Before you get pregnant Te whakamahere i tētahi hapūtanga
If you are thinking about getting pregnant, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and pēpi (baby).
Medicines and health conditions
If you take any medicines, supplements or have a health condition, it is best you talk to your healthcare provider before you try to get pregnant. This is because some medicines are not safe to take when you are pregnant, and you may be advised to change to another medicine. You may also need to be monitored more closely while you are pregnant.
Talk to your healthcare provider about pregnancy if you have a health condition, including:
- diabetes
- epilepsy
- high blood pressure
- thyroid problems
- a mental health condition.
If your pregnancy was not planned, talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible about your medicines and health conditions.
Immunisations you may need
We recommend you are up to date with all your immunisations if you are planning a pregnancy.
It is particularly important to know if you are immune to:
- measles
- rubella
- chickenpox.
You cannot have these immunisations when you become pregnant, and they can cause harm to you and your developing baby.
It is very important that you have had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine at least a month before getting pregnant. You cannot have an MMR vaccine while you are pregnant.
Measles during pregnancy can make you very sick, and can cause miscarriage, stillbirth and premature delivery.
Rubella can cause serious birth defects in your baby — such as deafness, heart defects, and brain damage.
To check whether you’ve been vaccinated, contact your doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider and ask if you’ve had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine.
If you cannot to find out if you have been vaccinated, it is recommended you get vaccinated as soon as possible. This will be free. There is no risk in getting extra MMR doses — it is important to know that you have had 2 doses.
Book an MMR vaccineexternal link
Chickenpox during pregnancy can harm your unborn child and may cause stillbirth.
If you are not able to find out if you have had chickenpox, or if you have not been vaccinated, it is strongly recommended you get a chickenpox vaccine before becoming pregnant. This will cost around $70.
You are not able to have a chickenpox vaccine while you are pregnant.
Blood tests and other health checks
If you think there is a chance you or your partner may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you should get tested before you get pregnant. Some infections can cause harm to your pēpi. If you have an infection, you can receive treatment to reduce the chances of the infection causing:
- fertility problems
- complications during pregnancy or birth
- premature birth
- an infection in your pēpi.
Talk to your healthcare provider about being tested for STIs or contact Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa.
STI testing — Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoaexternal link
Sexually transmitted infections
If you have a family history of haemophilia but do not know if you are a carrier, you can talk to your healthcare provider about being tested to find out if you are a carrier.
If you know you are a carrier of a gene for severe haemophilia and want to avoid passing the condition on to your sons, you can consider trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
When you have IVF, you can make sure your embryo is free of the gene for haemophilia through a process called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). This is where each embryo is carefully tested to see if it has the haemophilia gene before being implanted in your uterus. You will need genetic counselling and some blood tests before you can have PGD.
Talk to your healthcare provider about whether PGD may be an option for you.
If you have high levels of glucose in your blood, this may lead to complications in your pregnancy. Many women do not know if they have normal blood glucose levels or not. This can be tested with a simple blood test called HbA1c.
Blood sugar levels and pregnancy planning
Take folic acid
Taking a folic acid tablet (0.8 milligrams) daily reduces the chances of your pēpi having brain or spinal cord problems. It is best to start taking it 4 weeks before you start trying to get pregnant.
If your pregnancy is not planned, start taking it as soon as you find out. You will most likely be getting some folic acid in your diet already. All bread made from non-organic wheat flour sold in Aoteraoa New Zealand must be fortified with folic acid.
Keep taking a folic acid tablet every day until your 12th week of pregnancy.
You can buy folic acid at a pharmacy, or you can get it on prescription from your healthcare provider, midwife or dietitian.
Stop smoking and avoid alcohol
Smoking lowers your chances of getting pregnant and is bad for you and your pēpi. It is best to stop smoking before you start trying to get pregnant. But it is never too late to quit and get health benefits for you and your pēpi.
Alcohol can reduce fertility in both men and women, making it more difficult to get pregnant. It is best to stop drinking before you start trying to get pregnant.
Avoid alcohol while you are pregnant as it can damage your baby's developing brain.
Aim for a healthy weight
Being underweight or overweight can make it more difficult to get pregnant. Being a healthy weight increases your chances of getting pregnant.
If you are very overweight during pregnancy, this increases the risk of health problems for both you and your pēpi.
Get to know your menstrual cycle
You are more likely to get pregnant (conceive) if you have sex in the most fertile times of your cycle. That means having sex every day or two around the time you ovulate (release an egg).
Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa has detailed information on how to recognise when you are most fertile.
Fertility awareness – Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoaexternal link