Lifestyle Changes to Make Before Pregnancy

You have finally decided parenthood is for you. Deciding whether or not to have a baby is a huge decision. Regardless if you want to have a baby five years from now, a year from now, or right now there are specific lifestyle changes that you can make to increase your chances. Generally you need to be healthy overall to ensure better success when trying to conceive. Changing your lifestyle can not only help you to become pregnant but it can also aid with an overall healthier pregnancy. There are four main lifestyle changes you should consider making before conceiving.

Nutrition before and during pregnancy is extremely important. You should start eating healthy before pregnancy to prepare your body with the right reserve of nutrients. Your eating habits affect your overall health. Eating healthier is not only beneficial in medical terms but it has the ability to make you feel better in general. It is also better to start your pregnancy off with healthy eating habits that you can carry throughout the duration of your pregnancy. We should all avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar and this especially holds true when you are trying to get pregnant. Limiting your caffeine consumption is another good option. Taking a prenatal vitamin or your regular every day vitamin is also essential. By taking a vitamin you are preparing your body with the proper nutrients you will need for yourself and your baby during pregnancy. Folic acid supplements are also important because they are needed for the proper development of both the brain and spinal cord of the baby.

Exercise is an extremely important part of our lives. In order to successfully prepare your body to carry a baby you need to be active and healthy. Start an exercise routine before you become pregnant so you will be able to keep it up throughout. Staying at a moderate weight is good for your overall health. Being underweight can present potential health risks including messing up your menstruation cycle. Sometimes women experience a loss of this if they are not getting an adequate amount of food and nutrients. Being overweight not only presents numerous health risks, but it can also make it more difficult for you to conceive. If you are overweight you want to consider losing weight before you conceive. Once you are pregnant it is not suggested that you diet.

Stress can affect whether you can conceive or not. If you have a demanding job or a lot of stress in your life due to others things you may want to think about a change. Limit stress as much as possible. Sometimes due to stress you may send the wrong message to your ovaries and they actually will not release eggs. Your body receives a similar message when you are underweight. Basically it is saying "you are not prepared to carry a child." Remember when you are finally trying to conceive do not just have sex when its your ovulation time. That actually puts a lot of pressure on you and your partner and adds a lot of unnecessary stress.

This is also a good time to get a mental health check. If you have ever dealt with depression or are on anti-depressants it is a good time to talk with your doctor. Even for those who waited years to become pregnant it can be a very stressful and emotional time. Your body goes through so many changes and with the shift in your hormones it is always a good idea to get your feelings out there.

A lifestyle change is definitely needed if you are a drinker or a smoker. Both can cause problems in conceiving and in the health of an unborn child. You want to quit smoking before you become pregnant because it may be harder to quit once you conceive. Many of the options offered to help quit smoking are not approved for pregnant women. If you are actively trying to conceive it is also good to quit drinking. Drinking can have a detrimental affect on your unborn child. Most people do not even realize they are pregnant for the first four weeks. That is four weeks of your baby developing that you could potentially be putting them at risk. Of course illegal drugs are off limits for obvious reasons. This has been debated back and forth, but if you are actively trying to conceive hot tub use is not recommended. Studies have shown that the high temperatures that hot tubs reach are not good for the fetus. This especially holds true during the first three months of pregnancy.

Meet with your doctor to discuss your new decision on parenthood. During this appointment your doctor will gather information to determine any potential problems you may have in conceiving and perhaps any lifestyle changes that need to be made. Your doctor will ask about any genetic diseases that run in your family. At this appointment you can expect to have a pap smear and complete pre- pregnancy counseling. You can discuss going off of birth control if you have not already. Your doctor will check and make sure you do not have any STDs which can be potentially dangerous to the mother and baby. Some STDs, like chlamydia, can actually prevent you from conceiving. It is also a good time to make sure you are current on all of your vaccines. Once again check with your doctor if you are taking any over the counter or prescription drugs so he can assure you that they are safe.

Before you get pregnant it is also a good idea to go to the dentist even if that was not part of your previous routine. Surprisingly your teeth and gums take a lot of abuse during pregnancy. Those hormonal shifts that you experience can wreak havoc on your gums. Get your xrays and preventative care now. Keep in mind that you are not the only one that needs to focus on improving your lifestyle. The habits of your partner need to be taken into consideration as well. For instance smoking may cause a lower sperm count. Bring your partner to that first doctors appointment with you so they can learn everything they can do to help you on your journey to parenthood.

Lifestyle changes have to be made before you get pregnant for the health of both the mother and the baby. There are lots of things you can do to help out when you are trying to conceive. A good place to start is with these four lifestyle changes; eating healthy, exercising regularly, not smoking or drinking, and limiting the stress. Keep in mind you are not alone, your partner should be practicing the same healthy lifestyle changes as well.