Brigham Young University - Idaho

Accutane (isotretinoin) is an acne treatment that is known to cause birth defects. If you are taking Accutane just before you become pregnant, or while you are pregnant, your baby is at a high risk for miscarriage or deformities of the face, heart, and nervous system. Your baby could also have a problem learning and growing. To improve your pregnancy health and your baby’s health you must stop taking Accutane at least one month before getting pregnant.

It is important to care for your mental health before you get pregnant. Poor pre-pregnancy mental health may cause having a baby with low birth weight and other problems with your pregnancy. You may safely stay on many mental health medicines while you are pregnant. However, some of these medications are harmful to your baby. If you are taking mental health medications, talk to your doctor about changing your medications over time to medications that are safer in pregnancy long before you get pregnant. Your doctor can help you to make plans and support to care for your mental health.
Everyone feels stress. Good care for your stress can help your health.
Visit the BYU-I Wellness Center website to learn how to manage your stress in a healthy way.

See your doctor if:

• • You often experience stress
• • You are feeling down more days than you are feeling well
• • You are having a problem handling your stress
• • You do not feel safe at home

It is better to be at your healthy weight before you become pregnant. If you are obese during pregnancy, you are at greater risk of getting diabetes (high blood sugar), and high blood pressure, and C-section. Your baby can be at a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and malformations. Of course pregnancy is not the time to go on a diet. The best time to get ready for a healthy pregnancy is before you become pregnant.

Ask your doctor if the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is right for you, even if you don’t have high blood pressure.

You can also ask your doctor about using the BYU-I Wellness Center for nutrition and exercise help.

Find out if your weight is in the normal range by using this BMI (body mass index) calculator, and then see the table below. This is only an estimate. Talk to your doctor about what your BMI should be.

If you have diabetes, you are three times more likely to have a baby with heart, nervous system, bone, and digestion birth defects. Diabetes puts you and your baby at risk for miscarriage. You can lower these risks by managing your diabetes. See your doctor regularly, and properly manage your diabetes.

We offer support to students with diabetes. You may enjoy going to the diabetes support group

If you have had a blood clot, you may be treated with a medicine called Coumadin (warfarin). Coumadin is known to harm the kidneys, stomach, brain, and other organs of your baby. While on Coumadin, there is also a greater risk to you and your baby of having a miscarriage. Talk to your doctor about changing your treatment for blood clots to another non-harmful medication for your baby.

To protect your baby’s nervous system and the ability to learn, your doctor will need to raise your thyroid medication early in your pregnancy. The right dose of thyroid hormone that you take protects you in having a safe, healthy pregnancy, and protects you and your baby from early birth and miscarriage. If you are taking thyroid medication, see your doctor before you become pregnant.

Some medicines you take in pregnancy for seizures can cause heart, face, genital, and learning problems in your baby. If you have seizures, see your doctor to see if you can lower or change your seizure medication before you become pregnant. Some women taking many anti-seizure medications have had a harder time getting pregnant.

If you have been diagnosed with PKU when you were born, you are at a higher risk of delivering a baby with intellectual disabilities, growth problems seizures, or a smaller brain. You can avoid these birth defects by sticking to a special diet that is low in phenylalanine now and during your pregnancy.

Please tell your doctor if you have these health problems:

• • Asthma
• • Heart disease
• • High Blood pressure
• • Cystic Fibrosis
• • Eating Disorders
• • Other health problems

Your doctor will help you to closely manage your health problems so that you can improve your health and the health of your future baby.