Giving birth to a child is a moment most awaited in a couple’s life. But, it certainly requires lot of planning and taking good care of health. A number of factors such as food, existing medical conditions, mental health, lifestyle, reproductive system health etc are important for attaining parenthood. To ensure that you are fully ready to become a parent, here are certain assessments that need to be done as part of preparation process of attaining parenthood.
- Medical assessment
You can be given a detailed questionnaire to fill. The details will contain family history, sexual life details, food habits, lifestyle related questions, medical history, and so on. Basis the information provided, the precautionary measures, if any required, are suggested to the couples trying to conceive.
- Dietary and lifestyle assessments
Presence of certain nutrients like folic acid, vitamin B-9, iron and calcium, etc. is important to declare any women fit for conceiving a baby. Therefore, a complete blood test and screening of body for the presence of these nutrients is done. Externally, the care providers asses the food profile and make recommendations too, if something impotent is conspicuously missing from the diet. The other assessment important for deciding the readiness of couples for having a baby is that of their lifestyle. How much work they require to do for making a living? The stress levels, mental resilience, sociable nature, and addiction towards smoking and drinking are some of the checks that can be done to assess the capability of couples for being parents.
The nutrient information can help in knowing dietary requirements. The woman may be put on certain diet or asked to make changes in the food profile for preparing the body for motherhood. They can be advised to eat whole grains, more vegetable proteins, more iron and more of citrus fruits and Vitamin C sources to ensure that the body has ample supply of nutrients for the baby. They may also be given supplements for meeting the nutrient deficit.
- Ovarian reserve and reproductive health assessment
Women will be going through a thorough check-up comprising of hormone tests like FSH level test, AMH test. These tests tell the actual chronological age of a woman body in terms of egg reserves available in the body. The women need to have sufficient follicles to get a ripe egg required for conceiving. The follicle quality, the sex hormone levels, and other related checks are done to ensure that no incorrigible fallacies are present in the woman body. Men may also be checked for sperm quality; certain fertility related blood tests are done as part of couple’s medical assessment schedule.
Reproductive health assessment includes checking of ovarian function. The ovary must be able to release the egg when it is sufficiently ripe. The fallopian tube check is also done for finding blockage of any kind. In men, the motility of sperms, quality and number of sperms kind of factors are assessed to find and correct any fundamental issue related to fertility. Some hormonal tests are done to find if there is an instance of PCOS.
Complete scan of abdomen and lower body of woman is done to take a look at the uterus, ovary and all parts contributing to the process of reproduction.
- IVF and IUI treatments
When the assessment reveals the incapability of body to complete the process of reproduction naturally, manmade ways like IVF and IUI treatments can be done to make the parenthood dream possible. Even while taking such treatments, the dietary and mental health requirements cannot be ignored. A professional preconception care specialist can help in assuring the success of these treatments too.
Motherhood is all about giving. The woman needs giving her blood and womb to the child to grow during pregnancy. But, all this giving and caring will be possible only when her body is capable of doing so. Men can also do their bit only when they are physically fit and hormonally sound. To ensure that, as a couple, you have all that you need to give to your child, you must enroll for preconception care. The company involved in providing this care stays with you right from before the pregnancy to the end of the gestation period and ensures this period to be free from all hassles for you.
