Tips for Women Planning a Pregnancy
By: Tsou JinyeuTotal Views: 273, Word Count: 759,
If you are trying to conceive then this is the right place for you. I’ve jotted down some tips that you can follow in order for you to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy:
· Start taken prenatal vitamin tablets and folic acid tablets several months before you plan a pregnancy. Folic acid is vital for fetal development. By taking folic acid, the risk of some birth defects like Down’s syndrome is reduced drastically.
- You must stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Smoking badly affects fertility and may cause difficulties in conceiving. Alcohol can also affect fertility as it causes a hormonal imbalance which hinders in menstruation that could lead to difficulties in conceiving.
- If you have a medical condition like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and other chronic diseases, then ensure to keep them under control. Such medical conditions can disrupt your pregnancy plans. Speak with your doctor and discuss how to manage such medical conditions optimally for a successful pregnancy.
- Discuss about all medications with your doctor to find out if they are safe to consume during pregnancy.
- Make sure that you are up to date with your vaccinations. Some infections which could be prevented with a vaccine may be devastating in pregnancy.
- Avoid contact with any toxic materials both at work and at home. Stay away from chemicals and pesticides.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat or seafood. This can cause infections which can affect your pregnancy.
- Watch what you eat. You must try to consume only small amounts of seafood because seafood has high mercury content which can affect fetal development. Women who are trying to conceive should avoid eating certain types of fish such as, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and golden bass.
- Because of the affects of mercury on fetal development, many women opt not to eat seafood completely. But seafood is essential as well. Seafood contains essential fatty acids which is vital for your health and your baby’s development. So do eat seafood, but in limited quantities. Fish that can be consumed during pregnancy are salmon and canned tuna.
- It is important to be familiar with your family history and your partner’s family history. This is important especially for couples who are planning to start a family. Some genetic diseases which happen to be in the family may pose risks for a pregnancy and may cause pregnancy complications. Therefore, it is very important to know your family history to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications.
- Exercise before you plan a pregnancy. Exercising will help strengthen your muscles; this will help in having an easy delivery. Also, exercising will allow you to maintain an optimum weight which is very important for a smooth pregnancy. If you are overweight then you will need to lose weight and get under control before a pregnancy. Because being overweight can cause pregnancy complications. Once you built a healthy habit and lifestyle you will surely maintain it during your pregnancy as well.
About the Author
Dr Tsou Jinyeu is a well known gynecologist and has been in this field since 1995. His special interests are – genetic and birth defects, high risk obstetrics, lupus in pregnancy, premature labour, premature delivery, triplets and ultrasound diagnosis. He is graduated from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Nowdays he is working as a medical doctor at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health.
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