Preparing for Pregnancy - How to Prepare for Pregnancy
There comes a time in life of every couple when they look each other and say, "Let's have a baby!"
Making that decision is the first step. It's important for every couple to understand the importance of preparing for pregnancy. The keys to preparing for pregnancy are healthy living and help increase fertility.
There are several factors that influence fertility. If your are planning a pregnancy, it would be the best if you prepare yourself. Preparing for pregnancy is not only preparing your healthy, but also preparing your emotional and physical.
1. See your doctor/obstetrician/gynecologist
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Discussing with your obstetrician or gynecologist about your interest in becoming pregnant is the first step in preparing for pregnancy. Your doctor will take a family history, check your immunity to German measles (which can lead to birth defects), prescribe prenatal vitamins to ensure healthy growth and development, make sure any current medications are safe during pregnancy, screen for genetic diseases such as sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis, and assess any medical problems, such as diabetes, give lifestyle device, and give some advises in preparing for pregnancy.
Do's:
- Update your smear test if it is nearly due. Find out if you have an abnormality on your smear that need attention
- Treat abnormal vaginal discharge
- Get German measles (Rubella) injection and chicken fox (varicella) injection. You can have a blood test first to find out if you're already immune to these disease. Take the immunization and then wait 3 months before trying to conceive
- Discuss with your doctor about any previous pregnancies
- Not to take any medicine without asking your doctor. This includes over the counter medicines and vitamin supplements
2. Slim down if you are overweight and get healthy eating
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Weight issues are important for the couple when considering fertility. If you are preparing for pregnancy, you need to consider your Body Mass Index (BMI). If you are overweight, your BMI will be more than 25. Being overweight puts you at greater risk of complications, such as high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy. There is also a higher risk of complications during labor and birth. Research shows that women who are obese before pregnancy are much likely to have babies with birth defects. This is very important issue in preparing for pregnancy.
Do's:
- Drink plenty of water
- Consume 300 more calories per day than you did before become pregnancy
- Avoid high-mercury fish (shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish) which may affect an unborn baby's nervous system. Tuna should be limited to 2 fresh steaks or 4 medium tins per week
- Choose foods high in fiber that are enriched such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables
When: ideally one year before conception or as soon as you start thinking about getting pregnant.
3. Stop smoking
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Stop smoking can be the hardest step is preparing the pregnancy for the family who smoke. Smoking can reduce fertility. For men, smoke may have reduced semen volume and sperm count and more abnormal sperm compared to non or ex-smokers. Fathers who smoke also affect the health of their babies, before and after the birth. The risk of respiratory problems and death increases.
For women, smoking in pregnancy raises the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth and low birth weight. It has effects into toddlerhood and childhood too, mainly by increasing the risk of respiratory illness. New research shows that children who were exposed to smoke in the womb (either from Mom or from secondhand smoke) are more likely to be colicky as infants, overactive as toddlers, and prone to ADHD and aggressive behavior as kids.
When: 8-10 months before conception to give yourself enough time to kick the habit.
4. Go to dentist
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It is a good idea to have a check up with your dentist to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy before you get pregnant. Once you are pregnant, you not only can be more prone to teeth and gum issues, but also not able to have usual treatments you would if you weren't pregnant. So making sure this is listed in preparing for pregnancy.
Do's:
- Good dental hygiene
- Go to pregnancy dental care so the best care is given to pregnant women - without exposing the unborn child to any harm in the process
- Eat foods that contribute to good dental health
When: 5 months before conception to allow enough time to fix the damage or have work done
5. Stop using pill
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As an important part of preparing for pregnancy, it's best to stop taking birth control pills and wait at least one month menstrual cycle to come and go before you try to conceive. Use barrier method, like condom and diaphragm, in the mean time. This has more to do with timing than risks to the fetus. If you let your natural cycle resume before getting pregnant, it's easier to figure out when you conceived. Ditching pill will also help the endometrial lining thicken, which make it easier for an embryo to implant.
When: three month before trying to conceive
6. Taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid
Prenatal vitamins are very important in preparing the pregnancy. These are specially formulated multivitamins that make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the mother's diet. All women trying to get pregnant are advised to take a folic acid tablet (400 mcg/day).
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| Spina Bifida http://www.sbac.org/images/jama_children_birthdefects_lev20_spinabifida_jpp_01.jpg |
Folic acid can reduce your risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal chord, called the 'neural tube'. A baby with spina bifida, the most common neural tube defect, is born with a spine that is not closed. In addition, calcium and iron are also important to consume during preparing for pregnancy. Iron helps both the mother and baby's blood carry oxygen, while calcium can prevent a new mother from losing her own bone density as the fetus uses the mineral for bone growth.
When: start taking folic acid tablet three months before you wish to become pregnant, however it is beneficial to start as you decide to try for a baby. This should be taken until the 12th week of pregnancy.
7. Avoid alcohol
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Alcohol can cause harm to your fetus, therefore you need to make sure you avoid it during preparing for pregnancy. The National Health and Medical Research Council from Australia suggests that men drink no more than four standard drinks per day, with at least two alcohol-free days per week and for women, recommends no drinking at all during pregnancy.
Excessive drinking can result in miscarriage or stillbirth and puts babies at risk of disabilities, behavioral problems, and slow growth.
When: as soon as you start trying.
8. Get Healthy Exercises
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Get healthy exercises is very important in preparing for pregnancy. The fitter you are, the better you will be able to cope with pregnancy which places extra demands and strains on your body. Going for a walk everyday with your partner is a great idea.
When: as soon as you start trying.
Preparing for Pregnancy Emotionally
Preparing for pregnancy does not mean preparing your health during pregnancy, but also your emotional. Preparing for pregnancy emotionally can be more difficult than preparing physically because emotional is vary from person to person. However there are several principles in preparing for pregnancy emotionally:
- Create a network support. Your network support can be someone close to you like your family and expecting mothers. Talking to other mothers will help you prepare for the changes you will experience during pregnancy and help you realize the symptoms you will experience are normal
- Ask yourself. In preparing for pregnancy, you need to ask yourself, "Are you ready?". Since pregnancy will impact your family, your work, and your own psyche, you need to answer that question.
Categories:
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Preparing for Pregnancy
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