Are you and your partner going to be trying for a baby soon? Babies require lots of planning, but that preconception medical checkup should be somewhere on your list too. Why do you need medical checks before attempting to get pregnant? What will your doctor look at to ensure you are in the best of health?
Are you up to date on your vaccines? Many adults don't check routinely, but now is a great time some diseases are scary during pregnancy, and you can't get your shots once you have conceived. Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, even if you are pretty sure you don't have any. Some STDs have no symptoms at all, or may take years to become apparent. But that doesn't mean that they are not potentially dangerous during pregnancy, and some STDs, like chlamydia, can also cause infertility or increase the risks of an ectopic pregnancy. Get a PAP test if you are due for one. A blood test that checks for nutritional deficiencies is really beneficial.
Don't wait until you are already pregnant to get that blood work done, and give yourself the chance to take supplements, if needed, before you conceive. What's your blood pressure like? If you don't know, get that measured too. The same goes for urine tests. Get one now. Do you have any preexisting medical conditions? Talk to your family doctor about those and how they combine with pregnancy, especially if you are also taking medication.
Your medication may not be compatible with expecting a baby, so now is the best time to review the situation. If you are using contraceptives, you can have a chat about when you are fertile after quitting your birth control method. If you have an IUD, you obviously have to get that taken out. Finally, discuss your general medical history and your partner's, and ask if there is anything you need to be aware of.
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