Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, epilepsy, thyroid disease and sickle cell disease may affect pregnancy. Good control before conception can reduce risks for both mother and baby.
Educational only — not medical advice. If you have urgent symptoms, seek medical care.
If you live with a long-term health condition, preparing for pregnancy may require more than simply stopping contraception.
Pregnancy changes the body.
It can change:
blood pressure
blood sugar
blood volume
kidney function
how medicines behave
the demands placed on the heart and other organs
Some health conditions can also affect the developing baby.
That is why the best time to review many conditions is before pregnancy begins.
Conditions that deserve particular attention before pregnancy include:
diabetes
high blood pressure
epilepsy
thyroid disease
sickle cell disease
heart disease
kidney disease
asthma
autoimmune diseases
significant mental health conditions
HIV and other chronic infections
Having one of these conditions does not automatically mean you cannot have a healthy pregnancy.
It means pregnancy should be planned carefully.
Some of the baby's earliest development occurs before you may know you are pregnant.
If a medical condition is poorly controlled during this period, risks may already be increased.
Planning gives you time to:
control the condition → review medicines → reduce avoidable risks → then conceive.
If you have diabetes, good blood glucose control before pregnancy is particularly important.
Poorly controlled diabetes around conception and early pregnancy can increase the risk of:
miscarriage
congenital abnormalities
pregnancy complications
excessive fetal growth
stillbirth
complications during delivery
The exact risks depend on many factors, including how well the diabetes is controlled.
Before trying to conceive:
speak with your diabetes or healthcare team
review your glucose control
review your medicines
discuss an appropriate blood glucose target
discuss folic acid requirements
assess for diabetes-related complications where appropriate
Some diabetes medicines may need to be changed before or during pregnancy.
Do not change them yourself.
Tell your healthcare professional.
A previous history of gestational diabetes increases your risk of developing it again and is also associated with a higher future risk of type 2 diabetes.
Preconception assessment may include checking your current blood glucose status.
Chronic hypertension can increase pregnancy risks.
These can include:
pre-eclampsia
problems with fetal growth
placental complications
premature birth
Good blood pressure management before pregnancy can help reduce risk.
Maybe—but it needs review.
Some blood pressure medicines are not recommended during pregnancy.
Others are commonly used.
Do not simply stop your medicine.
Stopping treatment could cause dangerously high blood pressure.
Instead, tell your healthcare professional:
“I am planning a pregnancy.”
This allows them to choose an appropriate treatment plan.
Most women with epilepsy can have successful pregnancies.
But pregnancy planning is particularly important because:
seizure control matters
some anti-seizure medicines carry greater fetal risks than others
medicine doses may need adjustment
folic acid requirements may differ
No.
Stopping anti-seizure medicine suddenly can cause seizures and may be dangerous for both you and a future pregnancy.
The goal is to find the safest effective treatment before conception, not to remove treatment without supervision.
Both an underactive and overactive thyroid can affect reproductive and pregnancy health.
Poorly controlled thyroid disease can be associated with complications.
If you take thyroid medication, your thyroid function should be reviewed when planning pregnancy.
Treatment requirements may change once pregnancy occurs.
Sickle cell disease requires careful pregnancy planning.
Pregnancy can increase the risk of complications such as:
painful crises
anaemia
infections
blood clots
pre-eclampsia
fetal growth problems
premature birth
Preconception review with clinicians familiar with sickle cell disease and pregnancy is valuable.
Sickle cell trait is different from sickle cell disease.
If you have trait—for example, AS—your partner's genotype becomes important when planning children.
If both partners carry relevant haemoglobin variants, there may be a chance of having a child with sickle cell disease.
Genetic counselling can help you understand the possible combinations.
Well-controlled asthma is important during pregnancy.
Do not stop your inhalers simply because you want to become pregnant.
Poorly controlled asthma and low oxygen levels can be harmful.
Most people should continue appropriate asthma treatment, with medicines reviewed by their healthcare professional.
Pregnancy places additional demands on the cardiovascular system.
Some heart conditions tolerate pregnancy well.
Others can carry significant risk.
If you have known:
congenital heart disease
cardiomyopathy
valve disease
pulmonary hypertension
significant rhythm problems
previous heart surgery
seek specialist advice before conception.
For some severe heart conditions, pregnancy may carry substantial or even life-threatening risk.
Individual assessment is essential.
Pregnancy can place additional demands on the kidneys.
Chronic kidney disease can increase risks such as:
hypertension
pre-eclampsia
premature birth
fetal growth problems
worsening kidney function in some situations
Risk varies greatly depending on the severity of kidney disease.
Preconception review can help assess this.
Conditions such as:
systemic lupus erythematosus
rheumatoid arthritis
antiphospholipid syndrome
may require pregnancy planning.
Why?
Because disease activity matters, and some medicines used to control autoimmune disease may not be appropriate in pregnancy.
For some conditions, pregnancy outcomes are better when the disease has been stable before conception.
People living with HIV can have healthy pregnancies and HIV-negative babies.
Effective antiretroviral treatment is extremely important.
If you have HIV and are planning pregnancy:
remain in care
continue treatment as prescribed
discuss your pregnancy plans
review your viral load and treatment
Do not stop antiretroviral therapy because you want to conceive.
Effective treatment greatly reduces the risk of transmission to the baby.
If you know you have chronic hepatitis B or C, discuss pregnancy planning with your healthcare professional.
Management may depend on:
the infection
liver health
viral levels
medicines being used
For hepatitis B, appropriate maternal and newborn care can greatly reduce transmission to the baby.
Mental health is part of preconception health.
Conditions such as:
depression
anxiety disorders
bipolar disorder
schizophrenia
may require careful planning.
This is particularly important if you take regular medication.
Not on your own.
Suddenly stopping some psychiatric medicines can lead to:
relapse
withdrawal symptoms
serious deterioration in mental health
The risks of medication must be weighed against the risks of untreated illness.
This should be done with the clinician managing your care.
Polycystic ovary syndrome can affect:
ovulation
fertility
metabolic health
Some people with PCOS also have:
insulin resistance
higher body weight
increased diabetes risk
If you are planning pregnancy, assessment may help address both fertility and metabolic health.
Many women with fibroids become pregnant without difficulty.
Whether fibroids affect pregnancy or fertility depends partly on:
size
number
location
You do not automatically need treatment simply because an ultrasound shows a fibroid.
If you have significant symptoms or fertility problems, individual assessment is useful.
Endometriosis can be associated with difficulty conceiving in some people.
If you have known endometriosis and want pregnancy, discuss whether you should:
start trying naturally
seek fertility assessment earlier
adjust current treatment
Some medicines used to manage endometriosis symptoms prevent ovulation and therefore are not used while actively trying to conceive.
Anaemia is common in many populations, including among women of reproductive age.
Entering pregnancy with significant anaemia can make pregnancy more difficult for your body and increase health risks.
If you have symptoms such as:
persistent tiredness
weakness
shortness of breath
dizziness
palpitations
or a known history of anaemia, assessment before pregnancy may be helpful.
The cause should be identified rather than automatically taking iron indefinitely.
Higher body weight can be associated with:
irregular ovulation
reduced fertility
diabetes
hypertension
pregnancy complications
If weight reduction is recommended, even modest sustainable changes may improve health.
But pregnancy planning should be individualized.
Avoid extreme diets or unregulated weight-loss products.
Very low body weight can also affect:
hormones
ovulation
menstrual cycles
nutritional status
If periods have stopped or become very irregular because of low weight or restrictive eating, addressing this before pregnancy is important.
Not necessarily.
Many chronic conditions cannot be cured.
The goal is usually:
stable + well controlled + appropriately treated.
For example, someone with hypertension may still need medication.
Someone with epilepsy may still need anti-seizure medicine.
Someone with HIV will continue antiretroviral treatment.
Successful preparation does not mean having no medical conditions.
It means entering pregnancy with the best possible management plan.
If you have a medical condition, ask:
Is my condition well controlled enough for pregnancy?
Are my medicines appropriate?
Do I need different folic acid supplementation?
Do I need any tests before trying?
Should I see a specialist?
Could pregnancy make my condition worse?
Could my condition affect the baby?
Should I seek antenatal care earlier once pregnant?
Sometimes a healthcare professional may recommend delaying conception while:
blood sugar is brought under better control
blood pressure treatment is changed
a potentially harmful medicine is replaced
a disease flare settles
a vaccine is completed
severe anaemia is treated
an important investigation is completed
This is not necessarily telling you:
“You cannot have a baby.”
It may mean:
“Let's make pregnancy safer first.”
Do not panic and do not stop medicines automatically.
Contact your healthcare professional promptly.
Tell them:
when your last period occurred
which medicines you take
your medical condition
any recent test results
Early review allows the treatment plan to be adjusted.
Some health conditions and medicines can affect male fertility.
Your partner should mention pregnancy plans to a healthcare professional if he has:
chronic illness
previous cancer treatment
testicular disease or surgery
sexual or ejaculation problems
medicines known to affect sperm production
Preparing for pregnancy is a shared process.
Having a chronic medical condition does not automatically prevent you from having a healthy pregnancy.
But planning matters.
If you have:
diabetes
high blood pressure
epilepsy
thyroid disease
sickle cell disease
heart or kidney disease
HIV
an autoimmune condition
or another significant long-term illness:
review it before conception.
Do not stop important medicines yourself.
The goal is simple:
Get the condition as stable as possible, use the safest appropriate treatment, and enter pregnancy with a plan.