Health Before Pregnancy

It's never too early to plan for a healthy baby. The choices you make now, before you become pregnant, are important to your baby's health. Here is some information to consider:

Visit your doctor

• Visit your health care provider. Having medical conditions well controlled not only helps your health today, but your baby's health in the future.
• If you take any prescriptions or over-the-counter medications, herbal products, topical creams, inhalers, large doses of vitamins, alcohol, nicotine or street drugs, review them with your health care provider before you become pregnant as they can pass through the placenta into a baby's bloodstream.¹

If you don't already have a family doctor or health care provider, visit Health Care Connect to find one.

To help you to make a decision about your future health care provider, consider these questions:

• Is this person easy to talk to and to understand?
• Does this person listen to you and answer your questions?
• Is this person respectful of your wishes about the birth of your baby?
• Can you easily travel to and from their office?
• Can you contact them by phone or e-mail if you have questions?
• Where do you want your baby to be born? (e.g., at home or at a hospital)
• Will this person provide support to your baby after they are born?
• Do you prefer a male or female health care provider?
• Will this person actually deliver your baby, or will it be the person who is on call that day? 

Keep your immunizations up-to-date

• Getting immunized is the best way to protect you and your baby against harmful diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, tetanus, pertussis, and influenza. It is best if you can get vaccinations up to date prior to becoming pregnant.

Stay active

• Talk to your health care provider about your healthy weight.
• It is recommended that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate (e.g., fast-walking) to vigorous (e.g., jogging) physical activity a week. More is better!
  
• To achieve more health benefits add in muscle and bone strengthening (e.g., yoga or weights) at least two days a week.
  
• Avoid prolonged periods of sitting. Try to get up and walk around every 20 minutes while at work or at home.

Get enough folic acid

• Folic acid is a vitamin that helps the growth of a baby's brain, spine and skull. This part of the baby starts to develop in the first four weeks of pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant.
  
• All females who could become pregnant should take a multivitamin containing 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid every day.  Make sure the supplement contains vitamin B12. You should start taking the supplement at least three months before becoming pregnant, and continue to take the multivitamin throughout your pregnancy.
  
• Talk to your health care provider to find out the right amount of folic acid you need before, during and after your pregnancy. 

Eat well

• Eating well by meeting your recommended number of Food Guide servings each day will help you to get the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you need to be healthy. It will also provide you with the energy you need to enjoy an active life.
• Eat at least one dark green or orange vegetable every day.
  
• Drink water often. Avoid sugary drinks, such as soft drinks, fruit flavoured drinks, and sports drinks. 

The facts about alcohol and tobacco

• The safest choice is to drink no alcohol at all if you are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant.
  
• Excessive alcohol use can disrupt your menstrual cycle (your period), which may impact your ability to have a baby and negatively affect the health of both you and your baby, including being at risk of having a baby with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
  
• Tobacco use can also disrupt your period. It can also harm your ability to get pregnant by reducing sperm count and sperm mobility in males.
  
• It takes time to quit smoking, try now, before you get pregnant. As soon as you stop smoking, your body starts to clean itself of tobacco toxins, and two days after you quit, your risk of heart attack decreases.

Think about when you want to get pregnant

• Your ability to get pregnant decreases after the age of 35 and if you do become pregnant after the age of 35, you have an increased risk of both pregnancy and birth complications.⁹ 

Make your environment clean

• Household cleaning products can be toxic to your health. They can make indoor air unhealthy to breathe, irritate the skin and eyes, and harm your airway. Make homemade, safe cleaning products using baking soda and vinegar.
  
• If possible, limit your exposures to pesticides. Long-term pesticide exposure may lead to asthma, cancer, kidney and liver damage, and cause reproductive harm.
  
• Buy Bisphenol A (BPA) free products and try not to heat plastic (e.g., plastic containers) because this can release toxic chemicals into food. BPA is a chemical found in plastics that reduces estrogen and testosterone levels in your body, which can lead to breast cancer, miscarriages, and birth defects.

Get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

• Get tested regularly! It is possible for you to have an STI and not show any symptoms.
  
• STIs such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia can make it difficult to have a baby if left untreated.
  
• Talk to your health care provider for more information on getting the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. 

Maintain a healthy weight

• An unhealthy weight can lead to difficulty getting pregnant and can lead to health risks for you and your baby during pregnancy and after the baby is born.
  
• A healthy weight is calculated using the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated using a weight-to-height ratio. To find out your BMI, visit Health Canada's BMI Calculator. 

Take into consideration birth spacing

• After you have a baby, it is recommended to wait at least 18 months before attempting another pregnancy and no more than 5 years before trying to get pregnant again.