How can I prepare my body for pregnancy?
The decision to have a baby is life-changing and care sometimes can be overwhelming for parents to be. But there not be any fear associated, because if you are well prepared, both physically mentally, emotionally and of course financially it can truly be an amazing journey.
In order to give your body the best chance at entering motherhood. You need to make many lifestyle changes.
General health
Good overall health makes it simple to get pregnant and keep you prepared for pregnancy and nurture a baby
- Visit your GP and discuss your plan to get pregnant. Discuss long term medicines that you are taking and make necessary changes.
- Start taking Folic Acid and vitamin D supplements.
- Get a test to check your intensity towards Rubella and take the necessary vaccine as per your GP’s advice.
- A dental checkup prior to conception is important as it may not be possible to do the same of the procedures once you get pregnant.
- Your body weight has a huge bearing on your chances at getting pregnant.
- Your BMI needs to be in the normal range of 18-25 and you need to achieve that in a balanced diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.
Sexual health
It is important to screen for any sexually transmitted diseases for both partners. There are tests for both viral (such as Herpes, HIV, HCV, HBsAg) and bacterial (such as syphilis, chlamydia, etc). Your GP can advise you in more detail and whether you need to go through these tests.
For women, it is very important to undergo screening for cervical cancer, by a PAP smear test. Men and women should quit smoking, avoid drugs, excessive alcohol, and drugs. Men should avoid wearing tight underwear and exposed to too much heat including laptops and hot water baths.
Lifestyle changes
An unhealthy lifestyle includes too much stress, junk food, lack of exercise and sedentary habits, alcohol, smoking, drugs, and lack of adequate sleep.
Diet
Diet plays a very crucial role in optimizing your preparation for pregnancy.
In some conditions like PCOS, if you are overweight, it may lead to menstrual irregularities. Losing even 5% of your body weight can make a huge change in regularizing your cycles, making it easier to identify your fertile days and plan your pregnancy.
A diet consult were in a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, fiber, vitamins and minerals is very important in making you ready for pregnancy.
Conclusion
Good maternal health is very crucial for a healthy pregnancy and the health of your baby as well and it is worth investing some careful thoughts, time, and energy in making this a memorable journey for both of you.
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