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Are you currently attempting to conceive?
Many different elements of your health can affect your fertility, including your height, weight and your lifestyle. That is why it is so important you take time out of your life to assess your overall health. If you are overweight, talk with your doctor about losing some weight before conceiving. Weight problems, whether you are overweight or underweight, may impact your ability to conceive. You may for example, experience ovulation problems if you are underweight. Your doctor may recommend you work with a nutritionist so your body is again, in tip-top shape before you even think of conceiving. Are you getting regular exercise? If not, you might consider starting an exercise program before you conceive. Regular exercise will help promote a faster labor and delivery as well as recovery. Women who exercise regularly during pregnancy often also feel less stressed than women who do not. As an added bonus, the less stress you feel, the more likely you are to conceive!

What if I have irregular periods?
If you have irregular periods it will be harder to determine the best time for your cycle to conceive, especially if the length of your cycle varies each month. I often see irregular cycles of between 21 and 35 days. But some women may only have 3 or 4 cycles a year. If you have abnormal cycle length, but each cycle is the same length you can figure out the best day for conception by subtracting 14 days from the typical cycle length. For instance, if you have 35 day cycles, you'll ovulate on day 21. This would be the best time to plan intercourse.

Do you use birth control?
What method of birth control have you been you using, if any? If you rely on a diaphragm, condoms or the rhythm method, your reproductive system is probably ready to conceive. If you use an IUD, it must be removed by your doctor. After that, you're good to go.

If you use a hormone-based birth control, pill or patch, consider switching to a barrier method such as condoms or a diaphragm to make sure that you are cycling normally when you are ready to conceive. Note not only do some woman get pregnant the first month they stop the pill, but others get pregnant while on the pill...

Rarely is there a delay in getting pregnant after you stop taking the birth control pill. This is because it may take a few months before ovulation resumes and your menstrual periods become regular. With irregular periods, it's harder to know when you're fertile, so it may take longer to conceive. If you conceived while on hormone-based birth control, don't worry. It doesn't cause birth defects as once believed. Just be sure to tell your doctor when you schedule your first appointment. Do you have any chronic medical conditions?

Just as you'll take your little bundle of joy for well-baby visits, you need to be sure to take care of yourself with well-mommy visits. During a pre-pregnancy visit to the obstetrician, your doctor will give you a thorough check-up to look for any medical issues that have been previously undetected.

Be sure to advise your doctor of any medical conditions you have or have had in the past, even conditions that may seem unrelated to pregnancy. Your primary care physician and your obstetrician may need to work together if you have a history of medical problems or current medical conditions which may affect (or be affected) by pregnancy.

You'll also want to be aware of complications that may arise once you are pregnant. If you are on medication, the dosage or prescription may need to be changed. You may need to be under the care of an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies.

These specialists are a wonderful resource for moms with special medical needs. Managing on-going medical conditions, including adapting current medications and treatments to better suit a pregnancy, is a key aspect of a pre-pregnancy check-up. It provides the doctor the opportunity to switch your meds and to develop a baseline of your health.

In particular, tell your doctor if you have any of the following conditions:

• Diabetes Mellitus
• high blood pressure
• heart disease , renal disease or any lung diseases
• an over- or under-active thyroid
• any chronic illnesses such as chronic anemia, systemic lupus or arthritis
• any history of epilepsy or seizure disorders

Take your doctor's recommendations seriously. His goal is your goal - a healthy, happy pregnancy. Follow doctor's advice. And after your initial visit, call the office with any questions. Remember, the only stupid question is the unasked one.