Preconception Counseling and Family Planning

Whether you’re planning on becoming pregnant or wish not to be, there are important steps you can take now to help achieve your goal. It begins with either preconception counseling or family planning with a trusted Women’s HealthFirst OB-GYN provider.

Preconception Counseling

When you and your partner are ready to discuss and plan for a future pregnancy, the OB-GYN providers at Women’s HealthFirst are here for you.

Preconception counseling is also valuable for any woman of reproductive age, as it can help guide a woman’s current actions and choices, especially concerning birth control methods or certain medical treatments for gynecological conditions that can impact your fertility.

Preconception counseling usually involves a physical exam, as well as a discussion of anything that might impact your ability to become pregnant and/or carry a baby to full term:

  • Family and medical history
  • Risk factors for problems with pregnancy or delivery
  • Current medical conditions and medication use
  • Impact of previous birth control methods or STDs
  • Vaccinations you may need
female obgyn holding a uterus structure

In some cases, your OB-GYN provider may recommend genetic testing to better identify the potential risks of having a child – including danger to mother and/or child.

Also, depending on your situation, preconception counseling can help identify lifestyle or other changes that can increase your fertility, when you are ready to become pregnant. Ask your provider what type of changes or procedures to boost your fertility are right for you.

Family Planning

Family planning involves taking measures that will allow you to plan for the number of children you want, when you want them. It also includes ensuring you do not become pregnant, either for the time being or in the long term, via a variety of birth control options.

The ability to decide when to become pregnant and to space out your pregnancies is empowering for women and their loved ones for a variety of reasons. The benefits of family planning include that it:

  • Improves health for mother and baby
  • Reduces the number of abortions
  • Promotes financial security for women
  • Improves a child’s quality of life

At a family planning appointment, your Women’s HealthFirst provider will physically examine you as well as discuss your goals and preferences when it comes to contraceptives. One of the most important ways to ensure the birth control method you select is successful is to choose the type that can be most easily integrated into your life. A thorough review of your medical history, including any allergies or medical risks may help inform your contraceptive choice.

In addition to birth control, you and your provider may discuss any STD/STI screening as well as your general reproductive and overall health and wellness.

Pregnancy – or Not – Begins With a Visit to Your OB-GYN

The OB-GYN specialists at Women’s HealthFirst are exactly the type of medical provider you should consult if you want to become pregnant or you don’t. We can provide a thorough review of your history and goals and ensure you have all the information you need to plan for a child on your timetable, when it’s most appropriate for you and your loved ones.

Call Women’s HealthFirst at (847) 808-8884 or request your preconception or family planning appointment now. We have five locations in northwest suburban Chicago, Illinois, to serve you.