For all those women out there, who are trying to get pregnant, it is essential to understand that your body should be ready to face the upcoming challenges. A healthy body leads to a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. The experience of being pregnant is different for different women. But if we follow a few basic tips, we can avoid some major pregnancy disasters. Also it’s important to realize that at early stages of pregnancy, the baby is very vulnerable and slight mistakes can cause harm to the baby.
Conceptions occurs at mid of the menstrual cycle, which means that the fetus is going to be around 3 weeks old even before you know that you have conceived. This is a critical time as the heart of the baby begins to develop. Keeping all this in mind, a good start before even trying to get pregnant is to visit a doctor to discuss your diet, your lifestyle and habits and have a physical checkup.
Studies have shown that dental issues are linked with pre-term deliveries and low birth weight. Getting a dental checkup done before conceiving is recommended.
Pregnancy for obese women can have more complications. An over-weight mom- to- be should try to lose weight before she tries to conceive. Exercising3 0 min daily will not only reduce weight but will also reduce stress. If exercising is not part of your routine, then starting now is good. Swimming, walking and yoga are the best exercise that you can continue during your pregnancy.
A healthy life style is vital for the well being of both the mother and the developing fetus. This includes giving up caffeine, alcohol and smoking altogether. Junk food should be replaced by vegetables, fruits, milk and other healthier options. The idea is to get a balanced diet so that the baby gets all the nutrition it needs. The mother should also stop taking all supplements unless they are being prescribed by the doctor. Higher dosage of preformed Vitamin A can cause birth defects and liver toxicity. On the other hand, 0.4 mg of folic acid is required once a day so that the baby doesn’t develop any brain or spinal cord problems. Supplements along with bread, pasta and cereals are the best sources of folic acid.
Coming down with rubella during pregnancy can be life threatening for the baby. If the mother is not rubella immune, she should be vaccinated before she conceives. Some doctors say it is better to conceive after three months of being vaccinated while others say that conceiving one month after the vaccination is safe.
For all mom-to-be’s: Read as much as you can about conception and pregnancy. It becomes easy if you are well informed and know what is going to happen to you and your baby. And give yourself some time. If you don’t get pregnant right after one month of trying, don’t panic. Wait for at least 6 months of trying, before going to a doctor.
Kanwal Sharjil
