Child wish

“Preconception care can improve a good pregnancy outcome, but it can never guarantee this”.

Even before the pregnancy you can do a lot to give your baby the most healthy start possible. Do you use medicine, do hereditary disorders run in the family or does your partner smoke? These are subjects to think about before the pregnancy.

Do you want to know more about getting pregnant? Nuvola offers a free appointment during the child wish office hours. You can contact us for an appointment.

More information can be found on:

strakszwangerworden.nl
zwangerwijzer or
zwangerstraks

Frequently asked question: ‘Why is it advised to take folic acid tablets when you have a child wish?’
Folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects like neural tube defects or spina bifida, a cleft lip and an open palate. For anyone wanting to get pregnant it is important to take 400 micrograms of folic acid everyday, regardless of how much folic acid you take in with your food. You should start with this about 4 weeks prior to the possible fertilization. For many women this is the moment they stop using their birth control pill. Tablets with 400 micrograms of folic acid are available. After the tenth week of the pregnancy, extra folic acid is no longer necessary. After that tenth week, pregnant women can eat according to the recommended daily amounts. They can also keep taking folic acid tablets without risk.
(Source: Voedingscentrum)

Getting pregnant
A menstruation usually occurs regularly, with a cycle length of about 28 days. Shorter cycles of 21 days or longer cycles of 40 days also occur. You can only get pregnant if you have an ovulation. With a regular cycle of 28 days, this will take place around 2 weeks after the first day of the menstruation. Fertilization of the egg is possible after 12 hours after the ovulation. Sperm cells live 4 to 5 days. So, you can also get pregnant from sperm cells which are 2 days old. The fertilized egg will then remain in the oviduct for 3 to 4 days, before travelling to the uterus.

Getting pregnant does not always succeed immediately. About 80 to 90 percent of women with a child wish is pregnant within a year. If there is no pregnancy after a year while intercourse takes place around the ovulation, you should make an appointment with your general practitioner.

Age
The monthly chance of getting pregnant reduces after your 30th year of life and is halved around the age of 35 years.
The chance of problems during your pregnancy, like miscarriage or a high blood pressure, increases with the increase of your age.
You will also have a higher risk of a baby with a chromosomal abnormality when you get pregnant at a higher age.

Hereditary disorders
Of every 100 children, on average 2 to 3 are born with a birth defect or disease. Hereditary abnormalities run in some families. Before your pregnancy, you can check if you have an increased risk of a baby with an abnormality. An increased risk occurs when:

  • A hereditary abnormality or birth defect runs in one of both families.
  • Parents are family (consanguinity).
  • Parents or ancestors come from an area where hereditary anemia runs more often (Africa, countries around the Mediterranean, Middle East, Asia, Suriname, the Antilles and the Caribbean area).

If there is an increased risk of a hereditary disease, it is sometimes possible to get a test before the pregnancy. You then have more time and opportunities to make choices than during a pregnancy. If you have questions about this, be sure to contact your general practitioner or midwife before you are pregnant. For more information, go to the Erfocentrum website.

Previous pregnancies
When you have had two or more miscarriages, you can get extra tests to find a possible cause. Also ask for advice when your previous pregnancy got complicated because of pregnancy poisoning or when your baby didn’t grow well. To reduce possible complications for your future pregnancy, get advice from your general practitioner, midwife or gyneacologist.

Long-term illness
A long-term or chronic disease can influence your fertility and the pregnancy and the health of your baby. Examples of diseases that can have this kind of influence are high blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy and psychological diseases. The other way around, pregnancies can also influence the previously listed diseases and in that way, your own health. Ask for advice from your general practitioner or specialist.

Healthy living
A healthy weight is better for the fertility, the pregnancy and the health of your baby. We speak of a normal weight when your BMI is between 20 and 25. You can calculate your BMI by deviding your weight in kg by the outcome of your length times your length in meters.

Obesity (BMI > 30) reduces the fertility and increases the chance of problems during your pregnancy or childbirth. These problems could be high blood pressure, pregnancy diabetes or a cesarean section. Do you want to lose weight? The advice is to do this far before a pregnancy. Do you want counselling or advice, contact your general practitioner or a dietician.

It is good to move for at least 30 minutes every day for women with a child wish and pregnant women, just like it is for everybody. This helps to remain healthy and fit. For more information about moving and nutrition, visit the website of the Voedingscentrum.

Nutrition
When you want to get pregnant, it is important to eat healthy and varied. It is important to start well when you have a child wish. On the website of the Voedingscentrum, you will find information about getting pregnant in a healthy way. You can also find information about nutrition when you are already pregnant on the page ‘lifestyle tips’ on our website.