Preconception Health
Planning for a baby begins well before conception. Preparing your health now enhances your chances of conceiving and supports a healthy pregnancy and your baby’s future health.
Why Preconception Health Matters
The environment around conception and early pregnancy has lasting effects on a child’s health and development. The article “Before the beginning: nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health” in The Lancet emphasises that preconception health influences not only conception and pregnancy success but also long-term outcomes for the child, including risks of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
What’s Covered
During your preconception consultation, we’ll review:
- Medical history and chronic health conditions.
- Lifestyle habits: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, smoking, drugs and alcohol.
- Fertility evaluation: ovarian reserve, pelvic ultrasound, semen analysis.
- Genetic carrier screening.
- Your vision of your future family make-up
- Personalised plan for conception and early pregnancy optimisation.
Why Choose My Practice
- Personalised specialist care.
- Tailored person-centred care and evidence-based guidance.
- Access to advanced technology and resources at Genea.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should we schedule a preconception consultation?
Ideally 3–6 months before trying for pregnancy. If you are thinking about deferring your family building into the future, a fertility assessment and discussion of fertility preservation (freezing eggs, sperm or embryos) would be a wise option.
Should both partners attend?
Absolutely! Fertility requires both partners’ involvement and reproductive health optimisation applies to both egg and sperm.
Are lifestyle changes really that important?
Nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, and substance use all impact fertility and offspring health. Addressing these factors can not only help you get pregnant, but also improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby.
What screening is done in preconception care?
Genetic carrier screening, blood and semen tests, imaging, and lifestyle risk assessment are routinely assessed as part of my preconception consult, as well as other aspects which may be required in some cases.
Can preconception consultations help prevent pregnancy complications?
Yes. Addressing health factors early and optimising pre-pregnancy health may have a role in reducing pregnancy risks such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth.