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Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy

 If you’re not pregnant yet…

If you and your partner are not pregnant yet but are planning on starting a family soon, there are some things that you can do to prepare for a healthy pregnancy. Here are some tips that you can start doing now:

  • It is recommended that you stop taking birth control pills at least 3 months before you want to become pregnant.


  • Get a physical. Both you and your husband should go see your doctor to make sure that everything is okay. If there is anything wrong whether it is serious or simple, then you can be sure to take care of it before hand.


  • Go to the Dentist. Get a complete dental exam, x-rays, and have any fillings or other dental procedures taken care of now.


  • You can go ahead and choose your OB now, while there is no rush. Have this doctor do a pre-pregnancy exam. If the doctor feels that you are high-risk for any reason, it will be good to know that before hand. There may be things you could do now to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery.


  • Start tracking your cycle now. This will help you know when your chances are highest to conceive when the time is right. To do this, start keeping track of the first day of your menstrual period. Ovulation usually occurs in the middle of your cycle (for example, day 14 of a 28 day cycle). You could also take your basal body temperature first thing in the morning (it reaches its lowest point of the month and then abruptly rises when you ovulate) and check your vaginal mucus daily (it should be clear and runny). There are also ovulation predictor kits that you can purchase to help you determine the best time to conceive.


  • Make sure that you are up to date on all immunizations.


  • Have a genetic screening if you or your partner has a history of genetic disorders. This can help you determine the chances of having a child with a genetic disorder.


  • Make sure that any other medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, etc. are under control. Make sure to discuss this with your doctor and continue to do so throughout the pregnancy.


  • Start eating healthy. Eating well will help improve your overall health, and it can even improve your fertility as well, so start eliminating junk food from your diet. Along this same note, not eating enough and being underweight or suffering from an eating disorder can be just as bad as eating too much. Make sure that your diet is well balanced.


  • Stay away from hazardous substances, such as passive smoke, pesticides, hot tubs, some vitamin supplements, cat litter, the acne medication Accutane, lead, etc. This goes for the father as well. Certain professions may be especially dangerous. Make sure to take all precautions possible to limit exposure.


  • Start taking a prenatal vitamin now. Choose one that contains Folic Acid.


  • Try to get as close to your ideal weight as possible before you start trying to get pregnant. Being overweight or severely underweight can make your pregnancy more difficult and put your health and that of your baby at risk.


  • Improve your partner’s diet as well. The healthier your husband is the healthier his sperm will be. It’s a good idea to start eating healthier together.


  • Avoid any x-rays unless they are necessary for a medical reason. If you must have an x-ray make sure that your reproductive organs are protected and that the lowest possible does are used. It’s a good idea, once you have started trying to conceive, to just keep in mind that you are already pregnant. Tell all medical professionals that you deal with that you could be pregnant.


  • Limit caffeine consumption as much as possible. Cut it out completely if possible.


  • Limit your intake of Over-the-Counter Drugs. Since many of these drugs carry warnings about use while pregnant make sure to ask your doctor before you take them, once you’ve decided to start trying.


  • Discuss the safety of taking all prescription medications that you take before you start trying to conceive.


  • Do not take any illicit drugs. To varying degrees they can prevent your chances of conceiving, as well as harming the baby. They increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and still birth. Get your partner to give up illicit drugs as well because they can damage his sperm.


  • Because drinking alcohol can cause severe birth defects, it is a good idea to limit drinking as much as possible, and stop drinking all together once conception occurs.


  • Quit smoking. It’s a good idea anyway, but it can be especially hazardous in pregnancy. It can also decrease your fertility, in both men and women.


  • Relax. This is very important. Many couples worry about getting pregnant when it doesn’t happen right away, but getting stressed out about it can actually make it hard to get pregnant at all.