Preconception Appointment

mking23

Hello!
DH and I are planning starting TTC next May. Wondering if any of you had a preconception doctor's visit and if so, how far in advance?

Thanks!!

bumpuser794640

You really don't need one unless you have other health issues or medications you need to discuss with your doctor.

bugandbibs

Yes, I had one. I am on several medications and I wanted to discuss them with my doctor in case changes needed to be made. She also made sure I was up to date on my vaccines and boosters and ran some blood work. I was due for a pap too. Good luck ttc!

PunkyBooster

I did but only bc we had just moved. I met her, she talked to me about prenatal vitamins and charting. Told me not to stress if it takes up to 1 year and to have fun.

Great since my insurance paid for it. Wouldn't do it otherwise, it just wasn't that informative.

laurenstar18

Hello! My appt is actually this Fri. I got on H's insurance so i thought it would be nice to meet her. I scheduled a pap as well. Also trying to see if prenatals will be covered. I wanted to make this appt to meet my doc, pap, and a preconception. Do everything at once

Ducktale

PunkyBooster said:

I did but only bc we had just moved. I met her, she talked to me about prenatal vitamins and charting. Told me not to stress if it takes up to 1 year and to have fun. Great since my insurance paid for it. Wouldn't do it otherwise, it just wasn't that informative.

This is me too. I would not do it if it was just a "preconception appt", but I will also be due for my pap and we recently moved so I will get established with the practice. Only worth a separate appt if you have meds or a condition to discuss.

mking23

Thanks for the great advice! I'm due for a pap soon so I'll just do it all at once too.

Bridesmaid x 7

I had a regular exam and mentioned that I wanted to start TTC. She recommended that I have blood work done just to check blood sugar, etc. I think it's good to have a baseline so you can get accurate readings when the time comes.

MMason12

I had my Mirena IUD removed the month before we were going to start ttc. At that appointment I asked any questions that my DH or I had about us ttc and about their standard procedures after we got a positive pregnancy test.  It was nice knowing in advance when we got our BFP at 3w5d that we wouldn't be going in to the see the doctor until we were 7-9 weeks.  Had I not been prepared for that it would have been a shock for me. 

Irishcurls

I just mentioned TTCing within the next few months at my annual and my gyn was matter-of-fact. "Well. What questions do you have?" And then I was all...uhhhh, I spend a lot of time on the internet so I'm good. She mentioned vitamins and taking a year is normal. SO glad I didn't go in just for that, would have been such a waste of everyone's time. 

Golden42

Like others, I brought it up at my last annual. She just said to take prenatals and don't stop taking my pill in the middle of the pill pack. (She said you can, but your hormones will be more wonky if you do)

haslett2

I also had my talk during my annual (just had it this week, trying in January) and she said she likes to have that visit about 3 months out. I'm really glad I did it because she ordered all my blood work and gave me advice on how to figure out my ovulation cycle without the over-the-counter tests. She also gave me some other tips which I found really helpful. So if you are a crazy planner like me, then I would say definitely do it at least 3 months out so you can figure out when to go off BC and then have a few months to figure out your regular cycle.

londonmummy

Well I had a sort of preconception appointment earlier this year with my OB. It was a combination of a debrief after my son's death and a high level game plan for when we plan to start trying for another child. 

Since the problems my son had were not genetic, DH and I are generally healthy. I have iron deficient anemia and B12/folate deficiency which just requires that I take extra prescription supplements right now as part of my regular routine and then my iron and folate levels to be monitored closely whenever I get pregnant as I was very anemic the first time. I also had HG and had to be hospitalized with IV fluids for about 10 days but now OB knows which anti-emetic works for me. Basically, I will be monitored closely to make sure that the things that are within the control of medical science can be taken care of. 

We discussed getting a full blood work up closer to when we actually plan to start trying just to ensure everything is OK. I plan to make an appointment later this year or January. 

ETA: FWIW I live in London, UK and I'm covered by the NHS so I don't have to worry about insurance covering a preconception appointment.