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What
should all women of childbearing age do? |
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Take
400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily |
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Know
your family history of birth defects, premature
birth, learning disabilities, and chronic diseases
and share that family history with your
health care provider |
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Have
a check-up from a health care provider
prior to a first conception and between
pregnancies (interconception care) |
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Wait
at least 18 months after delivery
before starting another pregnancy (interpregnancy
interval) |
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Seek
reproductive genetic counseling, if
appropriate |
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Manage
chronic maternal illnesses such as asthma,
depression, diabetes, hypertension,
hypothyroidism, inflammatory bowel
disease (IBD), kidney disease, lupus,
obesity, phenylketonuria (PKU), and
seizure disorders |
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Make
healthy lifestyle choices with regard to diet
and exercise |
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Get
regularly scheduled dental
care to ensure good oral health |
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Make
sure your immunizations are up-to-date |
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Ask
your health care provider if the medications (both prescription and
over-the-counter), home remedies and herbal
supplements you take are safe at the time of conception
and during early pregnancy |
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Protect
yourself against domestic violence
by finding a safe place to live, asking
for help and seeking emotional support.
Call the National Domestic Violence
Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE
(7233) if you need help. |
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Consider
your emotional and financial ‘readiness’
for pregnancy and parenthood |
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Avoid
using alcohol, nicotine and recreational
drugs |
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Avoid
exposure to infections. Wash hands often to
reduce the spread of germs. |
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Avoid
harmful occupational and environmental exposures |
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Avoid
hot tubs and saunas |
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Avoid
eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel or
tilefish and limit the amount of tuna |
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Avoid
eating undercooked meat |
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Avoid exposure to used cat litter |
