10 Steps Towards a Healthy Pregnancy
2009 While you are waiting to conceive, you can use the time to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. Here are positive steps you can take right now that can make a real difference:
- Get a checkup
See your health care provider to get a clean bill of health. If you have a medical condition like high blood pressure, diabetes, or epilepsy, it’s important to keep it under control, to reduce the risks of birth defects. Your health care provider will also ask about you and your partner’s medical history to assess your risks of passing on a genetic disorder (It’s a good idea to bring your partner with you to your visit).
Tell your health care provider about any medications that you take – both prescriptions and over-the-counter. Certain drugs, like some blood thinners and epilepsy drugs, should not be taken during pregnancy. Others, such as the acne drug Accutane (isotretinoin), must be stopped even before you conceive. Remember to ask about any herbs or supplements that you take, because even some natural substances can cause problems.
Ask to be screened for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which can hurt your baby if they’re left untreated. STDs can also increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy, (where the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus) and other pregnancy complications.
Make sure your rubella (German measles) and chicken pox vaccinations are up-to-date. If you need a vaccination, wait at least one month after the injection before you try to conceive.
This is also a good time to get a dental checkup – but don’t have x-rays taken unless you’re absolutely sure you’re not pregnant.
- Take folic acid
Research shows that taking folic acid (a B vitamin) before you conceive, and continuing through early pregnancy, reduces a baby’s risk of brain and spinal cord defects by two thirds. The recommended dose of folic acid is 400 micrograms a day. You may already be taking that much in your multivitamin – check the label. If not, switch to another multivitamin or add a folic acid supplement. It’s also good to eat foods that are rich in folic acid, such as beans, leafy green vegetables and orange juice.
Taking folic acid is very important, but it only works if you start taking it before you get pregnant and during the first few weeks of pregnancy.
- Reach a healthy weight
If you are overweight, now is the time to reduce. This can lower your risk of premature delivery, diabetes, and high blood pressure, and reduce the chance that you’ll need a C-section. Remember – once you get pregnant, it is no longer safe to diet.
If you need to gain weight, putting on a few pounds now may help you conceive.
- Avoid alcohol
Giving up liquor, beer and wine can make it easier to conceive. And of course, once you’re pregnant, you should not drink. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause heart defects, low birth weight, and growth problems in your baby, and can interfere with brain development.
- Say no to "street drugs"
Taking illegal drugs is extremely risky for a pregnant woman and her baby. Not only can babies be born addicted, they are more likely to develop learning or behavioral problems. Marijuana has been linked with low birth weight. Don’t risk it.
- Cut back on caffeine
The March of Dimes recommends that you limit yourself to one 12-ounce cup of coffee a day. Caffeine is also found in certain soft drinks and medications, so get in the habit of reading labels.
- Stop smoking
Smoking raises the risks of low birth weight, premature birth, pregnancy complications, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Even second-hand smoke from other people’s cigarettes can be harmful.
Giving up cigarettes may make it easier for you to get pregnant. There is even growing evidence that smoking can lower a man’s fertility, so if your partner smokes, he should quit too. Quitting takes real effort, but if there was ever a time to stop smoking, this is it. Talk to your health care provider if you need help.
- Get in shape
Regular exercise can help you lose weight, lift your mood, and reduce stress. Aim to exercise 30 minutes a day, several days a week. Walking, swimming and yoga are excellent for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive. Ask your health care provider what kind of exercise is right for you.
- Eat healthy, eat safe
Eat a balanced diet that’s low in fat, sugar, and cholesterol, and high in vegetables, fruits, grains, lean protein like chicken, and milk products. To avoid harmful bacteria, wash all fresh foods carefully, and stay away from raw meat and unpasteurized dairy products.
Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet, but they all contain certain amounts of mercury. Women who may become pregnant should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Instead, eat up to 12 ounces a week (2 average servings) of low-mercury fish like shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. (Note: Albacore - “white” tuna - has more mercury than canned light tuna, and should be limited to 6 ounces per week.)
- Avoid environmental hazards
Strong-smelling cleaning supplies, solvents, insect killers, and paint can be hazardous. If you do use them, wear rubber gloves and be sure the room is well ventilated. It’s also a good idea to check if your water pipes contain lead and, if so, drink filtered or bottled water. |
