Trying for a baby

PLANNING FOR PREGNANCY:

Positive preparation for pregnancy can be of great practical help and can give you back control over one of the most important events in your life. Ensure that you and your partner are in the best of health, mentally and physically & follow a healthy lifestyle and your chances of success are improved.

The ideal would be to arrange to meet with an appropriately qualified and informed professional nurse / doctor prior to planning a pregnancy so that you can have the benefit of the best possible advice and direction in advance.

Health:
Whatever your chances of conceiving, these are optimized by your being in the best health possible. This includes both the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of your wellbeing. If it becomes necessary to avail of fertility treatments the success of these treatments is also facilitated by good health while the complications are minimized.

•    Weight: Ideally couples planning a pregnancy should be of a sensible weight (BMI 20-25). While extremes of weight do affect male fertility it is the woman’s weight that is our primary concern. Being of a sensible weight ensures that you have the best chance of success, while reducing the chance of complications for both mother and baby during pregnancy, delivery and afterwards.

•    Medical conditions: Some conditions, or their treatments, have a direct or indirect bearing on fertility & pregnancy. Consult your doctor to optimize your condition and possibly adjust or alter medication as required.

•    Ensure that you are immune to the Rubella (German Measles) viral infections by means of a simple blood test. If you are immune this gives you and the baby substantial protection should you be exposed to the infection during pregnancy. If you are not immune to Rubella then you should be vaccinated prior to planning a pregnancy. Following vaccination you are recommended to wait for a further period of time before trying to conceive in order to reduce any risk of exposure during early pregnancy.

•    Check that your smear test is in date to minimize the chances of any abnormal cervical cells developing during the course of pregnancy. An abnormal cervical smear in itself does not generally influence conception. Should an abnormality come to light during pregnancy, however, the pregnancy or the treatment of the problem could be compromised.

•    Folic Acid Supplements: In order to reduce the chance of a pregnancy affected by spina bifida, or related conditions, a daily supplement of 400mcg is advised when planning a pregnancy and up to twelve weeks of pregnancy once you conceive. In certain situations however you may be advised to be on a higher dose of folic acid.

•    Family or Medical History: On going through your medical and family history your doctor/ nurse may identify certain issues that may impact on pregnancy and the health of your baby. A full family and medical history will guide them in directing you for further tests or investigations or may simply more fully inform and educate and prepare you for pregnancy.

•    Mental and Emotional Health: Our mental and emotional state influences our physical wellbeing. Fertility can be adversely affected when we are under stress. To best prepare for pregnancy you should ideally be at your best. Failing to conceive or needing to avail of demanding fertility treatments with no certainty of success takes a further toll on you personally. We would encourage couples to take advantage of the formal and informal support systems (e.g. counselling / friends & family) which are available to them should they encounter any difficulties.

Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet, adequate exercise and rest, is the ideal. Alcohol intake should be reduced, as appropriate, in both partners, to one or two units once or twice a week or less, as excess intake does appear to have both an impact on fertility and pregnancy. Smoking and any illicit drug taking intake should stop. There is evidence to show the detrimental effect of drugs and smoking on fertility, pregnancy and to general health.

Alternative Therapies
In excess of half of all women seeking fertility treatment have availed of one or more of the wide range of currently available alternative therapies. While very few of these have been scientifically assessed and proven to be of benefit by western medical standards they would appear in practice to have a calming effect on stressed couples and enhance a beneficial sense of wellbeing.

In the absence of evidence, doctors find it difficult to recommend specific alternative therapies yet we recognize that many couples feel that they have gained substantial benefit from them.

We therefore advise couples to inform their medical team of all alternative therapies they are using, as it is possible that some of these may interfere with conception pregnancy or with medical treatments. We would recommend that you only attend qualified licensed therapists with appropriate relevant training and experience. Ask your doctor for therapists that they may be able recommend to you. Ask your alternative therapist if their treatment is safe in pregnancy.




BEFORE HARI
Welcome GP Services Before HARI Trying for a baby Accessing investigations HARI Life after HARI Contact Us Location and Facilities			Trying for a baby PLANNING FOR PREGNANCY: Positive preparation for pregnancy can be of great practical help and can give you back control over one of the most important events in your life. Ensure that you and your partner are in the best of health, mentally and physically & follow a healthy lifestyle and your chances of success are improved. The ideal would be to arrange to meet with an appropriately qualified and informed professional nurse / doctor prior to planning a pregnancy so that you can have the benefit of the best possible advice and direction in advance. Health: Whatever your chances of conceiving, these are optimized by your being in the best health possible. This includes both the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of your wellbeing. If it becomes necessary to avail of fertility treatments the success of these treatments is also facilitated by good health while the complications are minimized. • Weight: Ideally couples planning a pregnancy should be of a sensible weight (BMI 20-25). While extremes of weight do affect male fertility it is the woman’s weight that is our primary concern. Being of a sensible weight ensures that you have the best chance of success, while reducing the chance of complications for both mother and baby during pregnancy, delivery and afterwards. • Medical conditions: Some conditions, or their treatments, have a direct or indirect bearing on fertility & pregnancy. Consult your doctor to optimize your condition and possibly adjust or alter medication as required. • Ensure that you are immune to the Rubella (German Measles) viral infections by means of a simple blood test. If you are immune this gives you and the baby substantial protection should you be exposed to the infection during pregnancy. If you are not immune to Rubella then you should be vaccinated prior to planning a pregnancy. Following vaccination you are recommended to wait for a further period of time before trying to conceive in order to reduce any risk of exposure during early pregnancy. • Check that your smear test is in date to minimize the chances of any abnormal cervical cells developing during the course of pregnancy. An abnormal cervical smear in itself does not generally influence conception. Should an abnormality come to light during pregnancy, however, the pregnancy or the treatment of the problem could be compromised. • Folic Acid Supplements: In order to reduce the chance of a pregnancy affected by spina bifida, or related conditions, a daily supplement of 400mcg is advised when planning a pregnancy and up to twelve weeks of pregnancy once you conceive. In certain situations however you may be advised to be on a higher dose of folic acid. • Family or Medical History: On going through your medical and family history your doctor/ nurse may identify certain issues that may impact on pregnancy and the health of your baby. A full family and medical history will guide them in directing you for further tests or investigations or may simply more fully inform and educate and prepare you for pregnancy. • Mental and Emotional Health: Our mental and emotional state influences our physical wellbeing. Fertility can be adversely affected when we are under stress. To best prepare for pregnancy you should ideally be at your best. Failing to conceive or needing to avail of demanding fertility treatments with no certainty of success takes a further toll on you personally. We would encourage couples to take advantage of the formal and informal support systems (e.g. counselling / friends & family) which are available to them should they encounter any difficulties. Lifestyle A healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet, adequate exercise and rest, is the ideal. Alcohol intake should be reduced, as appropriate, in both partners, to one or two units once or twice a week or less, as excess intake does appear to have both an impact on fertility and pregnancy. Smoking and any illicit drug taking intake should stop. There is evidence to show the detrimental effect of drugs and smoking on fertility, pregnancy and to general health. Alternative Therapies In excess of half of all women seeking fertility treatment have availed of one or more of the wide range of currently available alternative therapies. While very few of these have been scientifically assessed and proven to be of benefit by western medical standards they would appear in practice to have a calming effect on stressed couples and enhance a beneficial sense of wellbeing. In the absence of evidence, doctors find it difficult to recommend specific alternative therapies yet we recognize that many couples feel that they have gained substantial benefit from them. We therefore advise couples to inform their medical team of all alternative therapies they are using, as it is possible that some of these may interfere with conception pregnancy or with medical treatments. We would recommend that you only attend qualified licensed therapists with appropriate relevant training and experience. Ask your doctor for therapists that they may be able recommend to you. Ask your alternative therapist if their treatment is safe in pregnancy.


Human Assisted Reproduction Ireland, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin 1. Tel: 01 807 2732 Fax: 01 872 7831
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