Home / Health Insurance / Wellness Corner / Pregnancy Planning: How to Prepare Your Body for a Health Pregnancy( EST READ TIME: 3 minutes )

A Handy Guide to Pregnancy Planning

Pregnancy planning is not always easy. One needs to start by talking to their doctor to ensure good preconception health & a good preconception period (time of 3 to 6 months before pregnancy). During this time, one must choose healthy habits and make lifestyle changes that can help reduce pregnancy complications and ensure quick recovery from birth. Read on to know more if you are planning for pregnancy, so that you don't skip anything!

1. Start Taking a Folic Supplement

It is highly recommended that you take folic acid supplements daily before you get pregnant and keep taking them until you are 12 weeks pregnant. This is because folic acid helps with better foetus development and reduces the risk of a neural tube defect (it is a congenital defect in the covering of the central nervous system). If you have any previous history of neural tube defects, the doctor may recommend a higher dose of the folic acid supplement. Besides folic acid, iodine is also essential for a foetus's brain development. So, the doctor might advise to take iodine supplements too.

2. Maintain Healthy Weight

Maintaining healthy weight is important as being overweight makes it less likely to get pregnant and can cause several complications during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and deep vein thrombosis. These health conditions directly affect the foetus's mental and physical development and therefore, one must stick to healthy eating and regular physical exercising to achieve a healthy weight.

3. Eat a Balanced Diet

While it is essential to maintain a healthy and balanced diet throughout, it becomes exceptionally important when pregnant or about to get pregnant. If you start following a balanced diet before pregnancy, you are more likely to have a healthy pregnancy. Include a variety of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins to your diet and avoid food high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Also, stay hydrated at all times.

4. Avoid Toxic Substances

While planning pregnancy, keep away from toxic substances such as fertilisers, bug sprays, and synthetic chemicals. These toxic substances can affect your reproductive system and make it more challenging to get pregnant.

5. Take Medicines Only After Consulting the Doctor

Certain medications can lead to birth defects so consult the doctor before taking any medicines.

6. No alcohol and smoking

If trying to get pregnant, then one must stop drinking alcohol and smoking, as these can cause complications and lead to premature birth, birth defects, and sometimes even infant death. If facing a problem with quitting smoking and drinking, approach your doctor or any drug treatment centre.

7. Get the Right Vaccinations

Vaccination is critical when you're about to get pregnant or our amidst pregnancy planning. If you have low immunity, a booster vaccination can help protect your unborn baby because it immunises your body against vaccine-preventable infections and protects the foetus by supplying antibodies from your body. Moreover, certain vaccines help to keep your body healthy.

8. Exercise

Regular exercising can help you in many ways before or during pregnancy as it enables you to achieve a healthy weight, helps in managing stress, and also make you feel good throughout. It helps to cope with the physical changes one undergoes during pregnancy and also reduces the chances of experiencing complications such as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia.

9. Relax

While trying to get pregnant, one must stay away from stress and mental strains as much as possible. Getting enough sleep and plenty of rest is important as it helps to relax the body and thereby increases the chances of becoming pregnant.

10. Know the Best Time to Get Pregnant

Knowing your ovulation cycle is a vital aspect of pregnancy planning as you are most likely to get pregnant before or during your ovulation cycle which occurs each month, usually 12 to 14 days before your period starts. There are several periods tracking apps available that can help you know your ovulation cycle.

Conclusion

Proper pregnancy planning can help you conceive easily and ensure a healthy pregnancy, and make sure to include healthy lifestyle and dietary habits. Visit your doctor regularly for proper prenatal care.

Sources: CDC, Pregnancy Birth Baby

Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your Doctor before starting a new medicine or health regime.

Questions to ask your Gynecologist While Pregnant

Pregnancy Diet - Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

10 Best Movies you Should Watch When Your Are Pregnant

Published on August 29, 2022