Start Your Pregnancy Off Right

Taking care of yourself before you become pregnant can help prevent birth defects and low birthweight. The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation offers the following tips to having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby:

• Achieve your ideal weight. Women who are overweight when they begin pregnancy are more likely to develop high blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy. If you’re underweight, you’re more likely to have a low-birthweight baby.

• Have a medical checkup before conceiving. Discuss your family history with your physician, including problems with pregnancies or birth defects in your family. If such problems are inherited, you might want to see a genetic counselor.

• Consult with your physician about your birth control methods and how long you should wait after discontinuing use of birth control pills before trying to get pregnant.

• Get treatment for medical problems such as diabetes, epilepsy and high blood pressure.

• Check with your health-care provider about getting vaccinated if you are not immune to measles and rubella. These illnesses can cause birth defects if you contract them while pregnant. Ask how other infections, such as AIDS or herpes, can affect your pregnancy.

• Take 0.4 to 0.8 milligrams of folic acid daily (the amount found in most multivitamin supplements) before getting pregnant and during the first six to 12 weeks of pregnancy. This B vitamin will help prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid can also be found in fruits, dark-green leafy vegetables and dried beans.