6 Pre-Pregnancy Tests and Health Checks to Consider Before Conceiving

If you're hoping to get pregnant in the near future, here are some health checks to add to your to-do list.

Close-up of a doctor's hand examining a patient
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If you hoping to get pregnant soon, it can be reassuring to know that you are doing all you can to start your pregnancy off on the right foot.

There is no set list of pre-pregnancy tests that are routinely recommended for people hoping to conceive, but your doctor may recommend certain screenings based on your age, pregnancy goals, and any health conditions you have.

So if you are planning on pregnancy in the near future, be sure to check with your doctor about what health checks they may recommend for you. In general, here are some pre-pregnancy tests and doctor visits to consider before trying to conceive.

1. General Health Checkup

Even though you'll likely have many doctor's visits once you're expecting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone planning to get pregnant schedule a preconception checkup with their doctor as well.

"Entering a pregnancy in the optimal health leads to a healthier pregnancy and a healthier parent," says Kenneth James, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California. At the preconception visit, expect to answer a lot of questions.

What to Expect at a Preconception Checkup

The doctor will discuss things like:

  • Weight and nutrition
  • Exercise and lifestyle habits
  • Current medications and supplements
  • Medical history, including menstruation
  • Previous pregnancies and outcomes
  • Chronic health condition management

The doctor will also gather an overall view of your health, which may mean a blood pressure check, blood test, pelvic exam, Pap test, and other screenings, says Dr. James.

If you have a partner who will be contributing to the pregnancy, they should also speak to a doctor about any recommended testing or lifestyle changes needed to optimize fertility and support a healthy pregnancy. About 50% of infertility in heterosexual couples is caused by male infertility factors, so it is important for male partners to be checked, too.

2. Vaccination Status Check

The CDC recommends that anyone planning to get pregnant update all their vaccinations as needed, especially their mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Rubella can be very harmful during pregnancy and can even cause miscarriage and birth defects. If you're planning to become pregnant, it's important to confirm your vaccinations are current so you can avoid illnesses that may be harmful to your pregnancy or your baby, says Dr. James.

Recommended Pre-Pregnancy Vaccines

Make sure you're vaccinated and up-to-date for:

  • Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis)
  • Hepatitis B
  • MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella)
  • Chickenpox
  • Influenza
  • COVID-19

Your partner should look at their vaccine record, too. "If the partner gets infected with chickenpox, for example, they can pass it to you if you're unvaccinated," says Dr. James. "And if they get a disease in the third trimester or near birth, you're bringing a newborn home to a partner that's sick, and the baby doesn't have any immunity," he adds. The CDC recommends avoiding pregnancy for at least one month after getting your MMR shot and conceiving only after verifying immunity with a blood test.

3. Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Testing

Untreated STIs are linked to negative pregnancy and birth outcomes, including premature birth, low birth weight in the baby, infection, and even fetal death. For example:

  • Chlamydia has been linked to preterm labor, low birth weight, and eye and lung infections.
  • Gonorrhea can lead to miscarriages, premature birth, and low birth weight.
  • Syphilis has also been linked to premature birth, as well as stillbirth, and problems with multiple organs, including the baby's brain, heart, skin, eyes, ears, teeth, and bones.

"It's standard care for your doctor to check for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis during the first prenatal visit," says Dr. James. However, he recommends all sexual partners be screened before conceiving. That way you can receive treatment and take any necessary precautions before becoming pregnant.

4. Genetic Screening

Different types of genetic testing may be available to you once you are pregnant, but people who hope to conceive should be educated about pre-conception genetic screening as well so they can make an informed decision about what is the correct option for them, says Shona Murray, MD, an OB-GYN and director of Advanced Reproductive Medicine Colorado Springs at the University of Colorado Denver.

Pre-pregnancy genetic screening, called carrier screening, is done using a blood sample or tissue from a swab inside the check. The test will help determine if you or your partner carry abnormal genes linked to certain diseases that might then be passed on to your baby. Your doctor may recommend you test only for the most common inheritable disorders, such as cystic fibrosis (CF) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

People with certain ethnic backgrounds may also be advised to do targeted screening for additional conditions due to an increased risk of specific genetic disorders. "For example, a couple may want testing for sickle cell disease and thalassemia if of African heritage or Tay-Sacs disease if of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage," says Dr. Murray.

You can also choose a test called expanded carrier screening panel, which the ACOG explains is done without regard to race or ethnicity. "This will test for over 300 genetic diseases, including CF, SMA, sickle cell, and thalassemia," Dr. Murray says.

If you and your partner are positive for an abnormal gene, or one of you carries a gene that requires only one copy (from one parent instead of both) to produce a disease, early genetic screening can provide you with more information to help guide your future decision-making.

For example, screening before you become pregnant gives you the option to do in vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), which identifies genetic defects in embryos before implantation. "Some embryos will be affected, some not," Dr. Murray says. "We would then only transfer an embryo that will not have the disease."

Important to Note

Genetic screening may or may not be covered by your insurance and prenatal genetic screening is still recommended even if you have had preconception screening.

5. Dental Checkup

Yes, your dental health should be part of your pre-pregnancy game plan. "During pregnancy, your body goes through hormonal changes that may cause excessive gum inflammation, which is known as pregnancy gingivitis," says Mark K. Nguyen, DDS, a dentist at OC Healthy Smiles in Costa Mesa, California. "Pregnancy gingivitis increases your susceptibility to bacteria that cause gum disease," he adds.

That bacteria can lead to negative outcomes during pregnancy. For instance, a 2021 study in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found that gum disease (periodontitis) increases the risk of premature delivery.

Another helpful reason to have a pre-pregnancy dental checkup? To reduce the potential for radiation exposure. Although the American Dental Association (ADA) says that it is safe to have X-rays during pregnancy with appropriate abdominal and thyroid shielding, it may be able to avoid them altogether by getting X-rays out of the way before you conceive. "You want to reduce the amount of radiation to the child, which means no dental X-rays while you're expecting unless you're having a toothache," notes Dr. Nguyen.

6. Mental Health Check

Mental and emotional health is equally as important as physical health when you're planning to become pregnant. Like unmanaged physical health conditions, certain mental health disorders can also cause complications with pregnancy if they are not managed appropriately.

For instance, research shows that untreated depression during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth, low birth weights, stillbirth, increased operative delivery, and postpartum depression. The same study also notes that people who have depression before pregnancy are more likely to also develop depression during and after pregnancy, so it is important to be aware of your own risk and have a mental health management plan in place.

If you or a partner has had mental health challenges in the past, it may be helpful to visit your care provider because pregnancy can bring on symptoms or worsen existing ones. "I encourage people to seek help, whether it's from a psychologist, psychiatrist, alternative health healer, or spiritual guide. A mentally healthy mom makes a mentally healthy baby," says Dr. James.

A professional can also help you and a partner with tools to cope with stress so that you're better equipped to handle emotional changes during and after pregnancy. And if medication is required, there are many options that are safe during pregnancy, so you can discuss those with your doctor.

Key Takeaway

Considering pregnancy is a big step and pre-pregnancy testing may help you prepare. A thorough pre-pregnancy checklist should include physical care, like a general check-up and ensuring you're up-to-date on vaccines, as well as a mental health checkup.

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Sources
Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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  4. Sexually transmitted infection screening to prevent adverse birth and newborn outcomes: study protocol for a randomized-controlled hybrid-effectiveness trial. Trails. 2022.

  5. STDs during Pregnancy – CDC Detailed Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023. 

  6. Carrier screening. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2023

  7. Assessing the association between periodontitis and premature birth: a case-control study. BMC Childbirth. 2021.

  8. Pregnancy. American Dental Association. 2023.

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