Planning for pregnancy

If you are planning to become pregnant, visit your doctor for a preconception consultation. They will give expert advice on planning your pregnancy. Your health and wellbeing before conception can affect your baby's health and development.

Your doctor will also check that your prescription medicines are safe during pregnancy. Sometimes you may need to change your medicines before trying to get pregnant. Be sure you let your doctor know about all prescription, over-the-counter and alternative medicines you take.

A healthy lifestyle is especially important at this time for you and your baby.

Healthy eating

Eating well can benefit your health and your baby's development.

You do not need to 'eat for 2' while you are pregnant. This is a myth.

During your second and third trimesters, you may need to eat some extra nutrients.

Healthy eating recommendations during pregnancy include:

• a wide variety of fruits and vegetables of different types and colours every day
• proteins — red meats, fish, poultry, eggs, tofu, beans, nuts
• wholegrains
• dairy foods — reduced fat milk, yoghurt and cheese
• plenty of water

It's OK to have caffeine while you are pregnant. Limit it to around 2 cups of coffee or 4 cups of tea a day. It's best to eat fewer foods that are high in salt, sugar and fat.

Pregnancy can affect your immune system. It may be harder for your body to fight infections. Be sure to follow good hygiene practices when you are preparing and storing food, so as to avoid food poisoning.

Supplements

To support your baby's development, you are recommended to take folic acid and iodine supplements. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the type and dose of supplements. Be sure to tell them you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

Read more on vitamins and supplements during pregnancy.

Healthy weight gain

How much weight you should gain during your pregnancy depends on your pre-pregnancy weight and BMI (body mass index). Your doctor or midwife can advise you on how much weight gain they recommend for you.

If you start your pregnancy within the healthy weight range, putting on too much weight when you are pregnant can cause short-term and long-term health risks for you and your baby such as:

• gestational diabetes
• pre-eclampsia
• type-2 diabetes after pregnancy
• depression
• miscarriage or stillbirth
• difficulties with breastfeeding
• obesity or metabolic syndrome for your baby

Living with underweight when you are pregnant can also increase your risk of:

• preterm birth
• having a small baby

If you are living with overweight or obesity, you will need extra care during pregnancy and at the birth.

Strict dieting to lose weight is not recommended while you are pregnant. It might mean the baby does not get all the nutrients they need.

If your doctor thinks you are gaining weight above or below the recommended level, a dietitian can advise you what to eat.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

Alcohol

Whenever you drink alcohol, it passes through your placenta and enters your baby's bloodstream. To protect your baby, you should not drink alcohol if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

Drinking alcohol increases your risk of:

• miscarriage
• premature birth
• stillbirth
• your child having foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which can cause lifelong problems

The more you drink, the greater the potential harm to your baby. Binge drinking (drinking a lot of alcohol on one occasion) is especially dangerous for your baby.

For help managing alcohol during pregnancy, visit NOFASD Australia.

Smoking and vaping

Smoking, vaping and passive smoking during pregnancy are very harmful to you and your baby. Smoking can also affect your fertility and your ability to get pregnant.

Cigarette smoke and vape from e-cigarettes have toxic chemicals in them such as nicotine. There is no safe amount of smoking or vaping.

These increase the risk of problems for you and your baby, such as:

• miscarriage
• preterm birth
• low birthweight
• birth defects, such as cleft lip or cleft palate
• problems with your placenta, such as placenta praevia and placental abruption
• SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)

Quitting smoking

The best way you can protect yourself and your baby is to quit smoking and vaping. You and your baby will benefit straight away.

Many people quit when they find out they're pregnant but then relapse. Don't be too hard on yourself — just keep trying. Many people need several attempts at quitting. Your chance of success improves if you have support from your doctor and your family. If your partner can quit too, you are more likely to succeed.

If your doctor asks you if you smoke or vape, it is important to tell them the truth. They can help you get support to quit, for example with medicines or counselling.

It's never too late to quit, so contact the Quitline for more information.

Read more on smoking and vaping during pregnancy.

Physical activity

If you are pregnant, it is safe and healthy to do some physical activity every day. You should build up to do between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. It is OK for you to do your physical activity in small sessions throughout the day.

If you were active before falling pregnant and don't have any pregnancy complications, you can continue exercising as usual.

If were not active before you became pregnant, start slowly and gradually build up your activity.

Try to do a combination of both aerobic and strength training activities, such as:

• pelvic floor exercises (to help reduce your risk of bladder incontinence after you give birth)
• brisk walking
• swimming
• dancing
• stationary cycling
• Pilates and yoga

You can also join a group or club to help you stay motivated.

Remember to avoid exercising outdoors in the heat of the day, so you don't become dehydrated. Make sure you drink lots of water.

It's important to listen to your body. If an activity is causing you discomfort, stop or change the way you are doing it. If you join an exercise class or team, let your instructor or coach know you are pregnant.

You can talk to your doctor about the best type of physical activity for you.

Read more on exercising during pregnancy.

Immunisation and vaccination

Immunisation before pregnancy

If you are planning a pregnancy, make sure you are up to date with your vaccines. Your doctor can refer you to do some blood tests to check your immunity to some infections.

It is especially important to check if you are protected against:

• measles
• rubella (German measles)
• mumps
• varicella (chickenpox)
• hepatitis B
• COVID-19 and influenza (the 'flu')
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Immunisation during pregnancy

Influenza: While you are pregnant, you are more at risk of catching the flu. You also have a higher chance of complications and ending up in hospital. The flu can also be dangerous for your baby. Babies under 6 months old are too young to get the flu shot. The best way to protect yourself and your baby is to have the flu vaccine. You can have this at any stage of your pregnancy.

Whooping cough: Whooping cough (pertussis) can be deadly for newborn babies. It's important to have the whooping cough vaccine between 20 and 32 weeks in each pregnancy. When you are vaccinated, your antibodies are transferred from you to your baby. This will protect your baby until they can get their first whooping cough immunisation.

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus): RSV can cause severe lung infections in very young babies. Vaccination is recommended between 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the influenza and whooping cough vaccines are free under the National Immunisation Program. The RSV vaccine is not yet funded under the National Immunisation Program. Speak to your doctor about what vaccines are recommended during pregnancy. Your partner can also ask their doctor for recommendations on vaccination.

Exposure to chemicals

If you are pregnant, there are some substances that can harm your baby. Try to protect yourself and your baby and stay away from them. These include:

• some chemicals at home and at work, for example pesticides or some cleaning products
• some medicines
• radiation
• tobacco smoke

Your baby can be affected if you breathe, swallow or sometimes even touch harmful chemicals.

It's important to speak to your employer if your work brings you into contact with chemicals or materials that could harm you or your baby. You are entitled by law to move to a safe job, even if you are a casual worker.

Looking after yourself

For advice and to get connected to local mental health services call Medical Mental Health on 1800 595 212. Check the operating times.

Looking after your mental health during pregnancy is just as important as looking after your physical health.

It is quite common for you to feel more anxious than usual while you're pregnant. If you're worried, seek help or support.

Here are some tips to help support your mental health during pregnancy:

• Seek help as quickly as possible if you think you may be experiencing symptoms of antenatal anxiety or depression.
• Use relaxation techniques such as guided muscle relaxation, breathing exercises or guided mental imagery to ease stress and cope with the many changes going on in your life.
• Try to get plenty of rest and accept help from other people, especially if you have other children.

Resources and support

• The Royal Women's Hospital has helpful information about food safety during pregnancy.
• Learn more about physical activity and exercise during pregnancy.
• The Gidget Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that supports the mental health of expectant, new and potential parents to help them receive accessible, timely and specialist care.

Do you prefer to read in languages other than English?

The Centre for Perinatal Excellence (COPE) website can be translated into many community languages.

The Multicultural Centre for Women's Health has a range of health resources available in more than 70 languages.

Looking for information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people?

The Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program (ANFPP) is a nurse-led home visiting program that supports Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people who are pregnant.

You can find out more about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander pregnancy health on Stronger Bubba Born or watch the How to Have a Safer Pregnancy video.