Healthy Before Pregnancy
March of Dimes
NC Preconception Health
Campaign
Reproductive life planning:
Lesson Plan 5
What’s your plan?
• The possibility of having a baby is way
off in the future
• Having sex but not ready for kids?
• Already a parent but think more
children might fit into your plan?
• Never want to be a parent?
Have you heard of….
• Pregnancy intendedness?
Unintended pregnancies:
What’s the big deal?
• Women are more
likely to have:
• Babies that are too
small
• Babies that die
before their first
birthday
Unintended pregnancies:
What’s the big deal?
• Women are less
likely to:
• Be taking a daily
multivitamin
• Seek prenatal care
in the first trimester
• Be healthy during
pregnancy
• Breastfeed their
babies
What is a
Reproductive Life Plan?
• Part of an overall LIFE plan
• Determining when (and if) having
children fits into your life plan
• Taking steps to achieve optimal
physical health, emotional well-being
and financial independence and
stability PRIOR to starting a family
Your overall LIFE plan
• What are your
personal goals?
• Education
• Job
• Romantic
partnership
• Friends
• Life experiences
• Values
If and when…
• Do you want to become a parent at
all?
• If yes, at what age?
• If yes, what other accomplishments do
you want to have achieved first?
• If yes, what would you like to have in
place first?
If and when…
• If you want to be a
parent at some
point how many
children would you
like to have?
• How far apart
would you like your
children to be
spaced ?
Teen mothers have...
• Increased risk of premature and low birth
weight babies
• Higher rates of infant death (babies dying)
• Higher rates of smoking
• Less access to prenatal care
• Higher risk of premature labor, anemia and
high blood pressure
• Less education and higher rates of poverty
Teen pregnancy in NC
• 58.6 out of every
1,000 teen girls ages
15 to 19 became
pregnant in 2008
• Minority teens at
higher risk
• Hispanic teens at
especially high risk
• Teens in rural counties
are at higher risk than
urban
Don’t be in the “Fog Zone”
• Align your plans for pregnancy and
family with your sexual choices
Getting ready: Physical health
• Take a multivitamin
with 400 micrograms
(mcg) of folic acid
every day
• Get wellness
checkups every year
and regular dental
checkups
• Eat healthy food,
maintain a healthy
weight and get/stay
fit
Getting ready: Physical health
• Understand the risks
of certain prescription
drugs if you were to
become pregnant
• Stop smoking and
avoid secondhand
smoke
• Stop drinking alcohol
• Don’t use illegal
drugs
Getting ready: Physical health
• Use safe sex practices (ie: condoms) to
avoid sexually transmitted infections
because some can harm a fetus
• Avoid hazardous substances and
chemicals
• Talk to you health care provider about
your family history, genetics and birth
defects
• Find healthy ways to manage stress
Getting ready: Emotional
well-being
• Do you want to have
a baby?
• How will a child
affect your
relationship with your
partner? Are you
both ready to
become parents?
• If you’re not in a
relationship, are you
prepared to raise a
child alone? Who will
help you?
Getting ready: Emotional
well-being
• How will a baby affect your education
or career plans?
• Do you and your partner have religious
or ethnic differences?
• What will you do for child care?
• Are you prepared to parent a child
who is sick or has special needs?
Getting ready: Emotional
well-being
• Are you ready to
give up most of your
free time to care for
a child?
• Do you enjoy
spending time with
children?
• What do you want
for your child?
Getting ready: Financial
independence
• Are you financially independent?
• Do you have a steady income and
health insurance?
• Can you provide the type of home,
transportation, food, clothes, diapers,
etc. that a baby needs?
• What about childcare?
Getting ready: Financial
independence
• Babies and kids are expensive—Child
care, food, clothing and doctor’s
appointments add up!
New social norm
• Unless you are seeking pregnancy and
are committed to the years that it
takes to raise children, take active
steps to prevent pregnancy now
New social norm
• Young men should
take a leadership
role in their
romantic
relationships to
prevent pregnancy
if a pregnancy is
not fully intended at
that time
Take care of yourself
• The health and lifestyle choices you
make today can affect the health of
your future family
• Revisit your reproductive life plan at
least once a year
• Advocate for yourself, your body and
your life goals
New social norm
• Don’t resign yourself
to the idea of
“If it happens, it
happens”
• Take control over
your own
reproductive lives
today, tomorrow
and in years to
come