Healthy Before Pregnancy March of Dimes NC Preconception
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
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