Steps To Consider Before Getting Pregnant

Almost every woman knows that they need to see a doctor or midwife and change their lifestyle while pregnant. However, it is equally important to start making changes before pregnancy. These steps can help prepare your body to increase chances of pregnancy, and a better chance of having a healthy baby.

Take a Balanced Diet

Maintain a healthy body weight or try to maintain healthy body weight. A balanced diet is naturally good for you, and eating healthy foods is always the best effective way. Some of the simple guidelines include consuming high protein foods, reducing the intake of empty calories, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine. Also, fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products will make you healthier before you get pregnant.

Limit the amount of fish that you eat. Seafood contains mercury, which can cause congenital disabilities if consumed in large amounts. If you are underweight or overweight, it is best to try to reach your ideal weight before you get pregnant. Overweight during pregnancy may increase your chances of problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, miscarriage, stillbirth, congenital disabilities, and needing a cesarean birth (C-section). It is not a good idea also to try to lose weight during pregnancy. But it is a very good thing to attain a healthy pregnancy bodyweight before conceiving.

Exercise

Pre-pregnancy exercise can help your body cope with the adjustments you experience during pregnancy and childbirth. Almost all women who exercise can safely maintain their current exercise regimen during most of their pregnancy. And most women not currently exercising can start on an exercise program of 30 minutes of brisk exercise 5 days per week, both before conceiving and throughout pregnancy.

 

The number of activities you can do during pregnancy should depend on your overall well-being and how active you are before pregnancy.

Stop Vices

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause long-term problems for the baby, such as mental retardation, behavior problems, learning difficulties, and heart problems. Smoking, too, can cause problems in your pregnancy: it increases the chance of a miscarriage.

It would help if you also reduce your caffeine intake, and any medications that are not prescribed by a doctor can be harmful if taken at any time. Before trying to get pregnant, talk to your doctor about non-prescription drugs and dietary supplements of your choice. Most medications have some risks, but many have unknown risks and have not been thoroughly tested for safety.