When trying to have a baby it is important to make a conscious effort and get ready for the pregnancy phase. This article focuses on things you can do before and between pregnancies to increase your chances of having a healthy baby. We differ as individuals, in some women, getting their body ready for pregnancy takes a few months while in other women, it might take longer. Whether this is your first, second, or sixth baby, the following are important steps to help you get ready for the healthiest pregnancy possible.
Take Folic acid
If you and your partner are planning to conceive, you should start taking folic acid before you get pregnant. Folic acid helps to provide the best health outcomes for your baby when it is growing. Taking folic acid daily before and during pregnancy also prevents the occurrence of neural tube defects in your baby.
Watch what you consume
If you and your partner are preparing for pregnancy, you should look at your diet and see where you may be able to make healthier food choices. Eating more healthy foods will help with your chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy.
Avoid taking alcohol and quit smoking
There is no safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy; therefore, for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, not drinking is the safest option. Alcohol can affect the health and development of an unborn baby for life. Also, quitting smoking before pregnancy is one of the most effective means of protecting your baby and yourself from the development of serious complications during pregnancy. This makes you more likely to conceive naturally and without delay, less likely to suffer a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy and less likely to deliver your baby prematurely.
Have sex at the right time
You’re most likely to get pregnant if you have sex within a day or so of ovulation (releasing an egg from the ovary). Ovulation occurs 14 days before the first day of your next period (not after). The average cycle takes 28 days but can be shorter or longer. Women with a 28-day cycle will ovulate on day 14 but women with a 30-day cycle will ovulate day 16. To know exactly when ovulation happens, practise a natural family planning or fertility awareness. Pregnancy planning helps prevent exposure of the mother to potentially harmful medications or substances during the early days of her pregnancy, it also ensures that the baby stays healthy and is not exposed to harmful substances. The baby’s organs begin developing as early as 17 days after conception, and the fertilized egg begins to grow even before the first day of the missed period.
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References
- Center for Disease Control. Preconception and Planning. – Accessed September 21, 2018.
- Medicinenet.com. Pregnancy Planning definition and facts. – Accessed Septemeber 21, 2018.