As pregnancy brings a new dimension in life, planning and preparation for pregnancy is very important and it usually starts before pregnancy. If you are trying to conceive it is best for you and your partner to maintain a healthy lifestyle, reduce alcohol consumption and smoking, eat well and exercise moderately.
Morning sickness is nausea or vomiting that usually occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Despite its name, you may feel nauseated or vomit at any time of day.
It is not understood why some women develop morning sickness, but certain factors such as hormones are involved. Women with high levels of pregnancy hormones tend to develop this condition and have it with subsequent pregnancies. More than half of pregnant women have morning sickness during the first trimester. It usually goes away by the second trimester, when the level of pregnancy hormones in your body falls.
Booking blood and urine tests may be done by your GP or we can arrange them for you at your first visit. Sometimes it’s easier for us to organise all the blood tests at once to save you from potentially needing more blood tests later in case we feel we need to check something else.
Full blood count – tests for anaemia.
It’s an exciting time if you are thinking about having a baby.
There are a few important things to remember when eating and drinking to make sure that you and your baby are healthy. Many of these things take a bit of planning and it is best to start before you become pregnant. If you think you might be pregnant – don’t worry – start following this advice as soon as you can.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a specific type of diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy. It is temporary and goes away after the birth of your baby. Approximately one in 20 pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes, usually between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes can have significant effects for both you and your baby if not well controlled.