Preconception Visit?

catrb89

Hello! I'm sort of new to the board. I lurk and comment rarely Hubs and I are planning TTC around this time next year. We want to do everything to be prepared and want to schedule a preconception visit sometime in the near future since our schedules can be ridiculous at times. My question may be silly but is the term "preconception visit" well known? Do you schedule this as a separate visit with DH, or do you try to schedule during an annual appt? Just want to see what you guy have done/recommend. Thanks in advance! 

Designermomma

I just kind of did an annual physical with my family dr. and asked for a titer to see what vaccines I needed to update and my general health before we started then I asked a list of questions while I was there and told the dr. my intentions. I spoke to my obgyn at my annual visit about it and she just said when you stop taking the pill, replace it with a prenatal vitamin.

satuttle1014

At my annual I just asked any questions I had and she told me to go on vitamins, etc. There is not much to do beforehand unless you have questions. 

Xstatic3333

I'm not planning a specific preconception visit since I don't have any preexisting health conditions that could be issues with conception or pregnancy.  I'll probably tell my doctor at my regular physical that I'm planning to go off the pill, but that's about it.

peppers1227

My doctor suggested I come in for a preconception visit to do some blood work and check for things like being a carrier for cystic fibrosis. She told me to do this after my first spontaneous period off birth control. I just went off BC last week so hoping to have a preconception appt mid June? My understanding was it is different than an annual appt.

StarbucksShip

I'd schedule an annual visit, but let the nurse and doctor know as soon as possible into the appointment you want to TTC in the near future. Most of the tests and examinations are the same. However, the nurse and doctor talked about my results and general health a bit differently. They also made time to help me understand what needed to be changed (or re-tested) specifically for pregnancy. The level of care had me wishing I was always going for a "preconception" visit.

surferP528

I agree with the other posters. At my annual visit, I told my dr. that I planned to go off of birth control to try to conceive.  She made sure I was taking prenatal vitamins, gave me a basic reproductive sperm meets egg lesson, and said to call when I got pregnant. I didn't feel I needed a separate appointment; however, she did ask us to wait 2 months after going off the pill which I would not have done prior to her consult. (I know many women on the board who were not told to wait, so take that with a grain of salt) She also advised me of some other supplements due to birth defects a sibling of mine was born with.

Because I'd been to the same dr. every year and had previously had healthy exams, I did not require any extra tests, bloodwork, or immunizations. Had I not been ready for a yearly visit, I do not think a preconception appointment would have been necessary, but speaking about our plans with the dr. was helpful.

catrb89

Thanks ladies! I'll try to follow up this fall. I just didn't want to call and schedule a "preconception visit" and have no one know wtf I'm talking about! 

nicosh8

You should just mention it at your annual. A preconception visit isn't neccessary unless you have medical conditions that you are concerned about. Most insurance companies cover an annual visit but a preconception visit could end up costing you quite a bit of $$.

hannhasmith

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penelope4612

I mentioned it at my annual exam.  My doctor went over what meds I am on and told me if they were safe or not.  She also took some background info and told me that my husband and I should consider genetic screening prior to TTC.  Otherwise, everything was pretty standard (stop BC, may take a while for cycles to regulate, take a prenatal, etc).

DontMakeMeAdult0903

Since we are trying prior to the time for my annual exam I scheduled the preconception visit but it was coded for insurance as my annual well women's exam.  Be careful with any blood work that may be completed as my insurance doesn't want to pay for it.  My midwife recoded and resubmitted so fingers are crossed. 

penelope4612

trice0903 said:

Since we are trying prior to the time for my annual exam I scheduled the preconception visit but it was coded for insurance as my annual well women's exam.  Be careful with any blood work that may be completed as my insurance doesn't want to pay for it.  My midwife recoded and resubmitted so fingers are crossed. 

I'd be wary doing this, depending upon your insurance.  My insurance will not allow 2 "annual exams" within 12 months of each other, so every time I need an annual I have to wait until the date of the last annual has passed.

DontMakeMeAdult0903

My insurance just does it by calendar year so that wasn't an issue for me but I have heard of it being an issue for others. 

KinniB

I did a preconception visit last year, as my DH and I thought we would try right after we got married but decided to wait. My doctor just sent me for blood work to make sure my RRM Vaccine Antibodies were still active, and told me to take Prenatal Vitamins at least 3 Months before we started trying. 

vampbride99

I guess I sort of had a preconception visit with my ob/gyn, it was during an annual visit.  Since I'm not using the pill I didn't have to worry about that.  She just told me to make sure I'm taking a vitamin that contained folic acid in it, at least 3 months before we started trying.  She also asked if I was working out, and when I told her I was, she told me to continue at least 4 times a week.  At the end of the visit, she had me do some blood work to make sure I was up to date on vaccines.