Once you've prepared your body to provide a baby-friendly environment, you're ready to begin the
pursuit of pregnancy. The first step: Stop using birth control. If you've been using birth control
pills, it may take several months for your menstrual periods to return to a regular pattern.
If you use injectable contraception, such as Depo-Provera, this delay is quite probable. Until regular periods begin, it's more difficult to pinpoint when ovulation — the time in which your ovaries release an egg into your fallopian tubes — occurs or to estimate a due date if you do become
pregnant. If conception occurs before your regular menstrual periods have started again, your doctor
should use ultrasound to establish the dating of the pregnancy.
In order for you to become pregnant, you and your partner must have sexual intercourse within three
days (72 hours) of the egg entering the fallopian tube. Your partner's sperm can fertilize your egg
hours after ejaculation, but your egg is fertile for only a very brief period of time. Your best
chance of becoming pregnant is generally 12 to 14 days before your next menstrual period is due.
Worries and pregnancy seem to go hand in hand. Fortunately, however, most women of childbearing age are healthy and most pregnancies are considered "low-risk." For most women, the surest way to have a healthy baby is to live a healthy lifestyle.If you've decided the time is right to get pregnant, you've likely already begun emotionally preparing yourself for a lifelong commitment to your child.
But before you try to conceive, take time to ensure that your body is equally well prepared for the task ahead.Babies are often quite active before birth — not just extending their arms and legs, but turning their entire bodies. By the time labor begins, most babies have settled into a position that allows them to be delivered headfirst through the birth canal. That doesn't always happen, though.
The March of Dimes suggests the following precautions:
*Get early prenatal care, even before you're pregnant.
*Eat a well-balanced diet, including a vitamin supplement that contains folic acid.
*Exercise regularly with your doctor's permission.
*Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drugs, and limit caffeine.
*Avoid x-rays, hot tubs, and saunas.
*Avoid infections.
Preconception visit:
Begin your preparations for pregnancy by scheduling a preconception appointment with your doctor, your nurse-midwife or another medical doctor. This allows him or her to assess your overall health and helps you map out lifestyle changes that may improve your chances for a healthy pregnancy and baby. This visit also gives you and your partner a chance to ask questions and discuss any concerns you may have.
"The best start to having a healthy baby is to see your health-care provider before you conceive,"
says Richard Schwarz, M.D., an obstetrician and national consultant for the March of Dimes.
Once you're pregnant, your health professional--either an obstetrician, family practitioner, nurse-practitioner, or nurse-midwife--will have you begin with monthly visits that increase to once
a week or more at the end.
A preconception checkup typically includes a complete physical examination. You have blood tests to check your immunity to infections — such as chickenpox (varicella) and German measles (rubella) — that can cause serious birth defects or illness in your baby. If you aren't immune to these infections, your doctor may vaccinate you. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that after being vaccinated you wait at least one month before trying to get
pregnant."There are lots of things you can do ahead of time," Schwarz adds.Stop smoking,avoid
alcohol and make sure your diet is healthy, and you can get any illnesses you might have under
control.
At each visit, the physician or nurse will perform a series of examinations and tests to determine
the health of the mother and baby. These include measuring the growth of the uterus, listening to
the baby's heartbeat, taking the mother's blood pressure and weight, and checking her urine for
evidence of protein or sugar, which could be symptoms of complications.
The care provider will ask the mother if she has any concerns or problems such as blurred vision, leg cramps, abdominal cramps, or unusual headaches. The mother may also undergo ultrasound and genetic tests during the pregnancy.
Talk with your doctor about Current and past health issues,medications,family history,age,previous pregnancies.
Healthy diet based on a variety of foods:
All of your growing baby's nutritional requirements come from you. If you're eating too few calories or too few nutrients, cell development may be less than ideal and your baby may be underweight at birth, increasing his or her risk of short- and long-term health problems.
If your diet is lacking in iron, calcium, folic acid or other essential vitamins and nutrients or you often skip meals, make some changes now.Reduce your intake of foods with little nutritional
value, artificial sweeteners and caffeine. Drinking more than two caffeinated beverages a day, in fact, may make it more difficult for you to get pregnant. Opt instead for protein-rich foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products. If you're overweight and want to shed some pounds, do so before you become pregnant. Pregnancy isn't the time to start a weight-reduction diet.
"Good nutrition is extremely important even before a pregnancy," says Shirley Blakely, Ph.D., a registered dietitian with the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "If nature favors the growing fetus, the mother will suffer if she hasn't had a good diet."
According to the March of Dimes, a pregnant woman should increase her daily food portions to include:
*6 to 11 servings of breads and other whole grains
*3 to 5 servings of vegetables
*2 to 4 servings of fruits
*4 to 6 servings of milk and milk products
*3 to 4 servings of meat and protein foods
*6 to 8 glasses of water, and no more than one soft drink or cup of coffee per day to limit caffeine.
Some nutrients have been found to provide specific benefit to mother or child. For example, the B
vitamins have been found to be especially important. One of them, folate, or its synthetic form, folic acid, can reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, called the "neural tube."
Before trying to conceive, begin taking a daily vitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms of
folic acid. Studies show that folic acid in this quantity offers significant protection against
neural tube birth defects, such as incomplete closure of the spine (spina bifida) or a partially or completely missing brain (anencephaly). If you begin taking folic acid after you find out you're
pregnant, the protection may not come soon enough. Neural tube defects occur in the first four weeks
of pregnancy, before you may realize you're pregnant.
Natural sources of folic acid include green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and citrus fruits. It's
also in many fortified breakfast cereals and some vitamin supplements.
Calcium and iron are also especially important during pregnancy. Getting enough calcium will help
prevent a new mother from losing her own bone density as the fetus uses the mineral for bone growth.
Iron helps both the mother and baby's blood carry oxygen. Most women need supplements to maintain
adequate levels of these minerals. A daily vitamin supplement, while not an adequate substitute for
a healthy diet, helps fill in the gaps on days when a woman's diet is less than perfect.
Possible infection:
You can also take comfort in the fact that most babies aren't harmed if their mother gets an
infection during pregnancy. But some bugs can be transmitted to babies through the placenta or
during birth, and when that happens, it may have serious consequences for the baby. What's more,
some infections can make you sicker if you get them when you're pregnant or may lead to other
complications like preterm labor.
Problems also may arise when a pregnant woman eats undercooked or raw foods, or cooked foods that
have been cross-contaminated with bacteria from raw food nearby. Food poisoning can cause meningitis, pneumonia, or even death to an unborn child, plus the vomiting and diarrhea involved leave the mother exhausted and dehydrated.
You can take certain steps to make it less likely that you'll get sick and reduce the risk of
serious problems for you or your baby if you do get an infection. Getting prenatal care is crucial.
For example, simple blood tests can tell you whether you're immune to certain infections, such as chicken pox and rubella. You'll also be tested for infections you may not even know you have,
including urinary tract infections, group B strep, hepatitis B, and HIV. If you think you've been
exposed to a serious infection or do get sick, getting care in a timely manner can often help
prevent complications.
You can do a number of things on your own, too. Basic measures like washing your hands, not sharing drinking glasses or utensils, not changing cat litter, using gloves when gardening, and staying away from anyone with a contagious disease will reduce your risk of getting sick.
Practicing safe sex will help prevent many sexually transmitted infections. Visiting your dentist regularly will help ensure that you don't have gum disease, which may increase your risk of preterm labor. And you can take measures to avoid food-borne infections too — such as not eating certain foods, washing fruits and vegetables, and making sure that your meat, fish, and eggs are well cooked and your work surfaces aren't contaminated.
If you're sick or think you've been exposed to a contagious disease, let your caregiver know so you
can be tested and treated, if necessary.
Exercise
There's increasing medical evidence to show that exercise, even a vigorous workout, is healthy during pregnancy. An October 1998 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found
that exercise is usually safe during pregnancy, and that women who exercised vigorously were more
likely to carry their babies to full term compared with women who exercised less or not at all.
A pregnant woman should check with her doctor before exercising, however. If she gets the OK to work out, she should do so at least three times a week for 20 minutes each time, recommends the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Walking, swimming, riding a stationary bicycle, and joining a prenatal aerobics class are all
excellent exercise choices for a pregnant woman. Exercises that require jerky, bouncy movements and
being outside in hot weather are not good choices. Don't try deep knee bends, sit-ups (or any
exercise that requires you to lie on your back after the first trimester), and toe touches. Other
sports to avoid include downhill skiing, rock climbing, and horseback riding.
Wear a supportive bra and properly fitting athletic shoes while exercising. Stop if you feel dizzy, faint, overheated, or in pain. Drink plenty of water.
Staying in shape will help you keep up your stamina during your own impending marathon--labor! And, afterward, the more muscle mass you have, the quicker you'll regain your pre-pregnancy shape and be able to pack away those maternity pants.
If you're not used to exercising, work with your doctor to develop a plan that's right for you.
At last,In pregnancy, as in life, some things are out of your control. But you can reduce the risk
of complications — both for you and for your future baby. Seek preconception care from your doctor and make healthy lifestyle changes. By doing so, you're one step closer to your ultimate goal — delivering a healthy baby.
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