Planning for pregnancy

 

-Health and nutrition habit of woman (esp) important for successful pregnancy.

 

-Factor need to be considered when planning for pregnancy and during pregnancy

• Health condition (Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity and etc)

• Nutrition habit (Eating habit, nutrient stores, caffeine)

*certain medicine such as aspirin and those related to NASIDs have tendency to damage the featus.

• Social factor/ Lifestyle (Drugs, Ciggarate, Alcohol, Stress)

• Environmental factor (Hazards, exposure to x-rays)

 

-Although most of pregnancy is unplanned, but still all the factor is important to be considered before conception to avoid any problem and complication of fetal or newborn health.

 

-Diabetes, Hypertension, Phenylketonuria, AIDS may lead to serius complication in pregnancy including fetal death and birth defect.

 

-Successful pregnancy planning:

• Prepregnancy weight and nutrition stores- affect the ability to be pregnant

• Underweight women- experience - reduce the ability to ovulate.

• Changes of pregnancy increase when the body fat is at the healthy level.

 

-Pregnancy of overweight women

• Baby born to obese women tend to have higher risk in,

• Birth defect

• Death in the first few week after birth

• Obesity in childhood

• Many obese pregnant women experience,

• High blood pressure

• Gestational diabetes

• Delivery complication (Difficulty during labour)

 

-Pregnancy of underweight women

• Baby born tend to be,

• Having low weight

• Premature baby

• This problem is due to underweight women tend to have a lighter placenta and lower nutrient stores in body especially iron.

• This problem can be improve by gaining weight before planning to pregnant or during the pregnancy period.

 

-Adequate intake of vitamin and mineral before conception and during pregnancy can improve outcome of pregnancy.

 

-Adequate folate supply (400 mg/d), prevent birth defect such as neural tube defect and decrease the risk of preterm delivery,

 

-Low intake of calcium and iron or excessive intake of vitamin A also cause for concern during pregnancy.

 

-Stage of pregnancy:

• First trimester (first 3 months) : From conception to 12 weeks

• Second trimester (4-6 months) : Week 13 - 28

• Third trimester (7-9 months) : Weeks 29-40