Plan Your Pregnancy

Creating a healthy environment for your baby is important not only after he or she is born, but even before conception. The process starts right from the moment you decide that you want to get pregnant. Then starts the period of getting your body ready for a healthy pregnancy and delivery, so as to increase the chances of having a healthy baby. Three months before the pregnancy is the right time to make lifestyle changes to help with fertility and to reduce problems during pregnancy.

The following are some steps to be considered as a part of pregnancy planning:

This is the time to go for genetic counselling to deal with any family history of inherited diseases.

Medical conditions should be treated and kept under control before trying to become pregnant: for example, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, thyroid disease, seizure disorders, arthritis, chronic diseases, etc.

Lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking, avoid drinking and drug use are highly recommended for the baby to be healthy.

If you’re taking some prescribed or over-the-counter medication, discuss it with your doctor to decide if they’re actually necessary. Otherwise, certain medications can cause serious birth defects.

Keep track of any vaccinations (As recommended by your

clinician) that are to be taken before becoming pregnant or during pregnancy. It is important if you want your baby to be born without lifelong health problems.

Reach a healthy weight so as to avoid complications during pregnancy. Being overweight as well as underweight paves the way for health risks. Get your daily dose of exercise.

Make dietary changes not just for the short-term plan, but as a part of a long-term healthy lifestyle. Some tips are:

Make healthier food choices and eat fresh. Avoid high-fat diets as well as weight-loss diets.

Limit sugar intake.

Though no drastic changes are observed, caffeine is best kept under a 200 mg per day limit.

Once you have mentally prepared yourself to go ahead and get pregnant, you will stop using birth control pills and will automatically schedule intercourse according to the most fertile time of the month. This is usually within a day or so of ovulation. Also, keep an eye out for symptoms of pregnancy like implantation bleeding, and keep exposure to toxic substances to a minimum.

Apart from taking these steps by yourself, or with your partner’s help, make sure to follow everything your doctor says with regard to nutrition intake, weight, medication, etc. If you have been trying to get pregnant regularly for about a year and still not successful, consult a fertility specialist. If you’re over 35, don’t wait beyond 6 months.

It is absolutely normal for expectant or at least, hopeful couples to be a little worried about pregnancy. It is normal, and a good sign, in fact, if you’re anxious to make sure that your baby arrives healthy and safe into the world. So take every extra mile that you can to turn this expectation into reality. During this time, for all lab test requirements you can opt the most trusted and renowned diagnostic centre like Apollo Diagnostics.