How to Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy: A Complete How-to Guide
Parenthood is one of the most blessed gifts for a couple to experience in their lifetime. But before you step ahead, you need to prepare your body for pregnancy. This would ensure health and fitness for you and your baby throughout the pregnancy period and even after delivery.
Check out the following 30-day guide to prepare your body for pregnancy:
Phase 1
Once you start thinking on the lines of getting pregnant, you need to go back to basics with these tips to prepare your body for pregnancy.
Learn how Conception works
Get complete learning and knowledge about how to conceive. By knowing the rules and guidelines about the most fertile days, you would be at a better chance to get pregnant.
Stop using Contraceptives
The first step towards preparing for pregnancy is to quit any kind of birth control that you have been using. Stopping to take birth control pills may get your periods within two weeks of quitting the medicine. This opens up your cycle of trying to conceive.
Track your cycle
Start tracking your menstrual cycle and try to understand the dates on which you are most fertile. Various apps can help you keep track of your periodical cycle month after month.
Phase 2
As far as preparing your body for a baby is concerned, you need to bring about many lifestyle changes in your everyday schedule.
Have sex during ovulation
Having frequent unprotected sex throughout your menstrual cycle will get you pregnant. Sex should be timed according to your ovulation dates to increase the chances of fertilisation.
Quit tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
Using addictive like tobacco, alcohol, and drugs can impose high risks of miscarriage, abnormality, and stillbirth of a newborn. Hence, if you wish to prepare your body for pregnancy shortly, you need to quit all these today.
Switch to a multivitamin
Getting your body ready for pregnancy calls for prenatal multivitamins. These would help you gear up against any nutritional deficiencies during the early stages of your pregnancy.
Take folic acid
An extra folate supplement is compulsory, right from the planning stages of your pregnancy. This would keep any neural tube defects, during pregnancy, at bay. For a pre-pregnancy dose, take a least of 400-800 micrograms of folic acid per day.
Eat well to stay well
Eating a healthy balanced diet can suffice for your daily intake of vitamins and minerals to a great extent. Go for whole foods over processed ones and incorporate dietary folates, iron, and calcium in your daily menu.
Add ‘fertility foods’ to your diet
Foods like asparagus, almonds, yam, eggs, and leafy green vegetables add to the fertility rate in a woman. Including these in your diet can help you in your endeavour to get pregnant.
Exercise regularly to remain fit
Target to achieve an exercise plan of 150 to 300 minutes per week, depending upon how active you are. Start off with something as simple as walking or take up a little more challenging action like jogging or cycling.
Reach your healthy weight
Your BMI (Body Mass Index) should fall into the required category. You should not be over-weight or under-weight when preparing your body for pregnancy. Both these conditions are undesirable and risky.
Limit caffeine
The recommended intake of coffee for a pregnant woman is 12 ounces per day. If you have more than this, curb your caffeinated drinks intake as you prepare your body for a healthy and trouble-free pregnancy.
Limit toxin intake or exposure
Taking high amounts of toxins can be dangerous for a developing baby. Hence, it is important to restrict the use of these to the bare least. Go for chemical-free home and personal products and avoid pre-packaged foods.
Phase 3
The next phase focuses on medically preparing your body for conception. Follow these steps soon after you have rescheduled your diet and health plan.
Get a physical health check-up done
A yearly physical health check-up lets you detect health problems before they become severe. Considering all the conditions that can affect your pregnancy, a physical check-up can let you know any health concerns before conceiving.
Check vaccinations
Check for any overdue vaccinations like measles, tetanus, rubella, chicken-pox, etc. The right vaccines at the right time can protect you and your baby at all times.
Schedule a preconception visit
Plan a preconception visit with your obstetrician. You may discuss any concerns relating to planning your pregnancy. Prepare a list of salient questions before your appointment.
Visit the dentist
Hormonal changes in the body can affect your gums and teeth. As you set ahead to prepare your body for pregnancy, you need to ensure your teeth are free of any gingivitis or cavities.
Gather your family medical history
Genetic factors in your family tree will affect your baby’s health. It is important to rule out any genetic conditions that run in your bloodline. You can seek help from a genetic counsellor who gets you sailing in this comfortably.
Discuss prescriptions
Before planning a pregnancy, discuss your previous prescriptions or supplements that you might be on, with your doctor. Some of your regular OTC medicines may not be safe for pregnancy.
Phase 4
Remember, many hormonal changes would occur in your body while preparing for pregnancy. To handle the physical, mental and emotional pressures that would follow, try sticking to these simple rules.
Practice stress relief
Find out ways to release stress. This could be through a relaxing walk or some breathing exercises or anything else that brings pleasure to you.
Practice Yoga
A regular yoga session would help you strengthen your body for pregnancy. It would even help you to handle your anxieties and emotions relating to pregnancy.
Get good sleep
Sleep plays a pivotal role in your well-being when preparing for a pregnancy. So catch up on it as and when you can.
Boost your immune system
Pregnancy requires more immunity as your body becomes more susceptible to common illnesses like colds and the flu. Switch to healthy foods like the ones rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, etc. to boost your immunity levels.
Have enough water
It is important to keep yourself hydrated for optimal health at all times. Pregnant women should have about nine glasses of water every day for a smooth pregnancy.
Take it easy
Your work may be strenuous physically. Yet, when preparing your body for pregnancy, you need to avoid lifting heavy things, bending or stooping over too often.
Get regular acupuncture
A very good way to get your body ready for pregnancy is with acupuncture. It helps improve ovarian function and even increases blood flow to the uterus. Research proves that acupuncture has improved the rate of pregnancy and live birth in women.
Phase 5
Once your body is ready to handle the anxieties and physical changes in it during pregnancy, you can now plan the logistics for a safe and comfortable pregnancy. For this, you need to follow the following steps.
Do your homework
At this point, expect a lot of advice from everyone about what you should and should not be doing during pregnancy. You may be overwhelmed or even misguided by the constant flow of information. Do the homework yourself and make a list of things that need to be avoided.
Follow a healthy regime
Your routine should include everything from a proper exercise regime to a healthy diet and even positive thinking. Incorporate all the Do’s and Don’t for achieving a high fertility rate to get pregnant. This would let you achieve success faster than you had thought.
Stay determined
Not all women achieve their target of getting pregnant very easily. It may take months, and even years, sometimes. You need to remain strong and determined with your goal in mind at all times and not give up or lose hope if you do not get the desired results soon.
Check your insurance coverage
Regular prenatal visits are very important during the entire course of your pregnancy. Plan in advance and make sure you have an insurance cover to deal with all your maternity expenses, including hospital charges and other post-natal expenses.
Conclusion
Preparing your body for pregnancy naturally should be done under your obstetrician’s guidance to achieve the best results.
Consult your doctor immediately if you:
- Happen to miss your periods
- Need to discuss fertility dates for the best pregnancy results
- Face any complications like spotting, bleeding, etc.
