Preparing For Your Pregnancy

Posted by Fizaazida | Wednesday, August 13, 2008 | 0 comments »

By: Marie Castell

By preparing early you can give both yourself and your baby the very best chances of a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Before getting pregnant, think about whether there are any family or hereditary medical conditions that need to be considered.

If you and your partner have been using any form of contraception you will obviously need to stop!

There is a great likelihood of conceiving if you have intercourse around 5 days before you ovulate. Many doctors advise having sex 2-3 times a week throughout your cycle to stand the best chance of conception.

Both potential moms and dads should take extra care of their diet and lifestyle when they are considering having a baby.

If either or both of are smoking or drinking, it would be a great idea to cease altogether or at the very least cut it down drastically.

You must also improve your diet. It is important to build up a good store of vitamins and minerals before you get pregnant.

You need folate. Women are often advised to take 400 micrograms of folic acid supplements from twelve weeks pre-pregnancy until twelve weeks into the pregnancy. Folic acid is also found in dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli as well as oranges and enriched breakfast cereals and wholemeal bread.

Even if you are not yet pregnant, you still have a risk of high blood pressure and diabetes if you are overweight. So, try to lose excess weight carefully by following a calorie-controlled diet and getting some exercise regularly.

Also be mindful of stress. It can be detrimental to both you and your baby as it can cause high blood pressure and even spontaneous labour in some cases.

Although there is a lot of conflicting advice about how much caffeine is safe, it is generally believed that moderate consumption is fine. You may want to cut down if you drink a lot of coffee or other caffeine- rich drinks, especially in the early weeks of your pregnancy.

Unfortunately some working environments can lead to fertility problems or even pose a risk to the developing baby. Workplaces that may be a risk include those that work with some chemicals, X-rays, lead and anaesthetic gases. You must be wary of these environments.

Finally, if you think carefully about the new life you will be bringing into the world, and make the necessary changes to your lifestyle and diet, then at least you know you are giving your longed-for baby the very best chances of developing into a healthy human being.

And you can enjoy your pregnancy in the knowledge that you have done your very best. Enjoy your precious nine months!




Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Marie Castell is a free lance writer and editor who loves to educate people in many different topics. She also writes for the Pregnancy Notebook Website and the Pregnancy Notebook Blog Site. If you want more pregnancy information, you can visit www.pregnancynotebook.com to read more tips.
Tags: home-and-family, pregnancy, pregnancy tips, pregnancy

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