Pre-Conceptual Counseling

Is this your first pregnancy or your fifth? Or are you unsure if you’re even ready to become a parent? Either way, pre-conception counseling begins before you start trying to get pregnant. This visit with your physician or midwife will cover your OB/GYN history, your family health history, and questions about your lifestyle. Your caregiver may also discuss certain genetic tendencies with you, like the correlation of Tay Sach’s disease with people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent or sickle-cell anemia with people of African descent.

When you are ready to start trying to conceive, we may recommend lifestyle changes, like exercising more, quitting smoking, changing your diet, and taking prenatal vitamins. We will discuss optimal times to conceive and help you figure out how to work with your own ovulation and menstruation cycle. We will also help you to manage your expectations; did you know, for instance, that only 30 percent of couples conceive during their first month of trying? And for women over 35, that time stretches to over a year? We will help you navigate the sometimes rocky road of fertility and provide options if natural conception proves difficult.