Planning a pregnancy

If you are thinking about having a baby, it is important to start making healthy choices for yourself to help with having a health pregnancy and a healthy baby. There are a number of things that you can do to make sure your body is in the best shape to give your baby a great start to life. Use our following tips.

 

Get a checkup before you get pregnant:

Getting a checkup before you get pregnant is a great idea. It will give your doctor a chance to check your current health as well as screen for any health problems. They will be able to talk through your family medical history, and answer any questions you may have about getting pregnant or being pregnant.

If you don't have a regular doctor, now is a good time to get one. You can use our "Services" section of the website to locate a doctor that is close to you and to find out about your eligibility for subsidised healthcare.

 

Take Folic Acid with Iodine

Take Folic acid with Iodine, this helps your body's growth and development. Folic acid is particularly important for the development of your unborn baby. Taking folic acid before you get pregnant and during pregnancy can help to prevent birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects.

For more information about Iodine please click here

 

Eat Healthy and be a healthy weight

Being a healthy weight before you get pregnant can help both your health as well as that of your baby's. Overweight, obese and underweight woman are more likely to have problems getting pregnant and during their pregnancy such as miscarriage, stillbirth, high blood pressure and preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and complications during labour and birth.