Good health before you become pregnant is one of the most important parts of having a healthy pregnancy and baby. Recent studies indicate that more than 50 percent of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. This means that most women are not even aware they are pregnant in the crucial first eight weeks of pregnancy, when a baby's entire organ system forms.
Preconceptional health refers to the health of the person planning to be pregnant before conception.
The goal of preconceptional health is to provide women and their partners with information to make timely informed decisions about their reproductive futures such as prevention of unintended pregnancies, and identification of risk factors that could affect reproductive outcomes. Others are underweight, overweight, vitamin deficiencies, smoking, alcohol and illegal drug use. In preconceptional counseling, careful review of a woman's medical, reproductive, nutritional, and family history are included so that potential problems can be discovered, individualized education provided and possible interventions discussed and offered. A health care provider such as a physician, nurse-midwife or advanced practice nurse may provide such service. Get your daily level of folic acid to 400 micrograms per day, and increase your calcium intake.