Why is preconception counseling important?
Preconception counseling with your OB/GYN identifies social, behavioral, and environmental risks that may interfere with your pregnancy. By addressing these issues before you get pregnant, you improve your chance of:
- Conceiving
- Carrying your baby to term
- Achieving the best long-term outcomes for you and your baby
These appointments allow your doctor to discuss any risks that they’re concerned about and provide any education, counseling, and interventions necessary.
What occurs during preconception counseling?
During your initial preconception consultation, your doctor may:
- Give you a physical exam
- Review your health history
- Order lab work
- Screen for infectious diseases
- Review medications
After compiling the information collected, your doctor reviews concerns and things that could cause issues, including:
- Being overweight or underweight
- Taking supplements, such as folic acid
- Getting chronic disease under control, including diabetes, hypertension, and epilepsy
Who should get genetic testing done as part of preconception counseling?
If you think you’re a candidate for genetic testing, talk to your doctor at Rodeo Drive Women’s Health Center about your concerns. After reviewing your family and health history, your doctor may recommend carrier or other genetic testing. If you belong to certain ethnic groups, your doctor may also recommend testing for certain diseases and disorders that are more common to specific groups.
These blood tests identify changes that occur in chromosomes, genes, and proteins that either rule out or confirm certain genetic diseases. The tests also indicate if you’re a carrier for certain diseases. Depending on the conditions, if you test positive, your doctor may suggest that your partner gets tested as well.
Should everyone go through preconception counseling?
Preconception counseling is important for anyone who’s considering getting pregnant; it’s especially vital for women who:
- Have certain chronic health conditions
- Are on medications
- Have a history of miscarriages
- Are from specific ethnic groups
- Have a family history of genetic disorders
While the Rodeo Drive gynecologists recommend preconception counseling for certain people, almost all women can benefit from it. That’s because this type of counseling ensures you and your body are prepared for pregnancy, and it helps to identify any risks that may be present.
It also allows your doctor to start you on folic acid supplements or prenatal vitamins, ensuring that your body has all of the nutrients it needs for healthy conception.
