Prep for Pregnancy with Horizon Genetic Carrier Screening Because Knowledge is Power

I *guess* if you asked my better half he would say I am a classic perfectionist and that my need to have all my ducks in a row was never more evident than when we were prepping for pregnancy. To be perfectly honest it was just more so that I shuddered at the idea of learning I was six weeks preggers after a night out of binge-drinking and so six months before  we started to start trying I cut out all alcohol and and caffeine. Not that I was a big drinker but being at  2-3 cups of coffee in the morning and a two Bloody Mary  on weekends type of gal  I wanted to cut back before pregnancy so that my withdrawal would not feel as severe once I became pregnant. At the time my husband thought I was being a bit ridiculous – but personally I think it was because he didn’t want to drink alone- but I digress. Of course while I wanted to try and micromanage and foresee every potential problem that could spring up prior to conceiving- my husband calmly and sweetly told me I needed to relax. WHICH OF COURSE MADE ME WANT TO THROTTLE HIS NECK.

But I composed myself and instead methodically put together a list  of all the things I thought we should do as a couple prior to getting pregnant- because I assured him my pregnancy would affect him just as greatly as it did me (Minus the thick ankles and inability to sleep). So for those of you who are in that prepping stage with your boo- here a few things you might want to consider (which helped me plan for two pretty uneventful pregnancies!)

#1 The truth is any woman thinking about getting pregnant should start taking a daily multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid and B vitamins. This can reduce brain and spine birth defects by up to 70 percent and the multivitamin itself is packed with other nutrients crucial for a healthy pregnancy.

#2 Schedule an appointment with your ob-gyn for a check-up three to six months before even trying to get pregnant. You want to be up on all your vaccinations and have any health issues like high blood pressure , thyroid or diabetes resolved before pregnancy.

#3 Gets the facts about your Genetic Family Tree.  In my case there were no  surprises in my family tree, I knew we had a history of a genetic disease called Fragile X syndrome on my father’s side but had no idea if I was carrier. g can Genetic carrier screening help you make informed reproductive decisions as you start your family. As an Ashkenazi Jew, marrying another member of the tribe I also wanted to know if either one of us had any other genetic diseases that  could affect our as of yet unborn child. So, before we got pregnant we had a battery of genetic tests done. At the time I wasn’t aware of any company like Horizon which screens for up to 274 autosomal recessive and X-linked genetic conditions and could have made me feel so much more at ease knowing I would have a good chance of having a healthy child.

So just how does it work?

The Horizon genetic carrier screen is a simple test that looks at your genes to see if you are a carrier for specific autosomal recessive and X-linked genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis or Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It is common for people to be carriers of at least one genetic condition. Carriers are usually healthy; however, they have a risk of passing on a genetic condition to their children. If you and your partner are both carriers for the same recessive genetic disease, you have a 1 in 4, or 25%, chance of having an affected child in each pregnancy. If a woman is a carrier of an X-linked disease, she has up to a 50% chance of having an affected child in each pregnancy. Horizon can provide valuable information to you about your carrier status before or during pregnancy.

Still have questions? here are some answers!

Why would anyone thinking of having a baby need a panel like the ones Horizon provides? Because symptoms of genetic diseases are not always evident at birth and may not be diagnosed until childhood. This may cause a delay in helpful medical and therapy interventions. In the meantime, parents may go on to have additional children who are at risk to inherit the same genetic condition.

What is the possibility you may have to have a child with a recessive disease if you are a carrier? It is common for people to be carriers of 4-6 different recessive genetic conditions. If you and your partner are carriers of the same genetic condition, you have a 1 in 4 chance of having an affected child.

What other advantages does genetic screening from Horizon provide? Thanks to carrier screening tests such as Horizon, more couples at risk of having a child with a genetic disease are being detected earlier. This allows for diagnosis in the newborn period, prenatally and even pre-conception. Early carrier detection helps.

Who needs a Horizon genetic carrier screen? It’s very common for women to be worried about baby’s safety. If you have concerns, you should talk with your healthcare professional. He or she will advise you as to what tests you might want to have to help give you peace of mind.

The bottom line is this: If you are having a baby or thinking of having a baby the best thing you can do is get as many of your ducks in a row by getting regular medical evaluations, living a healthy lifestyle, eating right and yes considering genetic carrier screening .

This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Share this...

Yummly