Preparing For Pregnancy - What Do You Need To Know?

Congratulations! You have made the decision to have baby and of course you want to give yourself  the best chances of conceiving along with the best start possible for your unborn baby. This is why pre-pregnancy planning is so important, as it gives you time to prepare yourself and your body for a baby.

Invest in Folic Acid

It has been proven that women who take around 0.4mgs of Folic Acid each day before they conceive, and for around 10 – 12 weeks when they are pregnant, will significantly reduce the risks of birth defects such as spina bifida. If you considering trying for a baby soon, then you should still take folic acid each day, with reports stating women should do so up to 1 year before they actually conceive.

You will also find folic acid is present in many foods such as cereal, spinach and orange juice, and when you're preparing for pregnancy you need to be eating the best types of food anyway!

Get Rid of Bad Habits

Smoking when pregnant, as well as drinking alcohol when pregnant can harm your unborn baby, but did you know that smoking and drinking when trying to conceive can also affect your fertility? Stopping smoking and reducing your intake of alcohol will boost your fertility and prevent the chances of miscarriage and birth defects.

Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking at least 8 glasses of water is something we should all be doing anyway, so if you are not getting enough fluids now is the time to start doing so. Drinking plenty of water is also a natural way to increase the presence of fertile cervical mucus, which helps sperm travel to your egg during ovulation much easier!

Excercise and Health

If you are overweight, this can also reduce your chances of conceiving thus making sure you fit in around 30 minutes of exercise each day will keep you fit and help you shed any excess weight. Ladies who are underweight, may also find conceiving is a little more difficult, thus taking the time in this pre-pregnancy stage to put a little bit of healthy weight back on will benefit you greatly.

You should also make sure you are up to date on all of your vaccinations prior to getting pregnant.  For instance, if your German Measles is up to date, and if not it is VERY IMPORTANT to ensure you get this done at least 1 year before conceiving. Also ensure your cervical smears are up to date and that you are free of any STDs. Preparing for pregnancy needn't have to be a scary time, look after your body and your body will look after your baby.