Look For Ways To Reduce Stress And Increase Rest
Stress can impact your health in a lot of different ways. Stress can cause physical symptoms like increased heart rate, high blood pressure, headaches, fatigue, muscle soreness and upset stomach. Stress can affect your mood, making you feel anxious, overwhelmed, restless or irritable. Stress can also lead to behavior changes like overeating or undereating, social withdrawal or angry outbursts.
The bottom line? Stress can negatively impact your overall health and well-being which can impact your fertility and your eventual pregnancy. So, look for ways to reduce stress and destress, as well as get more rest.
We know, we know. Easier said than done, right? But here are a few suggestions for how to reduce stress when trying to conceive:
If you think you need a little help to reduce stress, talk with your primary care doctor. They can work with you to manage your stress and connect you with a mental health specialist if needed.
What Is A Pre
A pre-pregnancy checkup is a medical checkup you get before pregnancy. It helps your health care provider make sure youre healthy and that your body is ready for pregnancy. The checkup helps your provider treat and sometimes prevent health conditions that may affect your pregnancy. For example, your provider checks to make sure your vaccinations are up to date and gives you any you need before pregnancy.
If you can, get your pre-pregnancy checkup with the health care provider you want to take care of you when you do get pregnant. You can get a pre-pregnancy checkup any time. Get one even if youve already had a baby. Your health may have changed since you were last pregnant.
Work Toward A Healthy Body Weight
If youre underweight or overweight, you may have a harder time becoming pregnant. Being at a healthy body weight also supports a healthier pregnancy. Women who are underweight and dont gain enough during pregnancy are more likely to deliver underweight babies, while women who are overweight are more likely to experience pregnancy and delivery complications.
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Some Pregnancy Tests Are More Sensitive Than Others
Not all pregnancy tests are made equal, as some can actually detect your pregnancy sooner.
The more sensitive the test, the better it is at detecting hCG in your urine, according toBaby Centre. To find out how sensitive your test is, simply check the instructions for the concentrations of hCG the test is capable of picking up.
The lower the number, the more sensitive the test.For example, a test with a sensitivity of 10mIU/ml will detect a pregnancy earlier than a test with a sensitivity of 40mIU/ml.
Sleep Now While You Can
This wont come as a surprise Im sure, but once youre pregnant and especially after your baby arrives, sleep will become a thing of the past. Take advantage and sleep now. Enjoy staying up late and sleeping in, and especially sleeping on your stomach and back.
When youre pregnant, middle of the night bathroom calls will frequently interrupt sleep and after 16 weeks you arent allowed to sleep on your stomach or back, and its recommended you sleep on your left side to help with blood circulation. The limited sleep position can cause hip pain and restless nights of trying to sleep take advantage and enjoy sleep now!
Get a quality pregnancy pillow Be sure to check out all the other great freebies for expecting Moms.)
During our third pregnancy, we actually bought a new mattress and sleep was more comfortable and more restful. If you are in the market for a new mattress, now may be the best time to treat yourself
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Record Menstrual Cycle Frequency
A woman who wants to have a baby should monitor whether the first days of her periods tend to occur the same number of days apart every month, which is considered regular. Conversely, her periods may be irregular, meaning her cycle lengths vary from month to month. By tracking this information on a calendar, a woman can better predict when she might be ovulating, which is the time every month when her ovaries will release an egg. There are also some apps that can help with the tracking, such as GlowOvulation period tracker .
A woman’s egg is fertile for only 12 to 24 hours after its release, according to the American Pregnancy Association. However, a man’s sperm can survive in a woman’s body for up to five days.
Things To Do Before The Baby Arrives Checklist
We all want to make sure we have everything together before The Big Day, no doubt.
Rest assured friend, well get you on track. As someone who relied on lists long before I had kids, I know how much being prepared helps. But I also dont like to plan too much to the point of feeling overwhelmed.
The key is to cover your basics and know that not every list is for everyone. One persons must have item might be completely useless for another. Saving for maternity leave or preparing older kids for the baby wont apply to the first-time mom who plans to stay home.
Do what works for you and take the tips that can make a difference. Just the fact that youre planning ahead is already progress enough.
So, what can you do to prepare for the baby? Here are things to do before the baby arrives, a checklist of fun activities and practical tasks:
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Stop Drug And Alcohol Use
Illegal drugs like cocaine and meth have chemicals that are harmful during your planning period, Ross says. The same is true for marijuana, even though its legal in some states.
Men who smoke weed, for instance, have a lower amount of sperm for weeks after they stop. Women who smoke have a harder time getting pregnant than nonsmokers.
Heavy alcohol use also affects your fertility. Its not clear whether the occasional beer or glass of wine affects your chances of getting pregnant. But experts say your safest bet is to give up booze completely when youre trying to conceive. Theres no safe amount of alcohol for a growing baby, and you may not know that youre pregnant for a few weeks or months.
Continued
How Can I Reduce Stress During Pregnancy
Stress and anxiety during pregnancy, for some women can be the worst experience. I was so stressed during pregnancy, that my body was literally revolting, from an ER ambulance ride to not being able to see. More on that later. I found out quickly that this affects my baby! My doctor said this could cause my baby to come early than she should or have a low birth weight.
However, a little stress during pregnancy IS normal. Who wouldnt be a little anxious about a major medical hospital trip, a lengthy recovery and becoming suddenly solely responsible for a tiny human life ? You may not have a heartbeat if none of that gives your chest a flutter.
But, if this feeling is constant and affecting your life in major ways, the BEST thing to do to reduce stress during your pregnancy is to talk to your doctor.
12. Be ready mentally for labor and delivery. Take an awesome online prenatal class take it at your own pace, whenever you want, wherever you want. Traveling to the prenatal class at our hospital was stressful, I had to take work off AND sit for eight hours plus. To top it off, our instructor kept skipping the videos because they didnt work! She skipped entirely over newborn care due to technology issues. ARGH! I looked at online classes and some are over $400!
14. Have some quiet time. Meditate, pray, go on a walk in a beautiful part of town or do some simple pregnancy stretches while listening to soft instrumental music.
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Five Things To Do Before Getting Pregnant
Planning to have a baby is super exciting, but can also be really overwhelming. Its normal to feel like you have a zillion things to do, but youre still missing something importantso weve put together a comprehensive-but-not-impossible list of things to keep in mind.
Okay, having a babywhat do you need to do?
Day : Schedule A Preconception Visit
Depending on a number of factors , you may also want to schedule a special preconception visit with your obstetrician. Some of the areas of this examination may overlap with your physical, so be sure to bring any specific reproductive questions you may have.
Your visit should cover anything youre concerned about, from screening for sexually transmitted diseases to screening for pregnancy readiness.
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Reduce Your Caffeine Intake
Research shows that consuming too much caffeine while you are trying to conceive can increase the risk of miscarriage. The research shows that this applies to both women and men. Too much caffeine in pregnancy has also been shown to be harmful to the developing baby.
If youre planning to conceive, you and your partner should consider limiting your caffeine intake to 200mg a day.
The Best Time To Get Pregnant
You are most likely to conceive if you have sex within a day or so of ovulation. This is usually about 14 days after the first day of your last period.
An egg lives for about 12-24 hours after it is released. For you to become pregnant, the egg must be fertilised within this time. Sperm can live for up to seven days inside a womans body. So, if you have had sex in the seven days before ovulation, the sperm will have had time to travel up the fallopian tubes to wait for the egg to be released.
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How Will Parenting Work With My Partner And Me
Parenting with a romantic partner or a co-parent helps both parents feel supported, and many couples enjoy sharing the responsibility of raising a child. Creating a family with someone can be really rewarding, and it may even bring you closer together.
But most people find that having a child tests even the strongest relationship in ways they dont expect. Sometimes the stress is just too much and the relationship doesnt last.
Either way, your relationship with your partner will change when you have a baby. Parenting together takes good communication and a commitment to stick through the hard times. If youre considering parenting with a partner, here are some questions to think about:
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Is our relationship healthy enough to provide a loving and stable home for a child?
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Do we agree on when to have a baby?
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Will we communicate openly and honestly with each other?
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Will we share the financial responsibility of caring for our child?
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Will we share the day-to-day work of caring for our child?
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Do we agree on how child care and/or daycare is going to work?
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Can we deal with the strains that pregnancy and raising a child puts on relationships?
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If our relationship ends, how would we continue to parent?
Learn Your Family History
Collecting your familys health history can be important for your childs health. You might not realize that your sisters heart defect or your cousins sickle cell disease could affect your child, but sharing this family history information with your doctor can be important.
Other reasons people go for genetic counseling include having had several miscarriages, infant deaths, trouble getting pregnant , or a genetic condition or birth defect that occurred during a previous pregnancy.
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Take Care Of Your Mental Health
We say its normal a lot, but we want to emphasize that its super normal to have lots of emotions about preparing for pregnancy. This is a big change. Its going to affect your body, your relationship, your daily routine, your bank accountbasically, your whole future. Thats a great thing. Its also a lot. If youre worried, dont feel guilty about that.
You might get into a tough emotional place during pregnancy, especially if youve had anxiety or depression before. Thats super common. If youve ever been on medications, like anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, talk to your doctor about the plan for continuing them. Not only are many of these medications safe in pregnancy, but they are recommended to continue since symptoms can be exacerbated in pregnancy. If youve got the bad kind of stomach butterflies, we recommend working with a talk therapistthey can help you sort through and get comfy with your fears. Were alone so much in our modern world, and we werent always. Generally speaking, pregnant women and couples used to have more familial and social support during and after pregnancy than most of us do now. Wanting or needing support from other people is just as human as pregnancy is.
Minimizing Stress Before Conception
Juggling all the normal stresses of modern living with the happy but huge intent of getting pregnant is enough to get anyone wound up. But all that worrying might actually put a crimp in your pregnancy plans. Stress can delay ovulation and increase the frequency of uterine contractions, which can prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.
Your plan? Find a stress management technique that you enjoy and work it into your routine on a regular basis. Whether its journaling before breakfast, hitting a yoga class on the weekends or taking a bubble bath before bed, youll feel more relaxed and might just have an easier time getting pregnant.
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Keep To A Healthy Weight
If you’re overweight, you may have problems getting pregnant and fertility treatment is less likely to work.
Being overweight or obese also raises the risk of some pregnancy problems, such as high blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis,miscarriage and gestational diabetes.
Before you get pregnant you can use the BMI healthy weight calculator to find out your BMI. But this may not be accurate once you’re pregnant, so consult your midwife or doctor.
Having a healthy diet and doing moderate exercise are advised in pregnancy, and it’s important not to gain too much weight.
You can keep to a healthy weight by having a balanced diet and doing regular exercise.
Find Out Your Family History
Have any of your family members had a child born with birth defects, diabetes, seizure disorders, or developmental issues? Nows the time to find out and let your doctor know. It will affect what tests they suggest you have.
For instance, Tay-Sachs is a rare disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord. Its most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. If it runs in your or your partners family, a blood test can tell if you or your partner carries the gene for the condition, and the chances that youll pass it on to your child.
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What Is Folic Acid
Folic acid is a B vitamin that every cell in your body needs for healthy growth and development. Taking it before and during early pregnancy can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine . Birth defects are health conditions that are present at birth. Birth defects change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body. They can cause problems in overall health, in how the body develops or in how the body works.
To help prevent NTDs in your baby, start taking a vitamin supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid every day before you get pregnant. A supplement is a product you take to make up for certain nutrients that you dont get enough of in the foods you eat. Start taking 400 mcg of folic acid each day at least 1 month before pregnancy and through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Your folic acid supplement can be:
- A multivitamin. This is a pill that contains many vitamins and other nutrients that help your body stay healthy.
- A prenatal vitamin. This is a multivitamin that has nutrients you need during pregnancy. Your health care provider may give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins, or you can get them over the counter without a prescription.
- A supplement that contains just folic acid.
Because nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, you should take a vitamin supplement with 400 mcg of folic acid each day even if youre not trying to get pregnant.
Fun Things To Do While Pregnant A Bucket List
What are fun things to do while pregnant? Or an even BETTER question: how do you pamper yourself when pregnant?
You of all people know how pregnancy is like the biggest waiting game of all time. That said, it also can seem like the ultimate countdown of preparing for baby to-dos, especially for first time moms:
.anxious doctor visits, maternity clothes shopping , prenatal class taking , hospital tours, doll-sized clothes shopping, uber nesting frenzies , baby registry making , and baby shower craziness .
PHEW. Among ALL those things there are pregnancy checklists galore! First trimester, second trimester.blah, blah, blah.
This list is for pregnant mommas-to-be who are TIRED of all-the-things to do!!! That pregnancy checklist can wait. You are a badass pregnant momma who deserves a break . You deserve the world. I mean it.
Here are 29 FUN things to do while pregnant, the ULTIMATE bucket list. Because once baby is here, your life will change forever. Now is the time to pamper yourself, pick some awesome date ideas and live life to the fullest. Relish in the freedom of no-baby life and distract yourself from the ultimate waiting game.
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