If you are planning to have a baby, getting ready begins even before you become pregnant. By following the suggestions on this checklist before you conceive, you can help to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

For both parents
Visit your obstetrician or healthcare provider. This is the time to talk about your medical history, ask questions, and find out if any tests are recommended. This pre-conception visit is especially important if you have had problems with a previous pregnancy.

• Stop using birth control. If you have been using birth control pills, your doctor can tell you how long to wait before trying to conceive. Birth control pills will not cause birth defects no matter how close to conception you stop using them. If you have been using an IUD, have it removed before trying to conceive. If pregnancy occurs with an IUD in place, it can be harmful.

• Stop smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking street drugs. There is scientific evidence that all of these substances used by the mother or father can cause birth defects or other problems with pregnancy. If you are taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs, be sure to check with your doctor.

• Avoid toxic substances, chemicals and radiation at home or work. Exposure to these by either partner can make it more difficult to become pregnant and can harm the baby.

• Ask your parents if there is a family history of problem pregnancies or birth defects. If you have reason to be concerned about a genetic disorder or inherited disease, you may want to consult a genetic counselor.

For women only
Try to achieve your normal weight before attempting to conceive. It's important not to be underweight or overweight during pregnancy.

• Make sure to get enough of the B vitamin folic acid on a daily basis. Studies have shown that birth defects of the spine and brain such as spina bifida and anencephaly can occur if the mother does not get sufficient folic acid during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid is contained in many foods and in multivitamin supplements.

• If you have diabetes, make sure it is being treated and blood sugars are within normal range. Although women with insulin-dependent diabetes have a higher risk of miscarriage and of having a baby with a birth defect, if the blood sugar is tightly controlled before and during pregnancy, chances for delivering a healthy baby are excellent.

• If you have never had rubella (three-day measles) or chicken pox, it may be advisable to be vaccinated prior to becoming pregnant. If you do get vaccinated, you should delay trying to get pregnant for three months. You should not get vaccinated during pregnancy. If contracted during pregnancy, rubella and chicken pox can cause birth defects.

• Avoid eating undercooked meat or handling cat litter. These are known sources of toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can seriously affect the fetus.

• Discuss with a health professional how to understand your monthly reproductive cycle. Learn when you are fertile and most likely to conceive.

• Plan to attend pregnancy preparation classes offered by the Elizabeth Blackwell Center. Check the latest listing in the Classes & Events.