How to get your life ready for a baby

What's below:
• Improve your diet

• Achieve a healthy weight

• Start taking multiple vitamins

• Create (and follow!) an exercise plan

• Stop drinking, smoking, and taking drugs

• Eliminate environmental dangers

• Stop using birth control

• Get your finances in order

• Think your decision through

• See also | Other Sources
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Improve your diet
Now more than ever, proper nutrition is essential. Throw away every fad diet book you've ever bought, put aside old myths, and learn to eat real food for real people. That means a balanced diet of at least three meals a day, with foods from all four food groups to provide the vitamins and minerals essential to good health. Two of the most important nutrients for a healthy pregnancy are calcium and folic acid. A good multiple vitamin will ensure that you get enough of both, but be sure to keep drinking your milk and eating citrus fruits and juices, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and fortified breads and cereals. For more, see our articles on nutrition for a healthy mom-to-be and dad-to-be. And to find out how foods affect fertility, click here.
Women who are trying to conceive may also want to cut back on their caffeine consumption. Researchers don't really know why or how caffeine delays conception or relates to infertility, but it does appear to lower a woman's chances of conceiving, even if she doesn't drink or eat large quantities of it. But dads-to-be should feel free to grab that extra mocha: Caffeine may help men by stimulating sperm motility.



Achieve a healthy weight
Hoping to shed a few pounds? Now's the time to do it. It's best to be as close as possible to your recommended weight when you conceive (calculate yours). Begin by choosing low-fat, high-fiber foods. Make sure you combine a balanced diet with an exercise program, and aim to lose one to two pounds a week, a safe rate of weight loss. In other words, don't overdo it. Extreme weight loss from crash dieting can deplete your body's nutritional stores, which isn't a good way to start a pregnancy. And it's not a good idea to diet while pregnant because you may limit your baby's access to important nutrients.
If you're underweight, get some meat on those bones! While skinny women can and do have healthy babies all the time, studies have shown that underweight mothers tend to have low-birthweight babies. Of course, gorging yourself on Twinkies and cotton candy won't give you the important vitamins and minerals you need. Try to get your extra calories from all four of the basic food groups.

Start taking multiple vitamins
While it's no substitute for a healthy, balanced diet, taking a prenatal supplement (or an all-purpose multivitamin) ensures that you're getting enough of several important vitamins and minerals. At the top of that list is folic acid, a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects in developing babies. Ask your doctor to recommend a vitamin for you.

Create (and follow!) an exercise plan

A good, balanced exercise program provides three important benefits: stamina, strength, and flexibility. You'll need all three to lift and carry a baby, run after a small child, and cope with the day-to-day stresses of motherhood. Plus, getting in shape at least three months before you conceive (ideally six to 12 months) makes it easier to maintain an active lifestyle during pregnancy and eases those nine months — not to mention makes it easier to get through labor. Strengthening your back muscles now, for example, can stave off low back pain later. And aerobic exercise can improve your mood and energy level — not to mention help you achieve a healthy pre-pregnancy weight. You'll also be less vulnerable to the hormonal shifts that can make pregnant women angry and irritable and send family and friends running for cover.

Great pre-pregnancy exercises for getting in shape include running and jogging, walking, swimming, bicycling, and aerobics. Some of these are fairly strenuous, however, and aren't activities you should take up for the first time while pregnant, so be sure to begin well before you start trying to conceive. Then you can continue your routine when you're pregnant.

Note: For all of the above activities, start slowly and don't overtire your body. You should always consult your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

Stop drinking, smoking, and taking drugs
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that partying and pregnancy don't mix. Study after study has shown that smoking and taking drugs are connected to low-birthweight babies, miscarriage, SIDS, and behavioral problems later in life. The jury's still out on drinking, but most health experts recommend that pregnant women play it safe by steering clear of alchohol (for non-alcoholic alternatives, see our list of the best virgin drinks).

Eliminate environmental dangers
Some jobs can be hazardous to you and your unborn children. If you stand all day, fly a lot, or are exposed to chemicals or radiation on a regular basis, you may need to consider making some changes before you conceive. Talk to your doctor about what your daily routine involves and see if you can come up with ways to avoid or eliminate hazards in your workplace.

Stop using birth control
For some people, ditching birth control is as easy as moving the condoms or diaphragm to the back of the dresser drawer. But if you've been using the Pill, some doctors think you should wait a few months after you've stopped taking it before trying to get pregnant because your menstrual cycle may need some time to return to normal. If you've taken the Pill for a long time, it can take several months to a year for the progestin (a hormone that stops the natural production of progesterone and estrogen) to completely leave your body and for your cycle to get back on track. The same is true if you've been using Depo-Provera. The makers say it takes no more than 12 weeks for the progestin to leave your body, but critics claim this kind of birth control can make it difficult to conceive for as much as a year or two after using it. (As a result, it's not the best option for women over 35 who eventually plan to conceive.) Use a backup method, such as condoms, while you wait for your body chemistry to get back to normal.

If you do get pregnant while you're still on the Pill, stop taking it right away and talk to your doctor about it — there's a very small chance (less than one percent) that it could hurt the fetus.

For information on quitting other kinds of birth control, including Norplant and IUDs, see our article.

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Message edited 5/2/2003 3:33:30 PM.

Re: How to get your life ready for a baby

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Get your finances in order
You may never feel that you really have enough money to have a baby, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to save up a little before you get pregnant. After all, according to a study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April 1999, a middle-income, two-parent family can expect to spend $240,000 (adjusted for inflation) for food, shelter, and other necessities. Housing is the biggest expenditure, with food running second. Where you live makes a big difference: West Coast parents spend much more than those in the Midwest.

Some other financial issues to consider: life insurance, disability insurance, and (gulp!) a will. And although it may seem early, this isn't a bad time to start thinking about saving for college.

Think your decision through
Some people say that raising a puppy prepares a couple to be parents. In some small way, that may be true: You go from being a carefree couple with no one to answer to, to the caretakers of a completely helpless being. But a child obviously demands much more than a dog — namely, a lifetime commitment to provide love, nurturing, nourishment, shelter, education, attention, and so on. So before you decide to make a baby, it's important that you and your partner look at what you're in for. This is, after all, a decision that will change your lives forever. Some of the key questions to consider are:

• Are you both equally committed to becoming parents?

• If you have religious differences, have you discussed how they will affect your child?

• Have you thought through how you'll handle childcare responsibilities and balancing work and family?

• Are you prepared to parent a special-needs child?

• Are you ready to give up sleeping in on Sundays? Line up a babysitter every single time you want to go out sans baby?

For more things to think about, see Is Parenthood for You?

Go to a printable version of this checklist.

Also see our physical readiness checklist.

Message edited 5/2/2003 3:33:01 PM.

Re: How to get your life ready for a baby

Getting Pregnant:
Physical Readiness Checklist
Giving your baby the best start in life means getting your own health squared away before you get pregnant. Addressing your medical concerns and going in for a complete physical exam three months to a year before you start trying to conceive will give your healthcare provider an important baseline to use as a guide during your pregnancy — as well as help determine whether you're physically ready to have a baby.

To help you keep track of all your tests and vaccinations, we've prepared the checklist below. Print it out and cross each item off when you've completed it. (You and your partner will probably have to make some lifestyle changes, too — we'll help you keep track of those as well.)

• Medical history: Keeping your doctor informed will help her get you ready for pregnancy.

• Pelvic exam: You'll need to make sure everything's in working order.

• Pap smear: No visit to the doctor would be complete without this routine check for cervical cancer or abnormalities.

• Urinalysis: Detecting infections and other problems early will help you have a healthy pregnancy.

• Blood test: Your doctor may check your blood type and screen for any potential problems.

• Blood pressure check: If it's too high, you (and your pregnancy) could be at risk.

• Vaccinations: If you need any immunizations, now's the time.

• Test for sexually transmitted diseases: Finding and treating them now ups your odds for a healthy pregnancy.

• Thyroid function test: Thyroid problems aren't common, but they can have a big impact on your ability to conceive.

• Viral tests: Have you had toxoplasmosis? If you're not sure, you'll probably be tested.

• Ask all your questions: Don't be bashful — this is what your doctor is for.

• Address medication and health concerns: Is your prescription safe for a developing fetus? Find out now, before you get pregnant.

• Genetic testing and counseling: If any genetic disorders (such as Tay-Sacs disease) run in your family, getting tested now is a good idea.

Re: How to get your life ready for a baby

Getting Pregnant:
Lifestyle Readiness Checklist
You've decided it's time to start your family. But are you ready? By making a few lifestyle changes now, you can give your baby the best headstart possible. Print out our checklist and check off each goal on the day you reach it. (For information on the tests and checkups you'll need, see our physical readiness checklist.)

• Improve your diet: Proper nutrition is essential for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

• Achieve a healthy weight: Being significantly over or underweight can affect your ability to conceive, as well as your baby's health.

• Create (and follow!) an exercise plan: Start a program now that you can continue through pregnancy.

• Start taking prenatal vitamins: Make sure you're getting enough folic acid and the other nutrients your baby will need.

• Stop drinking, smoking, and taking drugs: Partying and pregnancy don't mix.

• Eliminate environmental hazards: Your job may not be as safe as you think it is...

• Stop using birth control: Depending on what you use, your body may need time to get back to normal before you can conceive.

• Get your finances in order: Being a parent comes with a hefty price tag — and lots of responsibility.

• Think your decision through: Be sure that parenthood is really for you.

Also see our physical readiness checklist.