So, you’ve made up your mind to have a little baby added to your family, whether it’s your first baby or second, there are some things to put into consideration when trying for a baby. Just like every other journey, your pregnancy journey will be much smoother and hassle-free if you are well prepared before time and the best time to prepare is now even before you get pregnant. Here are a few things to consider;
1) Get tested; You’ll most likely have done this as part of the pre-marital exercise, if you haven’t done this, you and your partner should get tested to know your blood group, HIV status and Hepatitis B status.
2) Improve your diet; It’s a good idea to start early enough to eat healthy for your baby. Begin to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetable daily and drink plenty of water.
3) Take Folic Acid and pre-natal supplements; The very early stages of pregnancy is when folic acid is most needed, however many women do not know they are pregnant at this stage. Folic acid has been found to boost fertility and reduce the risk of congenital diseases in babies. You should take 400 mcg daily. Taking prenatal vitamins is also a good decision.
4) Start Keeping Track; Are you familiar with your ovarian cycle, do you know your fertile period? If the answer is no, now is the time to keep track of your ovarian cycle, there are many apps that can help with this. This will also help to calculate your due date when you get pregnant.
5) Maintain a healthy lifestyle; No better time than this to obey this golden rule. Quit smoking, alcohol, and other illicit drugs. You should also cut down on caffeine consumption.
6) Get rid of your family planning tools; it’s time to get rid of condoms and your birth control pills. Some doctors will recommend that you wait a few months after you stopped a birth control method before trying for a baby. This is usually to allow your reproductive system go through a normal cycle. For this reason, speak to your midwife or doctor when you are ready to try for a baby.
7) Relax; Many women are usually anxious and scared when trying for a baby, try to take you mind off it and enjoy the moment. Stress has been found to delay conception so this is certainly not the time to be stressed, soon you’ll be cuddling your baby in your arms.
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