There are many great reasons why planning for your pregnancy is important. Planning and preparing can help you and your baby be healthier and may even lower the risk of your baby having health issues as an adult. Your actions now can have a positive impact on you and your child and you both will be better for it.
Conception
One great reason to plan ahead is to help increase the likelihood of a successful conception. During the month, a woman’s body is more fertile during ovulation. Ovulation starting times are different for everyone but on average it starts on the 14th day after the first bleed of the menstrual cycle. Sperm can live in woman’s body for up to 6 days so if you want to get pregnant have sex several days BEFORE you ovulate. It is not foolproof but planning goes a long in being successful at conceiving and getting pregnant.
Healthy Baby and Healthy Mom
There is no way to guarantee that you will have a complication free pregnancy however you can increase the chances of having a healthy baby and an easier birthing process when you prepare for the pregnancy. Starting at around 3 months BEFORE conception stop whatever birth control you are using, stop smoking and drinking alcohol, start taking vitamins, start exercising – in short start living a healthier lifestyle. The healthier YOU are once you become pregnant the better the chances of a having healthy baby and a complication free pregnancy and birth.
In particular, Folic acid (vitamin B9) is a vitamin that you need to be sure is part of your diet. Folic acid has been shown to help prevent certain birth defects if taken daily at least once month prior to getting pregnant and during the first trimester (three months). While the general rule for fad diets is never to do them it’s is especially important now that you do not enter into one now. Your body will need all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it can get. Eat a balanced diet and a wide array of nutritious foods to make sure you are getting all you and your new baby will need in the coming months. If you are currently on any medications (prescribed or over the counter) speak to your doctor about your plans to become pregnant. The doctor will discuss alternative medicines, treatments or if you will have to stop the drug therapies you are currently on altogether as medicines can cause birth defects and abnormalities in the fetus. If you are using recreational drugs, its best to stop using them BEFORE trying to get pregnant as they have the potential of harming not only you but your unborn baby as well – even before you may even realize that you are pregnant. The embryo starts developing very quickly once conception has occurred and drug use can greatly impact its development resulting in miscarriage, premature birth or even still birth. Lastly, go for your dental checkup and take care of any dental issues prior to conceiving.
Additional Planning Best Practices
There are also some questions you will need to ask yourself when deciding on having a baby to avoid finding yourself in a bad situation like who will watch your baby if you are working, who will be your caregiver/obgyn during the pregnancy and are you and your partner emotionally ready to have a baby. There will be many more decisions you will have to make once you are pregnant and after you give birth. The more you tackle beforehand can make the coming 9 months and upcoming future a lot easier to handle. Having a child is one of the most beautiful and rewarding experiences one can have however it is also one that can be very challenging not just for you but also for your partner.
New Life OBGYN is here to help you plan your pregnancy and continue to give you the care you need once you are pregnant. Stop by any of our two locations located in Brooklyn at 634 59th Street or Manhattan at 128 Mott Street. We treat all of our patients with compassion and give you the individual attention you deserve, call or stop by today!
