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Make sure that you get the required medical exams done before you plan your pregnancy…

As you plan to start your own family and step into the big, bad world of parenting, it is important to be prepared—emotionally and physically. After all, a healthy pregnancy translates into a healthy mum and a healthy baby Pre-natal testing (tests before pregnancy) are important as they serve two vital purposes—to provide information about fertility status, and to evaluate the mental and physical fitness of a woman’s body to carry a child. It also helps prevent the likelihood of several pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm delivery, and genetic disorders such as haemophilia.

Make sure that you go through the following assesments before you take the plunge into planned parenthood:

Age screening: One of the prerequisites for pregnancy is a physically and mentally fit body. The best period for conception is the late 20s and early 30s. However, with lifestyle changes and advances in medical technology, it is completely normal and healthy to conceive in your late 30s and early 40s. Just make sure that you have an experienced and supportive gynaecologist who can handhold you through the process.

Weight Evaluation: Pre-pregnancy weight is an important factor for a successful outcome. An underweight woman may face some difficulty in conceiving, and may suffer from anaemia. Babies born to underweight mums may have low birth weight. Women with pre-pregnancy obesity have a high risk of pre-eclampsia (hypertension) and gestational diabetes. Foetuses of obese womo en have a high risk of preterm birth and neural tube defects. Though the right medical care and guidance can help overcome some of these challenges, it is important to attain a healthy body weight with a clean lifestyle, food, and physical exercise before planning to conceive.