How to Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy
Becoming a parent is one of the most joyous moments of life and past the pain, it’s one that you will undoubtedly cherish forever. As each week goes by, your body will grow and your little one will change shape. To support their growth and development, you will need to make sure that you’re in good health. Even way before whilst you’re trying, you will need to get a few things in order for the best chances and a healthy pregnancy. To help expectant mums and those family planning, private fertility clinics recommend taking the following steps.
Quitting Bad Habits
There are a few things that you will need to nip in the bud before trying to get pregnant, like smoking and drinking. They can affect your chances of conceiving and when pregnant compromise your chances of having a healthy baby. If you’re trying to get pregnant it’s best to stay away from drinking altogether. A recent review has shown that light drinking reduces fertility in women and is made worse with heavier consumption. Smoking also can affect a woman’s hormones and do harm to the reproductive system. Whilst pregnant this can lead to premature labour, birth defects and even miscarriage. It can be difficult to stop and having a supportive partner who also tries to limit or stop their consumption can help.
Folic Acid
A supplement that you should start taking is Folic Acid. It helps prevent the risk of neural tube defects like Spina Bifida. The recommended dosage to take whilst pregnant is 400 micrograms daily and can be started whilst you’re trying to conceive.
Reach and Maintain a Healthy Weight
Weight affects BMI (or Basal Metabolic Rate) and ensuring that it’s within a reasonable range can help to improve fertility and make for a healthy pregnancy. This is something that you can consult your doctor on and receive support with if necessary.
Medications
There are a number of medications that are recommended not to take whilst pregnant, so if you have any medication that you take, it’s wise to speak with your doctor to see if there are any alternatives.
What Else You Can Do
Aside from these tips, anything that you can do to live a healthier lifestyle will help, such as a balanced diet with nutrient rich foods, exercise and managing your mental health.
I hope that you found this information helpful. For parenting content, have a read of my other posts.
