23rd January – 29th January 2017
“Let’s Talk about Sex:
The best start in life”
There is a clear link between a mother’s health before pregnancy and her baby’s health. We know that healthy women and men are more likely to have healthy babies who grow into healthy children . Therefore, thinking about, and improving, your health before conception increases your chances of a safe pregnancy, a thriving baby and a rewarding parenthood.
What is preconception health?
Preconception health is about preparing well for pregnancy, whether for your first pregnancy or your next pregnancy. What you do, or neglect to do, before the pregnancy test says ‘yes’ really matters. The choices you make and the actions you take can make a big difference to you and your baby. That is true even if you have not paid much attention to when would be the right time for you to become a mother. However, preconception health is not just for women, it is important for men too. There are steps that future fathers could and should take before creating a baby, for his own health and for the health of his partner and their baby.
Why promote preconception health?
Many things that are risky for your baby’s health, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs (prescribed or not), being overweight, being very stressed and some medical conditions, can all make an impact before you even know you are pregnancy. That is why planning and preparing for pregnancy are so important.
However, not all the negative possibilities of pregnancy are inevitable. Many miscarriages, stillbirths, too early or too small babies, birth defects and other problems can be prevented and the odds of a good outcome can be improved. But good outcomes should not be left to luck alone. Doing what you can, and getting help if required, to become as health and ready as possible is hugely beneficial for yourself, your partner and your baby.
And help is available for you in Dumfries and Galloway. Your GP practice, Sexual Health clinic and other health and social care professionals are available to support you to consider your health before pregnancy.
Traditionally, health promotion for pregnancy begins in the antenatal period, most often from first contact with Maternity Services at around 8 to 12 weeks of pregnancy. And unfortunately it is not uncommon for women and men to continue negative health behaviours such as smoking and drinking alcohol through this important stage of early foetal development. Getting ready for pregnancy is as important as getting medical attention once you know you are pregnant.
Who promotes preconception health?
Improving the general health of the whole population through increasing knowledge and understanding of healthy lifestyles is an underlying philosophy of all health, education and social services . And preconception health messages can easily be included with other general healthy lifestyle messages.
That’s why DG Health and Wellbeing, along with partner organisations, have developed a Preconception Health Toolkit to help staff across all agencies to raise preconception health with their service users.
The Toolkit will be launched as part of the annual Sexual Health Week activities on Friday 27th January 2017 at the Garroch Training Centre near Dumfries to an audience of partner organisations including NHS, Social Work, Education and third sector. Key note speaker Dr Jonathan Sher, an Independent Consultant and respected author of numerous published reports and blogs on Preconception and Interconception Health, will attend, offer an address and interact with the audience .
Laura Gibson, Health and Wellbeing Specialist with DG Health and Wellbeing, says “By raising awareness of preconception health we can help give our children the best start in life. All services that have contact with women and men of reproductive age can make a significant impact on optimising preconception health by promoting health and wellbeing and supporting men and women to make healthy lifestyle choices”.
The Preconception Health Toolkit will be available electronically to NHS, local authority, private and third sector partners. Please contact Laura Gibson [email protected] for further information.
