and their babies, it is advisable to consult with your healthcare provider for tailored guidance.
A gynaecologist in Singapore, like Dr. Sheri Lim of Eden Women’s Health, can provide individualised recommendations based on your specific health needs, ensuring that you receive the most effective advice for your healthy conception.
Start your journey with us by booking a pre pregnancy or prenatal checkup today. We’re here to create a supportive environment as you begin a new milestone of creating your own family–every need, every stage.