How to get your body ready for a baby -2

Should I have any vaccinations before trying for a baby?Many preventable infections can cause miscarriage or birth defects, so make sure your vaccinations are up to date. If you're not sure, a quick blood test will reveal whether you've been vaccinated against diseases such as rubella

If you need to be vaccinated with a live viral vaccine, as for rubella, you should wait one month after the vaccination before trying to conceive (NHS 2010). This is a precaution, as it's thought that your body needs time to get rid of the injected virus.

You may want to have a tetanus booster. If you're in a high risk group for hepatitis B, you may want to consider being vaccinated against that disease as well. Should I take any pre-pregnancy supplements?As soon as you decide to try for a baby, start taking a daily supplement containing 400mcg of folic acid. Taking folic acid has been found to greatly reduce the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida (CKS 2007).

It's particularly important to have enough folic acid in the early weeks of pregnancy, when you may not even realise you're expecting. The early weeks are when your unborn baby's brain and nervous system are developing fast. You can buy folic acid supplements from pharmacies.

You'll need to take a higher daily dose of 5mg (CKS 2007), which is only available on prescription from your doctor, if you:

• have a family history of neural tube defect
• shave diabetes
• have coeliac disease
• take medicine for epilepsy
• have a body mass index (BMI) of over 30
  

Once you are pregnant, it is recommended you take a vitamin D supplement. What about smoking, drinking or taking drugs? Can my GP help with giving up?Smoking, drinking and illegal drugs can all cause health problems for your baby, and increase the risk of miscarriage (CKS 2007, NHS 2010). So it's well worth quitting now, rather than once you know you're pregnant.

Your doctor may be able to offer you a place on a smoking cessation programme to help you stop before you conceive (CKS 2007).

Experts can't be sure about a safe level of alcohol for an unborn baby. Department of Health guidelines say that if you're planning a pregnancy you should avoid alcohol altogether (NHS 2010).

If you do decide to drink, stick to no more than one or two units, once or twice a week, and don't get drunk (CKS 2007). If you feel you need help cutting down the amount that you drink, talk to your doctor.

If you take illegal drugs, your doctor can refer you for some extra support to help you give your baby a healthy start to life (CKS 2007).

To help you keep track of all your tests and vaccinations, print off our physical readiness checklist.

It's not just your body you need to get ready. Find out which lifestyle changes are advisable too.