Logon To Our Members Page Contact Us Other UWD Sites

Printer-friendly version

Printer-friendly version

          
Page
 1        
  Back To Main Section                      

Suppliers Fashion & Beauty Planning Civil Partnerships Civil Partnerships

Fashion & Beauty Planning Suppliers Civil Partnerships Civil Partnerships

Fitness & Health Section

Your Pre-Wedding Checkup

It's not just your invitations and dress fittings that need attention before your wedding. Your health needs some TLC too.

 

You've covered all the details—your dress is bought, the flowers are ordered, the menu has been chosen. You're ready to walk down the aisle, right?

Wrong. You forgot the most important thing—to take care of yourself. The months before your wedding are a key time to pay attention to your health and start setting yourself up for the rest of your life. So remember to add the following steps to your wedding planning:

See your gynecologist
"This is a pivotal time for women to visit their gynecologists," says Dr. Adelaide G. Nardone, Before the wedding, talk to your gyno about the following issues:

  • Birth control: This is a good time to re-evaluate and change it if necessary.
  • A Pap smear: You should have one every year. Don't put it off because you're too busy.
  • Fertility/preconception counseling: If you plan to get pregnant right away, your doctor can advise you of any testing, nutrition, or other steps that you need to take to make sure that you have the best chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy. "If you are infertile, this is also the time to discuss that and decide what your next steps will be," Dr. Nardone says.
Get vaccinated
Did you last booster shot occur when you still had training wheels on your bike? Then schedule an appointment with your physician, pronto. "You might also need some new immunizations. "And some of them take a while to become active, so see your doctor three to six months before the wedding." The critical vaccinations for twenty- and thirtysomething women are:
  • Tetanus/diphtheria: You need a booster every 10 years. If you've lost track of the last time you had one, get it now.
  • Measles, mumps, and rubella: A simple blood test can tell if you need a booster shot.
  • Chicken pox: "If you haven't had chicken pox, get a vaccine," Dr. Gall says. "This disease can be more devastating to adults than to children."
  • Hepatitis A: This inflammation of the liver is contracted thorough contaminated food and water. Vaccination is advised for people who travel overseas, but it's a good idea for anyone, Dr. Gall says. The vaccine involves two shots, six to 12 months apart, so plan ahead.
  • Travel-related vaccines: If you have a honeymoon planned in an exotic locale, check to see if you'll need any vaccines or preventative medications. Your local travel clinic can help you, or check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov/travel.

Think about the future
With many brides-to-be fixated on dropping prenuptial poundage, diet and exercise loom large before the big day. Why not think about making some other changes that will have real payoffs in the future?

  • Stop smoking: You know it's a good idea, and it'll help your teeth look whiter for wedding photos.
  • Take your vitamins: Start taking a daily multivitamin, and make sure you get enough folic acid and calcium. "You need at least 400 micrograms of folic acid a day to prevent birth defects," Dr. Nardone says. "Even if you have no plans to get pregnant right away, folic acid is a good idea. And I can't stress how important calcium is." Make sure you get at least 1,000 milligrams a day.
  • Find an exercise routine you can live with: Even if it's just walking, find something you like enough to stick with after the wedding. And after your nuptial planning is done, joint workouts can be a perfect way to get some bonding time with your hubby.