So, you're planning on getting pregnant this year

25 May 2020, 19:00 by Dr Karin Hammarberg

If you started 2020 with a plan to conceive, you may be feeling nervous due to COVID-19. News reports suggest women globally are rethinking their plans for a pregnancy because of the pandemic and its many implications. So how safe is it to try for a baby at the moment? And what are some of the things you should consider?

https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.603%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/8da4631884db8a8482632bf6f2b9b28a6bfd4228 — While you can only reduce your risk of COVID-19 so much, you can take control of other factors that increase your chance of a healthy pregnancy and baby.iStock

Research to date

Australian health authorities are not currently advising people against conceiving, but pregnant women are considered a vulnerable group. This is mostly due to a lack of research about how COVID-19 affects pregnant women and their babies, rather than evidence of bad outcomes.

On April 16, a group of American researchers published what is known so far about COVID-19 and human reproduction. Here are some of the key points:

The fever associated with COVID-19 can affect the quality of a man’s sperm for about three months, so it may temporarily reduce fertility.
Pregnant women are not more likely to get infected by COVID-19 than other women, nor are they at higher risk for severe illness.
Women who become seriously ill in late pregnancy are more likely than other pregnant women to deliver their babies prematurely.
After birth, transmission of COVID-19 from mother to child has been reported, but there has been no indication that infants born to COVID-19-positive mothers experience any significant problems.

This is reassuring in some ways, but the researchers concluded that while data are limited and incomplete, “there is justifiable concern that reproductive consequences of the novel coronavirus may have lasting effects for male reproduction and for some pregnant women and children”.

Your age

Age is one of the biggest factors affecting a woman’s chance of conceiving, so if you’re in your late 30s or 40s, delaying your plans could mean you miss out. Women younger than 30 have about a 20 per cent chance of getting pregnant each month and by age 40, it’s about 5 per cent each month.

There’s also increasing evidence that a man’s age matters too. A study published this month found that pregnancies involving a man over 40 had a higher risk of miscarriage irrespective of the woman’s age, so if there’s a choice about timing, it’s always better to try sooner rather than later.

Your mental health

Pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depression, so if you’re already unwell, being pregnant this year may be tough on your mental health.

It’s also worth considering how it might feel to engage with the healthcare system more. While Australia has successfully “flattened the curve” for the moment, infection rates may continue to fluctuate for some time, so being pregnant is likely to be a different experience compared to years gone by.

Are you comfortable seeking care, including emergency care, in a hospital environment that will be very focused on COVID-19 during a pregnancy? And are you confident you will have the support you need throughout a pregnancy and with a newborn if social distancing policies are still in place?

Your alcohol intake

Alcohol sales have been booming in recent months, so if you’ve been soothing yourself with a favourite tipple in isolation, you’re not alone. The thing is, if you’re trying for a baby now, or plan to try soon, it’s best to back off.

Drinking alcohol can reduce both men’s and women’s fertility and heavy drinking increases the time it takes to get pregnant. Alcohol can also reduce the chance of a healthy baby. In Scotland, there are even fears of more babies being born with fetal alcohol disorders due to people’s drinking habits during the pandemic.

Control what you can

There’s mounting evidence that a man and woman’s health leading up to conception impacts on the health of their baby, so while you can only reduce your risk of COVID-19 so much, you can take control of other factors that increase your chance of a healthy pregnancy and baby.

This includes regular exercise, eating well, aiming for a healthy weight, and not smoking. Men wanting to conceive should quit smoking at least three months before trying to ensure their sperm is healthy for conception.

A study published last month found that men who smoked at the time of conception had a greater chance of a baby with birth defects, including spina bifida and heart problems, so for men and women, quitting before you conceive will give your baby the best chance of a healthy life.

For more practical tips about pre-conception health visit the government-funded website yourfertility.org.au.

Dr Karin Hammarberg is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University.