Why all clinicians caring for girls of childbearing age want life-style drugs coaching 

With greater than one-third of U.S. pregnancies unintended, missed alternatives to handle life-style behaviors earlier than conception can have lasting penalties for maternal and baby well being. Embedding life-style steering into each scientific specialty will help basically shift the well being trajectory of households.

By John McHugh, MD, FACOG, DipABLM, FACLM 
ACLM Women’s Health Member Interest Group Founder 

August 21, 2025

As an obstetrician, I see firsthand the impression of life-style behaviors on maternal and fetal well being. Nutrition, bodily exercise, sleep, stress administration, connectedness, and avoidance of dangerous substances not solely affect fertility, they form the trajectory of being pregnant outcomes and the lifelong well being of the kid. 

However, greater than one-third of U.S. pregnancies are unintended. There are a major variety of girls who don’t even notice they’re pregnant till a number of weeks into gestation—properly after key life-style behaviors might have already impacted the growing fetus. In the 12 months previous to conception, they’ve probably interacted with a number of clinicians throughout specialties who might have missed necessary conversations about life-style and reproductive well being. These missed alternatives characterize a spot in care. 

What is preconception care, and why does it matter? 

Preconception care is “a set of interventions that aim to identify and modify biomedical, behavioral, and social risks to the woman’s health or pregnancy outcome through prevention and management.” Preconception well being is associated with avoiding outcomes akin to miscarriage, start defects, gestational diabetes, hypertensive issues, preterm start, and low start weight. 

Lifestyle-related circumstances like weight problems, insulin resistance, and hypertension can instantly impression ovulation, hormone regulation, implantation, placental well being, and fetal growth. Meanwhile, habits akin to poor vitamin, bodily inactivity, use of dangerous substances, and unaddressed psychological well being points compound these dangers. A rising physique of evidence exhibits that interventions in the course of the preconception interval—notably these concentrating on wholesome life-style behaviors—can enhance reproductive outcomes. 

Why preconception care is everybody’s enterprise 

Every clinician who interacts with girls of childbearing age—whether or not in main care, dermatology, endocrinology, or psychiatry, as an example—has a possibility to contribute to more healthy pregnancies and households, even when being pregnant isn’t prime of thoughts for the affected person. Because the window of affect begins earlier than conception, we should always normalize routine discussions of life-style and preconception well being inside all factors of care. 

A main care doctor can begin a dialog about nutritious consuming habits. A psychological well being supplier stands out as the first to handle persistent stress or sleep hygiene. A gastroenterologist might be well-positioned to speak about anti-inflammatory diets and fertility. A dermatologist managing pimples might need a novel alternative to handle a drugs threat or hormonal imbalances. Every interplay is a possible turning level, and the cumulative impact may be highly effective. 

Clinician obstacles: actual, however addressable 

I perceive the obstacles. The time throughout appointments is brief. Reproductive planning can really feel awkward if the go to is for an unrelated concern. And too many clinicians—via no fault of their very own—haven’t been skilled to handle life-style in a significant or evidence-based manner. 

But these challenges should not insurmountable. In California, I’ve had the privilege of engaged on statewide initiatives to enhance preconception well being, and one lesson stands out: clinicians want accessible instruments that make these conversations simpler. For instance, one thing so simple as a “preconception wellness quiz” modeled within the accessible fashion of a Cosmopolitan Magazine quiz can open the door to deeper conversations about targets, dangers, and actionable steps. 

The training hole in life-style drugs 

The historic lack of life-style drugs training in medical coaching is one other problem. According to the National Institutes of Health, U.S. medical colleges provide a median of solely 21 hours of vitamin training over the course of 4 years, with a variety of three to 56 hours, and greater than half providing fewer than 20 hours  

This hole leaves clinicians unprepared to supply sensible, evidence-based life-style steering, although poor eating regimen is the leading risk factor for mortality within the U.S.  

To assist bridge this hole, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) affords focused, accredited persevering with training to equip a wide-range of well being professionals with sensible, evidence-based info. Its three-hour CME/CE course, “Food as Medicine: Preconception, Pregnancy and Postpartum,” is designed to equip clinicians with the information and confidence to assist sufferers in optimizing dietary standing earlier than conception, all through being pregnant, and within the postpartum interval. ACLM additionally affords a complimentary 5.5-hour course, “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials,” which introduces core life-style interventions in scientific care, till Sept. 14. 

A name to motion 

As clinicians, we wield great affect. If we start to embed life-style steering into each scientific specialty—particularly for these caring for girls of childbearing age—we will basically shift the well being trajectory of total households. Let’s empower ourselves and one another to embrace that chance. 

About the writer

Dr. John McHugh is a graduate of Columbia College and Harvard Medical School. In 1995, he adopted his childhood dream of shifting to California and skilled in obstetrics and gynecology on the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. McHugh has been on the college of medical colleges at UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and USC and served as division chair at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. He additionally serves as chair for the American College of Ob-Gyn District IX (California and Ecuador), representing over 6,000 physicians.