Stopping birth control, fixing the diet, exercising, taking multivitamins, taking folic acid, laying off smoking, alcohol and drugs, getting a dental check-up, and involving the partner are the best tips to prepare your body for pregnancy.
Preconception planning is common among many women that increase the chances of a healthy pregnancy. If you are planning to get pregnant, or have been trying for some time, here are 11 tips for preparing the body, mind, and soul before conceiving
11 Tips Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy
See The Doctor
The first thing to do is get an appointment with the doctor for both the partner. The doctor will analyze the family’s medical history and rule out the possibility of complications. In case there are any complications, the doctor will provide remedies. The doctor will also check if immunization is done against major diseases. Get vaccinated against chickenpox and rubella.
The doctor will also screen for sexually transmitted diseases and suggest to follow the necessary precautions and treatments to improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy. On the other hand, if any underlying medical conditions that require to take regular medication like epilepsy, diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma, visit the doctor to make any necessary changes to the course of treatment before trying to conceive.
Stop Birth Control
Discontinue the use of any form of birth control used. If IUD is used, remove it by a gynecologist. Some women tend to get pregnant within the next two weeks after stopping birth control, others may take longer.
Fix The Diet
Cut out the unhealthy food items from the diet, prepare the body for pregnancy with healthier and organic food choices and drink plenty of water. Switching those crabs and junk with healthy snacks like nuts and fruits are good and lower the exposure to toxins. Also, avoid eating raw eggs or undercooked meat to rule out the risk of salmonella. It is especially important to get to a healthy diet if BMI is over 30 and is obese. Being underweight can also be a problem as it can affect the menstrual cycle and can cause to have missed periods. It is best to get a healthy BMI range of 19 to 25 for a healthy pregnancy.
Include Exercise
You need to incorporate moderate work out sessions of about 30 minutes for at least four to five days every week. If starting from scratch, a 20-minute walk should help to get move before trying more vigorous workouts.
Stack Up On Multivitamins
Most doctors advise women to take multivitamins to make up for the lack of certain vitamins in the body. These prenatal vitamins can help bridge any nutritional deficiency that might be before getting pregnant. Boost the intake of iron and calcium-rich foods items as well.
Folic Acid
Add folic acid on top of the vitamin supplements. It helps prevent the possibility of neural tube defects during pregnancy. Although it is available over the counter, check with the doctor about these supplements. 400 to 800 mg of folic acid is recommended on a daily basis during preconception.
Lay Off Smoking, Alcohol, and Drugs
All three activities are undoubtedly detrimental to both the mother and the baby. Smoking can expose both to a lot of toxins and reduce the blood flow. It also affects fertility and may cause preterm delivery, miscarriage or even stillbirth. Alcohol can have long-term problems and developmental issues in the baby and can also put the baby at the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Using drugs is illegal and can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, etc. drugs like heroin and cocaine can even lead to drug-dependent babies. It is wise to ask the partner also to quit smoking, as it is also related to low sperm count. Exposure to smoke is also not ideal, especially during pregnancy. It is also best if the intake of caffeine is limited every day as pregnant women are recommended only 300 ml of caffeine each day.
Try Stress Relief Measures and Get Plenty of Sleep
Trying to conceive can be quite stressful but managing it can shoot up the cortisol levels, preventing ovulation and lowering the sex drive. Try various stress relief measures like yoga, meditation, music, reading, etc. A good night’s rest every day can put the body on track to work the way it is supposed to. Lack of sleep can cause stress, lower the sex drive and make more tired.
Get A Dental Check-up
Gum disease is linked to preterm labor and low birth weight in babies. Ensure that the schedule to visit the dentist and have the issue resolved before getting pregnant.
Get All The Information
Understand how conception works. Talk to the doctor and get all the information needed to begin with conception. Also, track the cycle. Knowing when ovulating can increase the chances of pregnancy significantly. Ovulation kits can be used for this purpose.
Involve The Partner
Conceiving and preparing to conceive is the responsibility for both. The partner can also take folic acid too as it helps with the sperm count, should make an effort to stay fit and healthy and give up on smoking, alcohol or other drugs. It is important for both to have a healthy lifestyle to facilitate a healthy pregnancy. It is also recommended to visit the doctor and get checked too, as about 30% of the infertility cases are the result of male infertility.
Conclusion
Conceiving may be easy for some and equally difficult for others. Follow the tips and consult the doctor regularly.
References –
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4109981/
- https://www.whattoexpect.com/getting-pregnant/preparing-to-conceive/
