You may want contact the clinic when you are planning to get pregnant if you have questions or your doctor recommends it.

It would be good if 2 months before you stop contraception, you started taking 0.4mg of folic acid per day because lack of folic acid increases the risk of fetal neural tube defects (NTD). If you have previously given birth to a baby affected by NTD, you have a history of NTD, you have diabetes, you are on epilepsy medication, you smoke or consume alcohol heavily or you are overweight (BMI over 35), please contact the maternity health clinic when you are planning to get pregnant.

Alcohol consumption and smoking during pregnancy are not recommended.

If you smoke and/or your partner smokes, you are advised to stop smoking before you become pregnant. The maternity health clinic will be able to help you stop smoking.

Before pregnancy, also make sure that any medication you are using is suitable during pregnancy.