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.
cont'd in next post
• 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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
cont'd in next post
