Having a baby is one of the most important
events in a woman's life. Women considering
pregnancy are encouraged to start planning for
the pregnancy with their doctors early. This
early planning process is called pregnancy
planning. The goals of pregnancy planning are to
create a healthy environment for the fetus and
to prevent birth defects and other pregnancy
related problems. The issues addressed during
pregnancy planning include nutrition, vitamins,
weight, exercise, avoidance of certain
medications and alcohol, immunizations, and
genetic counseling. Even though many women will
have normal pregnancies without any planning,
pregnancy planning improves the chances of a
smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Unfortunately, 40% of pregnancies in the United
States are unplanned and many more women who are
anticipating conceiving do not seek prior
medical consultation. Public education is
important to improve pregnancy planning.
Pregnancy planning can help prevent exposure of
the mother to potentially harmful medications or
substances during the early days of pregnancy.
The baby's organs begin developing as early as
17 days after conception and the fertilized egg
begins to grow even before the first day of the
missed period. Some women continue to have
menstrual periods during the first few months of
pregnancy and may not even realize that they are
pregnant. Others may not recognize that they are
pregnant until they experience a weight gain or
abdominal enlargement. By then, they may have
already been exposed to medications or
substances potentially harmful to the fetus.
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