Stop Smoking Or Taking Drugs
If you smoke or take any kind of drug, nows the time to break the habit. Both activities can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, and low-birth-weight babies. Quitting as soon as possible is especially important for two reasons: tobacco use can make it harder for you to become pregnant, and some drugs stay in your system long after their effects have worn off.
Common Factors For High
There are many reasons why a pregnancy may be deemed high risk, including:
- Advanced maternal age
- Young maternal age
- Previous pregnancy problems, including miscarriages
- Pre-existing health factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or obesity
- Lifestyle habits, such as alcohol, drug, or tobacco use
While were often able to determine these risks as you embark on your pregnancy, some pregnancies turn high risk due to complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
Reach A Healthy Weight
Your weight can impact your ability to conceive, so talk to your doctor or dietitian to learn about proper calorie intake, exercise and other healthy habits as you try to conceive.
If youre underweight
Some people who are underweight, especially those with eating disorders, like anorexia or bulimia, may not ovulate or may have irregular periods.
Even those who are underweight without eating disorders can have issues that relate to ovulation, cycle management, implantation of pregnancy and preterm delivery once they do become pregnant, Dr. Mooney says.
If youre overweight
Obesity, too, can affect your menstrual cycle, including the quality of your eggs. And people who are who are overweight are at higher risk for:
- Miscarriage.
- Gestational diabetes.
- Preeclampsia.
I encourage patients with obesity to first try to maintain their weight, and then we can get a plan in place to begin to lose weight, Dr. Mooney recommends. Start slow, with just five pounds, then 10 or 12, and well go from there.
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How Much Physical Activity Do You Need Each Day
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity activity, like fast walking, and strength-training 2 days a week. These recommendations change depending on the intensity of your workouts. And you dont have to do all 2½ hours at once. Do a little bit each day to break it up throughout the week.
If youre already physically active, keep it up! If youre starting or re-starting exercise, take it slowly. Talk to your provider before you start any physical activity if:
- You have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease.
- Youve had a stroke or are at risk for having a stroke.
- You have diabetes or are at risk for having diabetes.
- Youre obese. If you’re obese, you have an excess amount of body fat and your body mass index is 30 or higher. BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight.
- It can help you find out if you need to gain or lose weight..
- Youve had surgery or you have an injury or disability.
- Youve had eye surgery or laser treatment on your eyes, or you have a bleeding or detached retina. The retina is the nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye.
Physical activity can help reduce your risk of having certain health conditions that can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart conditions. It also can help you manage stress, sleep better and quit smoking.
Schedule A Preconception Checkup
Even if youre relatively healthy and feel that youre ready for pregnancy, its still important to have a preconception checkup.
In addition to discussing your personal and family health histories and current health status, well review any medications or supplements youre taking, discuss your lifestyle and habits, and make sure youre caught up on vaccinations.
If you havent had a well-woman exam within the past year, you can also expect to have a pelvic exam and Pap smear, and be tested for STDs if youre at risk.
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Ways To Prepare Before Starting A Family
Pregnancy is an exciting time in life, but it also is a time of big lifestyle changes. If you are thinking about starting a family, its a good idea to consider the impact children will have on your life. Knowing what to prepare for, such as changes you need to make to your diet and how to deal with pregnancy while working, will help you better plan to have a baby.
Review these five ways to prepare for pregnancy:
1. Nutrition
The foods you eat and beverages you drink will provide nutritional support to your baby. It is important to think about what you consume while pregnant by following these tips:
- Begin taking prenatal vitamins even if you are not yet pregnant. Look for vitamins that are high in iron, vitamin D and contain 400 micrograms of folic acid. The neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord of pregnancy sometimes before you even know you are pregnant. Taking vitamins containing folic acid can help prevent neural tube defects.
- Eat a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and dairy in appropriate amounts. Limit sugar and fat intake.
- Limit alcohol when you are trying to become pregnant. Once you find out you are pregnant or suspect you are pregnant, stop drinking alcohol.
- Limit caffeine to less than 200 milligrams per day, the equivalent of about one or two 6- to 8- ounce cups.
2. Lifestyle changes
If you are trying to become pregnant, you likely will need to make lifestyle changes, such as:
If you are already pregnant:
Make A Plan And Take Action
Whether or not youve written them down, youve probably thought about your goals for having or not having children, and how to achieve those goals. For example, when you didnt want to have a baby, you used effective birth control methods to achieve your goals. Now that youre thinking about getting pregnant, its really important to take steps to achieve your goal pdf icongetting pregnant and having a healthy baby!
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Do Physical Exercise For A Healthy Pregnancy
Physical exercise is also essential to be in shape and for weight to be controlled when you get pregnant. We do not recommend the practice of violent sports, but the moderate practice is beneficial for both the mother and the future baby. We recommend you to read another article which is about Yoga during pregnancy
Ways To Get Your Body Ready For Pregnancy: Two Years 1 Year And 6 Months Out
If youre reading this, youre likely not already pregnant . Maybe your friends are having kids and youre sort of toying with the idea, or you know you want to start a family when the time is right, or maybe having a baby is further in the future for you. Regardless, for women in their late twenties and thirties, its an optimal time to start at least thinking about family planning, even if that means looking into a practice like egg freezing to get pregnant at a later time.
If you are closer to starting your parenthood journey, , a doctor at Parsley Health, recommends setting a wellness plan at least a year ahead of the time you want to start trying. That way, you can start prepping yourself mentally, physically, and nutritionally, which will push your body to peak health for when you want to start trying for a baby. Parsley Health works with women at every stage of the maternal journey, including preparing your body for pregnancy: Heres how to optimize your diet, exercise, and stress management ahead of having a baby, whether youre 6 months away, a year out, or even a couple of years away from getting pregnant.
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Does Your Weight Before You Get Pregnant Affect Your Pregnancy
Yes. Youre more likely to have health problems during pregnancy if youre overweight or underweight . These problems include:
- Premature birth. This is birth that happens too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Babies born prematurely may have more health problems at birth and later in life than babies born later.
- Birth defects. These are health conditions that are present at birth. They change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body. Birth defects can cause problems in overall health, how the body develops or how the body works.
- Diabetes. Diabetes is when you have too much sugar in your blood. Too much blood sugar can damage organs in your body, including blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Diabetes can cause problems during pregnancy.
- High blood pressure . High blood pressure is when the force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels is too high. High blood pressure can cause problems during pregnancy.
Talk to your provider about the right weight for you. Your provider may check your body mass index . BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. It can help you find out if you need to gain or lose weight. To find out your BMI, go to cdc.gov/bmi. Your BMI before pregnancy helps your provider figure out the right amount of weight for you to gain during pregnancy.
Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption
It is strongly advised you limit your alcohol intake if you are planning to become pregnant. Large amounts of alcohol, particularly in the first few months of pregnancy, can lead to physical or mental abnormalities in babies as well as growth retardation. Alcohol intake can also affect sperm counts in men, Dr Sgroi says.The recommended daily allowance of alcohol for healthy men and women is no more than two standard drinks per day, however, if you are pregnant the safest option is to not drink at all.
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Stopping Smoking Drinking And Drug Taking
Smoking and alcohol can cause serious health problems for your baby and increase your risk of miscarriage. No illegal drug is proven safe for you and your baby during pregnancy.
Because you might not realise youre pregnant straightaway, quitting now will protect your baby in those first few critical days and weeks growing in your womb. Chat to your GP if youd like some support to quit.
Too much caffeine isnt great for a growing bump either so try to cut down your caffeine intake now aim for a maximum of 200mg a day. Thats about 2 mugs of instant coffee.
Preparing For Pregnancy Emotionally
Babyâs on the way — or soon will be — and youâre full of feelings. Itâs hard to know what to expect if youâve never been pregnant before. And even if you have, it may be completely different this time around. But even though you may not be able to predict your emotional future, you can put a plan in place to help guide you along the way.
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Take Care Of Yourself
Taking care of yourself is not just physical, mental wellbeing is really important too.Pregnancy and childbirth can be a very stressful time. Concerns about work, housing, and financial security are also common areas of stress at this life stage, says Dr Sgroi.If you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious, try and take some me time where you do something you enjoy whether it is taking a warm bath, going for a walk, meditation or simply talking to a friend. Dont be afraid to reach out for help and speak to your obstetrician, doctor, a counsellor or psychiatrist. Why not , to help you track how you are feeling when you are pregnant and after giving birth.
Learn The Main Breastfeeding Positions
We here stories like this from Nourisher moms all of the time!
Minutes after my son was born a nurse hovered over me watching me try and latch him on for the first time. I knew what to look for in a latch, but unsurprisingly, he didnt get it right away. Maybe try him in the football hold, she recommended.
Panic set in. The football hold? I had no idea what she was talking about! How could I already be bad at this, it had only been ten minutes? I mumbled something incoherent before she gracefully lifted him up and placed his body under my arm with his head in my palm. Baby latched and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Case in point, study the various breastfeeding positions so that you know the different ways to hold your baby right from the start.
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Chemicals To Avoid When Pregnant
At The Tot, we never use or recommend anything that hasnt passed The Tot Test. This means weve looked deep into third-party testing, examined ingredients lists and asked in-depth questions about a products composition to ensure its free of the chemicals we avoid.
When pregnant, its particularly important to avoid the following chemicals:
Day : Track Your Cycle
Whether youve been on birth control or not, nows the time to get intimate with your menstrual cycle. Narrowing down the window of when youre most fertile will help you get pregnant faster.
Plus, having an understanding of your cycles will help you discover if anything is off and might need addressing .
Start by simply recording when your period starts and ends to see how the length of your cycle changes from month to month. You can note anything like irregular bleeding and spotting, too. The average menstrual cycle length is around 28 days, but it can range from 21 to 35 days and still fall in the normal, healthy range. There are many apps out there to help you with tracking as well.
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Find Out About Maternity Leave
Discuss maternity leave with your workplace and find out what your options are. Maternity leave policies can differ between workplaces, so finding out what your entitlements are early can help give you peace of mind. Also, check your government entitlements so you know where you stand financially once bub comes.
/8changes You Need To Make For A Healty Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a complex process, and a lot of factors can influence it. Some couples conceive within a month of trying, while for others, the waiting period can be longer because their body is unprepared for it. Having a healthy pregnancy and baby starts before you get pregnant. For that, it is essential to prepare yourself emotionally as well as physically. Pre-conception planning can help you and your partner understand how to improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy. It is done by undergoing some tests and making some lifestyle changes. Here is a checklist you need to adhere to when trying to get pregnant.
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Day 2: Learn The Dos And Donts
There are a lot of things youll hear about whats safe and whats not during pregnancy. Some of this isnt so scientific. Other items are incredibly important for your growing babys health. One of the hottest items for debate? What foods to shun during pregnancy.
Pregnant women are more likely than other healthy adults to contract listeria from contaminated foods. Start reading labels on your favorite foods now to make sure they are pasteurized.
Educate Yourself On Breastfeeding
Educating yourself is one of the best things you can do when it comes to breastfeeding . But I dont mean Google.
Narrowing your research down to Google can leave you scared and confused sometimes more than you were in the first place!
So, how can a pregnant woman educate herself on nursing?
First, Consider taking a breastfeeding class. You can find breastfeeding classes across the nation, whether they are in a hospital, or at a private practice.
Online classes are becoming more and more popular, too, making it even easier for pregnant moms to get their hands on quality information.
These online breastfeeding classes are super convenient and cover the same information that youd get at an in-person class.
I took an online breastfeeding class and it really helped me to feel prepared and ready to breastfeed before my baby was born. Here is a link to my favorite online breastfeeding class.
If youd like more information on choosing an online class vs. an in-person breastfeeding class, check out my article here.
Second, read a breastfeeding book. Breastfeeding books are also a great idea to get more information about what to expect after your baby arrives.
These books will help pregnant moms to understand better what is going on with their bodies and why it is so beneficial for their child.
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Prepping Your Body For Delivery And Labor
