Pregnancy: How to prepare for your pregnancy (II)

Pregnancy: How to prepare for your pregnancy (I)

In the above article we had 4 of the ‘items’ on your pre-pregnancy list. Today I’d like to mention other few things that a mother to be should have in mind before planning to have a baby:

5. Change your diet for the better

We’re all eating ‘worse’ today than we did 20 years ago for instance. Back then most of our food was natural, less preservatives and ‘chemicals’, obesity was something most of us saw only on TV. Nowadays, with our mostly sedentary lifestyle, it’s more difficult to eat healthy and stay in shape. Many of our friends/relatives (if not ourselves) face all kinds of weight problems, from few extra pounds to morbid obesity.

If you weren’t yet concerned with your weight/diet before, preparing to be a mother should make you focus on this aspect since being overweight or seriously underweight can really hinder the fertility process, not to mention the health of the fetus (if you do become pregnant).

Start losing some weight (or gain it in a healthy manner) BEFORE you plan on trying for a baby with your partner. Any diet should stop once the stick turns blue, otherwise you’re putting yourself and your baby into some serious danger.

Snacking on fruits (they will come in handy especially in the first pregnancy months, when you’ll be nauseous most of the time), ditching sodas and trying to eat more home made meals than fast-food can help you cut A LOT of calories. With a nice exercise regimen and these small diet adjustments you can cut down on calories and this will result in a HEALTHY weight loss and getting your body toned and ready for motherhood.

6. Watch out for that medication

BEFORE you plan on getting pregnant you’ll need to have another chat with your doctor to see which medication you are on could harm your baby. For a pregnant woman most medication is forbidden or should be strictly monitored. If you are taking something for a chronic illness, this chat with your doctor will help you both determine the course of treatment and its possible effects. DO NOT get your data off the internet (as much as we’d want to help, we’re not doctors), do not hide any medication from your doctor, be honest and seek professional advice.

7. Mens sana in corpore sano

It is possible to be restricted from exercise in the first trimester, depending on how your doctor decides. I found out we’re expecting when I was 4 weeks pregnant and my OBGYN recommended I stop doing sports (was swimming 2 times a week and doing Tae Bo once a week), since she feared it might be an added risk. Some doctors might not advise against sports, it all depends on how you’re doing and if it can pose a risk for the baby.

As soon as you get your OK (I was allowed to resume swimming after passing the 12th week), you can resume the activity, but don’t work out too much. I have really slowed down and try not to make too much effort on my swimming class and decided to not resume my TaeBo classes since they’re too strenuous for me. The pregnancy months are not the ideal time for you to train yourself senseless or break any world records.

Keep it to a moderate level and don’t forget to change your diet for a healthier one. Eat many fruits and veggies, cut down on caffeine and junk food, take your pregnancy vitamins, if you are advised to take them.

8. A great time to quit smoking

If you couldn’t quit until today, now it’s the perfect time to try harder. What better motivation would you need than the fact that you’ll have a new life growing inside of you? And this life won’t benefit from your habit, so, BEFORE you decide on getting pregnant, quit smoking. Under NO circumstance should you still smoke when carrying a child, the effects on its development can be horrifying.

Since you probably dream of giving birth to a healthy normal baby, make an effort and don’t smoke during your pregnancy. Second hand smoking is also very bad, avoid smokers and the locations filled with the unhealthy smoke.

We’ll prepare more tips in a future article, so stick around 😉