Preconception Care
Educational information. Individual clinical review of this presentation by Dr. Ehsan is not yet documented. It does not replace personal medical evaluation.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Read the original source
MedlinePlus data edition September 26, 2026. Imported September 27, 2026. These dates do not indicate a new clinical review of the article.
If you are trying to have a baby or are just thinking about it, it is not too early to prepare for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. You should see your health care provider for preconception care.
Preconception care is care you receive before you get pregnant. Your health care provider can help you figure out which steps you need to take now, such as:
- Finding and taking care of any problems that might affect you and your baby later, like diabetes or high blood pressure
- Increasing the amount of folic acid you get to prevent neural tube defects
- Getting up to date on vaccines
- Avoiding smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs
- Trying to reach a healthy weight
By taking action on health issues before pregnancy, you can prevent many future problems for yourself and your baby. Once you're pregnant, you'll get prenatal care until your baby is born.
NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Symptoms, tests and care options
Further reading selected by MedlinePlus. Links open the original organizations’ websites.
- Carrier Screening · American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- What Pre-Pregnancy Tests Might I Need? · Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Questions for your care team
General prompts to help prepare for your appointment.
- How does this information apply to my situation?
- Which symptoms or results need evaluation?
- Which tests are useful, and what can they tell us?
- What care options, benefits, and risks should we discuss?
- When should I seek urgent help, and whom should I call?
- When is follow-up, and how will we know whether the plan is working?
For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 in the U.S. or your local emergency number.
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