Tips for a healthy pregnancy and successful delivery
Women's Care
St. Joseph’s/Candler OB/GYN Dr. Aariel Dees offers advice to be your best self going into a pregnancy
Every pregnancy carries risks – some we can control and others we can’t.
Family history is most likely out of our control. However, there are many lifestyle factors that we can monitor and modify that assist with a successful pregnancy, delivery and healthy baby.
In fact, it begins before conception.
A healthy pregnancy starts PRIOR to conception 
“First thing I tell people is when you are thinking about pregnancy, come in and see us,” advises Dr. Aariel Dees, St. Joseph’s/Candler OB/GYN. “There are many things we can discuss so you are at your optimal health.”
Request an appointment with Dr. Dees
One of the first things Dr. Dees tells her patients who are considering or trying to get pregnant is take a pre-natal vitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. Folic acid is vitally important for a healthy pregnancy.
Related Article: Trying to have a baby? Now is the time to increase your folic acid.
Additionally, she likes to discuss any medications you may be taking to determine if they are safe for pregnancy and if anything needs to be modified before pregnancy.
Another thing Dr. Dees brings up, that many may not even think of, is immunizations. Is your Tdap up-to-date? (Tdap fights against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, or whooping cough.) Did you get your MMR? (MMR fights against measles, mumps and rubella.) You cannot get an MMR vaccine during pregnancy, Dr. Dees says.
“All of these things help with a successful pregnancy,” she says.
Maybe most importantly, when you visit with an obstetrician while trying to get pregnant, the physician can evaluate your overall health and help you manage any pre-existing conditions that could lead to a high-risk pregnancy.
Let’s look at some:
Weight
Obesity increases your risk for several congenital anomalies, Dr. Dees says. It also increases your risk of miscarriage and it increases your risk of having a larger baby, which puts you at risk for a C-section. While C-sections are safe, most women want to have a vaginal birth.
“Most people’s goal is to have a vaginal delivery and that’s our goal for you as well,” Dr. Dees says. “So we want to do anything that optimizes your health to get you to that goal.”
If you do become pregnant, it’s not an excuse to eat whatever you want. During pregnancy, your balanced diet should include calcium, iron, folic acid, omega-3 and choline. You should limit high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods.
Related Article: Understanding a pregnancy diet and proper weight gain
Diabetes
High blood sugar levels can cause birth defects during the first few weeks or pregnancy, often before a woman knows she’s pregnant. Therefore, managing blood sugar levels is just as important before conception as it is during pregnancy.
“If you have diabetes, we want to ensure it’s well controlled before we even consider pregnancy,” Dr. Dees says. “We want to ensure your A1C is less than 6.”
If you have diabetes and become pregnant, you can still have a healthy pregnancy. Be sure to follow all your doctor’s orders, check your blood glucose regularly, take mediation as prescribed, exercise and follow a healthy diet full of vegetables, whole grains, fruits and lean meats.
High blood pressure
Many women with slightly elevated blood pressure can still have healthy pregnancies. The risk increases with uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Hypertension going into a pregnancy is a risk factor for preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia or eclampsia, which causes seizures.
“All of this can be scary, so we also want to ensure your hypertension is well controlled prior to pregnancy,” Dr. Dees. “If you do have chronic hypertension, we can discuss medications which could help prevent complications.”
Related Article: The known and unknown of preeclampsia in pregnant women
Smoking
Honestly, anyone who smokes should quit now. It’s especially important for women trying to get pregnant or who are pregnant not to smoke. Smoking puts the baby at risk for early birth, certain birth defects and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Additionally, second-hand smoke also puts the woman and her developing fetus at an increased risk for health problems.
“Smoking is something that would be best handled if we could get you to quit,” Dr. Dees says. “There’s a number of tools for tobacco cessation. There’s individuals that can help such as counselors at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. There’s nicotine replacement therapy. There’s all sorts of things we could do beforehand to help.”
Alcohol use
Similar to smoking, you want to avoid alcohol before and during pregnancy. You may have heard that a glass of red wine now and then during pregnancy doesn’t hurt anything. However, alcohol consumed during pregnancy passes directly to the fetus through the umbilical cord.
Alcohol can cause a lot of adverse effects in pregnancy, specifically fetal alcohol syndrome, which can lead to disabilities related to physical and cognitive development.
Trusting your doctor
If you are thinking of getting pregnant or just learned you are pregnant and do not have an obstetrician, now is the time to find one you trust. This is especially important in the African-American population where the mortality rate in pregnancy is higher than other races.
“As an African-American woman, it is not lost on me the increased mortality and morbidity that we experience with pregnancy,” Dr. Dees says, who was the recipient of the National Minority Quality Forum 40 under 40 Leaders in Minority Health. “That was one of the reasons why I became an obstetrician. It really makes my day to hear, ‘Oh gosh. You’re my doctor,’ because they feel they can relate to me.”
“I will tell you that all of us feel the same, no matter what race. We are all here to take care of you. Just take that step, reach out, and we will take care of the rest.”
And one final piece of advice Dr. Dees likes to share: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Again, trust your doctor because he or she is going to tell you everything to do.
“You are going to see us all the time during appointments. First, it’s every four weeks, then every two weeks and then every week,” Dr. Dees says. “We are going to keep you on the right track. You just do everything you need to do to take care of that sweet baby of yours and of course, take care of yourself.”
A couple of tips for a successful delivery
In addition to a healthy pregnancy, there are things you can do to have a successful delivery.
- Exercise during pregnancy (and before and after). Exercise decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Your OB can guide you on safe exercises during pregnancy.
- Have a birth plan. Dr. Dees says she loves for her patients to have a birth plan, which she is happy to discuss with you. She says the No. 1 thing on your birth plan is that you are safe and your baby is safe. “I promise you, that’s also our No. 1 goal – to give you a healthy baby and to ensure you stay healthy.”