Prenatal counseling

Parent to Parent: Prenatal counseling

Posted: 02/19/07

And doctors say it may help women make way for a healthy baby. A healthy happy baby, a healthy, happy mom -- thats the goal, but not always the reality.

Doreen Lafferty, suffered a miscarriage
"I didn't think I could conceive, and I did and, um, at six weeks, I had a miscarriage."

This woman lost her baby after trying to get pregnant for two years, and this woman suffered a miscarriage at 22 weeks.

Shahida Mincy, suffered a miscarriage
"When I lost that baby I was kind of hesitant about getting pregnant again."

Hoping for better outcomes, both women went to prenatal counseling. Call it an ounce of prevention, before attempting to get pregnant.

Doreen Lafferty, suffered a miscarriage
"I want to have that experience, and I want to have the opportunity to share, share myself with a child."

Doctors dig deep into everything like medical history, genetics and potentially harmful habits.

Dr. Jason Baxter, OB-GYN
"Get rid of the cigarettes. Get the diabetes under control."

And they suggest changes you can make to avoid a risky pregnancy.

Doctor Jason Baxter, OB/GYN
"They can save your baby's life, and they can save your own life."

The hope is by taking these safety steps first, you'll soon be making way for a healthy baby.

Doctors say when it comes to making changes for a "safe conception." It's a team effort.

Dads should also work on quitting bad habits, like smoking.

(Copyright 2007 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Segment Information

Reported by:

Byron Barnett

Producer:

Christina Mattingly

Contact:

CMattingly@whdh.com

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