9 things to do before you get pregnant
While these are not in any particular order they are all important and some more than others, here are 9 things you should do before you get pregnant. The overall goal is to ensure the you are as healthy and set up (both physically and emotionally) as possible to smooth the way for your new baby into the world.
Track your cycle This is the number one advice you will hear when you are trying to conceive, it is important and generally very simple. A baby’s due date is based (initially) off of this date since it establishes a window in which your baby was conceived. Or if you are still trying it establishes a general window of when you should have sex in order to conceive. Additionally this is the first thing your doctor will ask for once you are pregnant. There are countless free apps and ways to do this, even if you just make a note in your calendar. A few of our favorites are Clue, Eve and Flo.
Check in with your health and see your doctor Making a baby is a big commitment on your life and that child's. Understanding where your health is at, if there are medical conditions that might prevent you from successfully conceiving and establishing a healthy baseline is key in maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The ACOG - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that a woman have an exam with her physician prior to conceiving, to establish that they are not any underlying conditions that might be harmful to pregnancy, discuss your diets and lifestyle, your family history as well as check any medications you are taking to also establish how these things will affect both you and your future child. The first 8 weeks of pregnancy are key for the fetus growing inside you. Most of the fetus’s major organs and body systems have begun to form. Your health and nutrition can affect your fetus’s growth and development in these early weeks.
See the Dentist In addition to the fact that pregnancy can affect your body in unpredictable ways, leading to excessively sensitive gums and increased bleeding, periodontal disease is linked to preterm and underweight babies. Prostaglandin is a chemical produced by the body that can induce labor. This chemical is also found in oral bacteria! Women with periodontal disease could be seven times more likely to have a too-small premature baby. It is important to find and treat this condition before getting pregnant.
Stop drinking, smoking and taking drugs Nicotine is one of 4,000 toxic chemicals contained in cigarettes. In addition to these other harmful ingredients Nicotines causes the blood vessels to shrink and narrow, making it difficult for oxygen and nutrients to reach your growing baby. Nicotine directly damages a fetus’s brain and lungs. The damage done is permanent. Alcohol can interfere with the normal growth rate of a fetus and cause birth defects in addition to emotional, intellectual and learning disabilities that can last a lifetime. Using illegal drugs early in pregnancy can cause birth defects and miscarriage. During the later weeks of pregnancy, illegal drug use can interfere with the growth of the fetus and cause preterm birth and fetal death. If you need help quitting drugs, alcohol or cigarettes, you can find resources on the following websites Narcotics Anonymous: www.na.org Alcoholics Anonymous: www.aa.org The American Lung Association www.lung.org
Stop birth control Stopping birth control is a logical step in conceiving your baby. There are a lot of myths and facts surround this but let me tackle the biggest one! No, your body doesn't need time to clear birth control from your system in order to get pregnant. However, getting pregnant requires ovulating and the release of an egg. For most women, and depending on what kind of birth control you were on normal ovulation resumes within a month or two, and one study found that 20% of women were able to get pregnant one cycle after stopping birth control. (It may take longer after you stop getting birth control injections.) Most birth controls release hormones into the body and alter a woman’s normal hormonal cycle by stopping these hormonal alterations you put your body back in charge. We recommend stopping birth control 3 months before you plan on trying (if you are planning ahead).
Start a prenatal It is a widely accepted fact that most of the nutrients you take should come from your standard diet. A prenatal vitamin while recommended during pregnancy has value during the preconception period filling in nutritional gaps to assist in the ideal growth of your baby in the first 8 weeks. Folic acid is especially vital in the preconception stage as it helps prevent neural defects that can occur prior to the moment you find out your are pregnant.
Start an exercise program You do not become a different person when you are pregnant. If you lead a sedentary life or have a job where you sit all day, establishing a work out routine half way into your pregnancy is unrealistic. When you’re carrying extra weight, tired and your body is working overtime to grown bones, kidneys and a million other things you are less likely to make efforts or succeed at establishing a workable and realistic exercise routine. Going into a pregnancy with even a small and light routine that you are used to can help keep you in shape and comfortable throughout your upcoming pregnancy. There are conditions in pregnancy that are unsafe to exercise with. It is important that you consult your doctor once your pregnancy has been established.
Get your family medical history While it is you and your partner who ultimately made a baby, there are others that will inevitably have effects on that babies make up as well. While you’re parents may not have been in the room when your miracle was conceived they gave you various genetic factors that will have an effect on your bundle of joy! Medical histories can easily become confusing, especially for large families but its amazing how simple this becomes when you have it all noted down and saved. Ideally your family medical history should include at least 3 generations from both you and your partner. Try to compile informations for you and your spouses grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, children and nieces and nephews. It is important to note any genetics conditions, history of multiples, preeclampsia or other pregnancy related diseases, autoimmune disorders, kidney disease, along with any chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Those types of chronic diseases are caused by a combination of factors including genes, behavior, lifestyle and environment. All of which can effect your new baby. Remember once you’ve done this once you can save it for your children to have and for any future doctors or practitioners you may see that need it!
Look over your finances and lifestyle While this may seem like an obvious piece of advice or for some a daunting one, it is vital none the less. Not every person has the opportunity to decide to put money in savings before they make or decide to have a baby. Even after you are pregnant there are things you should look over to maintain and establish a healthy lifestyle that will lead to a healthy pregnancy and baby in the future. Are you going out a lot? Does your work require you to work long and strenuous hours? Are you in extreme debt? What about your partner? Are they too busy to take time once the baby comes? Who will help you if they can’t? These are all things that if discussed early on can prevent surprises. Talking about these points openly with your partner is important and if needed enables you to get help early on.
I hope one or all of these things help you feel prepared to take that big leap! Even if you cant get all of these things done you know what you can do to feel ready or even slightly prepared.
Yours in all things,
Brittany