Preparing for Pregnancy: the Pre-Conception Check-Up and Tests

The plan is there: you want a baby, perhaps within a few months. Even before you stop contraception, one simple step can make everything easier: the check-up before pregnancy. Put simply, preparing for pregnancy does not mean planning everything or following a perfect diet. It means checking a few health points that are far easier to sort out before a positive test than after.

Here is who to see, what the tests include, which vaccines to update, folic acid, medicines to review, and what the future father can do.

The pre-pregnancy check-up: who, when, why?

Doctors call it the pre-conception consultation. In France, the Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) recommends it for every woman or couple who expresses a wish to conceive. It can be done by a GP, a gynaecologist, an obstetrician or a midwife.

In Morocco, you can ask for it from your gynaecologist, your family doctor or your local health centre. Simply say: 'We want a child, and I would like to take stock before stopping my contraception.' The right time is a few months before you start trying. Why not the night before? Because some vaccines require a wait before conceiving, and folic acid needs to be started in advance.

Bring your vaccination record, your blood group card if you have one, a list of your medicines and your latest test results.

The tests: examination and blood work

The examination

According to the HAS, the consultation includes measuring blood pressure, weight and height (to calculate body mass index), a gynaecological examination with a breast check, and a cervical smear if your last one was 2 to 3 years ago or more.

The blood test

The Revue du Praticien also cites, in general practice, a full blood count and, optionally, cytomegalovirus serology. The doctor adapts the list to your history.

If the toxoplasmosis serology is negative, dietary precautions will begin with the pregnancy: they are explained in our article on toxoplasmosis in pregnancy.

Vaccines to update before you conceive

This is the part people forget most, and the most useful to do beforehand. Some live vaccines cannot be given during pregnancy.

• Rubella: if you are not protected, the HAS recommends vaccination (often with the combined measles-mumps-rubella vaccine) after checking that you are not pregnant, then avoiding pregnancy for 2 months.
• Chickenpox: if you have never had it, the vaccine can be offered, with effective contraception for 3 months after each dose.
• Diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough: boosters are checked. The HAS advises catch-up whooping cough vaccination for both future parents.
• Hepatitis B: to be checked against your record.

Other vaccines, on the contrary, are given during pregnancy: our article on vaccines for pregnant women covers them.

Folic acid: when to start?

As soon as you decide to try. Folic acid (vitamin B9) lowers the risk of neural tube closure defects in the baby, such as spina bifida. That tube forms in the very first weeks of pregnancy. The HAS therefore recommends prescribing it at the pre-conception consultation and continuing until 12 weeks of amenorrhoea.

The dose is set by your doctor. According to Britain's NICE it is higher in some cases: diabetes, epilepsy treatment, or a previous child with a neural tube defect. That is why it is better to talk about it than to buy a supplement at random. The NHS also advises thinking about vitamin D: again, ask your doctor what suits you.

Long-term conditions and medicines: review everything first

If you are on long-term treatment, the consultation is essential. The HAS mentions in particular treatments for epilepsy, diabetes and high blood pressure, blood thinners and psychiatric medicines: some need adjusting before conception, sometimes with the specialist.

The NHS stresses one point: never stop a prescribed medicine without medical advice, even out of fear for the future baby. It is for the doctor to adjust the treatment or the dose. Also mention self-medication, over-the-counter medicines and herbal remedies or herbalist mixtures, which the HAS advises against as soon as a pregnancy is planned.

The NHS also lists sickle cell disease among the conditions to mention before conceiving. More broadly, if an inherited disease runs in either family, talk about it: the doctor will tell you whether specialist advice is useful.

Lifestyle: what really counts

• Smoking: now is the time to quit, together. It lowers fertility and harms the baby's development (HAS, NICE).
• Alcohol: the NHS advises not drinking while trying to conceive.
• Weight: being very underweight or markedly overweight makes conception harder and complicates pregnancy (NHS). Dietary support can be offered.
• Diet: varied and balanced, with regular physical activity. What is known about food and fertility is gathered in our piece on diet and fertility.
• Work: the HAS advises assessing exposure to toxic products (solvents, pesticides, lead) and how physically demanding your job is.
• Teeth: use this time for a dental check-up. Treatment remains possible during pregnancy, as our article on the dentist when pregnant explains, but it is more comfortable to arrive with a healthy mouth.

And the future father?

He has his place in this preparation. NICE points out that smoking is linked to poorer sperm quality and that obesity reduces male fertility. The NHS recommends mentioning chronic conditions and treatments, and the WHO reminds us that difficulty conceiving can come from the man as much as from the woman. Vaccines up to date, blood group if needed, stopping smoking: the list is short and useful.

Once the check-up is done, it is time to start trying. To know what is normal, see our article on how long it takes to get pregnant.

Preparing for what comes next, without rushing

To conceive, there is nothing to buy. Purchases can wait a long time, and the birth list lets you share them out with family. The one item that can be useful early is a pregnancy pillow, handy once your belly makes it hard to sleep on your side, and later for settling baby at the breast.

From the shop

For later: the pregnancy pillow

There is nothing to buy in order to conceive. But if you like to plan ahead, a pregnancy pillow helps on uncomfortable nights and later with breastfeeding.

• −19 %DoomooSofty nursing and maternity pillow, Ruby Stripes – Doomoo501 DHinstead of 620 DHView product
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• The whole aisle · Pregnancy and nursing pillows20 products online, delivered anywhere in Morocco.Open the aisle

Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Prices as of 12 October 2026; please check the product page.