If you have a chronic health condition and are planning to conceive, it's important to manage your condition properly before becoming pregnant. This can help reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and ensure a healthy pregnancy. In this article, we'll discuss some tips for managing chronic health conditions during pre-conception.

Pregnancy is physiologically demanding for even the healthiest women. If you’re coping with a chronic condition and considering pregnancy, it’s important to ensure you are managing your symptoms as well as possible before conceiving. This article covers the steps you should take to do this.

Consult your specialist.

Who helps you with your condition? Is it your GP or a dedicated specialist? They’ll likely have experience with other sufferers who want to become mothers and may be able to boost your confidence as well as provide valuable advice. Ask about lifestyle and medication changes. Are there pregnancy complications linked to your condition, or could it restrict your birth plan? Understanding how you’ll need to adjust early will give you time to plan for a smoother pregnancy.

Keep your condition under control.

Dealing with a chronic condition doesn’t mean your pregnancy will be less healthy, but it might mean more work for you. Maintaining good control over any chronic health condition takes discipline, time, and potentially discomfort. It may involve regular monitoring of your condition, such as blood sugar levels if you have diabetes, or more frequent checkups if you have a chronic medical condition like hypertension. If you can’t wait to have a baby, don't delay taking care of your body.

Break bad habits.

You should be quitting smoking and drinking if you plan to conceive soon, but if you have a chronic condition, you’ve surely been advised to stop doing both before now. Additionally, eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise can help improve your overall health and reduce the risk of pregnancy complications.

Study potential risks and treatments.

Even if you know women with your condition who’ve had successful pregnancies, it's important to learn about the potential risks as well as the treatment options available. A woman with diabetes is generally at increased risk for serious complications during pregnancy, for example. These include preeclampsia, or preterm labour. Your GP can help you understand the potential risks and provide you with advice on how to manage your condition during pregnancy.

Talk to someone.

Managing a chronic health condition can feel incredibly isolated as well as physically and emotionally challenging. It's important to reach out to people who care about you. You could also consider joining a support group for women with your condition, if you don’t already have one, or speaking with a psychologist if you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious.

Have you written a pregnancy plan?

This sort of planning is not jumping the gun; it’s a savvy idea. Before trying to conceive, it's important to develop a plan for pregnancy with your doctor. They may want you to adjust your medication or treatment plan and address lifestyle factors. You might even consider creating a plan for managing your condition if you do get pregnant.

How do I manage chronic health conditions while trying to get pregnant?

For Unii’s Preconception Journey, we look at managing chronic conditions while trying to conceive.