A Checklist of 10 Things to Do Before You Get Pregnant

Pregnancy can be a beautiful time for a woman; equally it can bring with it challenges and discomforts, and even possible complications. If you are planning to get pregnant, there are a few things you can do and lifestyle modifications you can make, to ensure that you have the healthiest pregnancy possible for you; thereby also making sure that you give your future child the best possible start in life.

Pregnancy Planning Checklist

A Checklist of 10 Things to Do Before You Get Pregnant

Here is a checklist (for moms and dads to be) of things to get doing if planning to get pregnant –

  1. Getting fit is important before pregnancy. Not only is being underweight or overweight associated with reduced fertility, it can also mean pregnancy complications. So it is important for a mother to be, to get to within a normal weight range.
  2. Make the decision to eat healthy and continue this throughout pregnancy. Concentrate more on natural, unprocessed produce, eating more of fresh vegetables and fruits because they are rich in nutrients and cutting down on foods high in fats, salt, sugars, additives, artificial flavoring, coloring and so on.
  3. Get active and stay active throughout pregnancy. Not only will this help you reach a healthy weight, studies have also shown that women who exercise regularly throughout their pregnancy may go on to have shorter labors and easier deliveries.
  4. Take your folic acid. It is recommended that women should start taking a folic acid supplement as soon as they decide to try and get pregnant, or at least as soon as they know they are pregnant. A deficiency of this nutrient is known to result in certain birth defects.
  5. Give up smoking. This is important to do for any number of reasons, and if you are trying to get pregnant, this is absolutely vital. Not only does smoking reduce fertility, it is also responsible for very pregnancy complications such as premature labor, low birth weight and birth defects as well.
  6. The research on the matter of alcohol during pregnancy has tended to yield mixed results; with some researchers concluding that small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy are fine and others saying no alcohol during pregnancy is fine. To err on the side of caution, give up drinking for the duration of pregnancy; there is conclusive evidence to show that excessive amounts of alcohol may negatively impact the developing brain of a fetus.
  7. From now on, any medication that you take should be cleared with your doctor to make sure that it is not contraindicated during pregnancy. The fact is that there is very little research done on the subject (for the obvious reason that pregnant women are unwilling to subject their unborn baby to experimentation with drugs) so it is better to be cautious while taking any kind of medication during or when trying to get pregnant.Speak to your family doctor about any genetic problems that run in the family or about any medical conditions that either partner may have, that could impact a healthy pregnancy. Speak about medications, precautions to be taken, immunizations and so on.
  8. Get your finances in order now; consider the fact that a new baby can mean a very significant increase in expenses.
  9. Consider your working environment and if there is any possible exposure to hazards such as certain chemicals, possibility of radiation and so on. If required ask for a reassignment of work responsibility before getting pregnant.
  10. Avoid stress, relax and make the decision to enjoy your pregnancy.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by ThePregnancyZone.com. The blog offers complete week by week pregnancy information and topics relating to Preparing for the Pregnancy, Pregnancy Stages, Labor & Delivery, Pregnancy Issues, Health Issues, Parental care etc.