Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hello, you're watching Your Health Matters from the Orange County Health Department.
This is a short informative video series on health topics that matter, like Family Planning.
Having a baby is one of the most important decisions a woman and her partner can make.
We can help increase your chances of having a healthy baby even before becoming pregnant.
Your health,
your home environment, and the amount of time between your pregnancies can affect your
ability to have a healthy baby.
If you plan on getting pregnant discuss your decision with your doctor
at least three months before you plan on conceiving.
Medical problems need to be treated prior to pregnancy.
These would include diabetes,
high blood pressure,
heart problems.
Take Folic Acid before you become pregnant to prevent
birth defects.
In fact, all women of child-bearing age should take four hundred micrograms daily.
Folic Acid helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects,
which is a
birth problem that can happen with spinal cord
and the neural tube of the baby.
Women should think about taking Folic Acid
at least a year prior to pregnancy.
Even if you have had healthy babies in the past,
it's still important think about your health with each pregnancy,
this includes maintaining a healthy weight. Women who are overweight
can have problems
such as diabetes, high blood pressure
they can have problems at the time of delivery
the baby could even be stillborn.
And women who are underweight they could have
premature babies or babies who are underweight.
Remember your developing baby's health depends on your well being.
Make sure that you are properly immunized.
Some dieases, such as measles, can be prevented.
They should also know their status of sexually transmitted diseases
***, AIDS, Syphilis.
Chlamydia, ***.
All that can be prevented.
Your lifestyle and diet can also impact your pregnancy. Women need to make changes in their
lifestyles
such as when they smoke, they need to stop smoking
they need to stop alcohol and drugs
if they do drugs and alcohol.
Also there are certain fish that are high in mercury
that can cause defects with the baby.
Women should make changes
in their lifestyles.
Family planning also means properly
spacing your pregnancies.
It's better for you and your baby to wait two years to get pregnant following the birth
of each child. A mother should wait at least two years between each baby.
It's important because
the mother goes through
the whole nine months of pregnancy and they have
stress in their bodies and they can lose a lot of nutrients a lot of blood loss
and they have to take care of a new baby
so by waiting two years,
these babies will not be born
undersized
and they'll be healthier.
You can determine when or if you become pregnant by choosing and carefully using a
method
of reliable birth control.
There are many safe and low-cost methods of contraception available.
So, talk to your doctor about which birth control method is best for you.
This will help keep you from getting pregnant before you and your partner are ready.
And planning a healthy pregnancy begins before conception. Remember Your Health Matters
at the Orange County Health Department.