Many people just get pregnant without planning, and if that’s you, fantastic! But for those people who are hoping to get pregnant in the near future, there’s an amazing opportunity to get as healthy and prepared as you can before trying to conceive. 

A pre-pregnancy consultation with your GP, obstetrician, gynaecologist, or fertility specialist is an important first step in your journey towards parenthood, and in an ideal world, we would suggest you book this in at least 3 months before you start trying to fall pregnant. 

At these appointments, women can get their AHM level tested to give a general idea of their egg reserve, as well as get some blood tests for general nutrition and vaccination status to give mum and baby as much protection as possible. Your doctor will almost certainly prescribe a folic acid supplement at least three months before you begin trying to get pregnant, as well as discuss any medication you are on and any substitutions you might need to make in the lead up to pregnancy.

Pre-pregnancy appointments also allow discussions of genetic testing that you may choose to do, either for peace of mind or to screen out diseases that may be present in either partner’s family history. 

Listen to the full podcast to find out more detail about what you can learn from a pre-pregnancy appointment.