𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

Things All Women Should Do Before Pregnancy

Want to create the perfect environment to welcome your baby into?

•  Focus on healthy eating – One of the best things you can do is to start eating healthy now, before you’re pregnant. And ask your partner to join you. You’ll need plenty of protein, iron, calcium, and folic acid. So stock up on fruits, nuts, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Cut back on chips, baked goods, soda, and other junk foods that have empty calories. Cleanse your body of harmful chemicals by eating clean and greening up your home for three months prior to TTC (trying to conceive)

•  Work towards a healthy weight – Being too thin can make it harder to get pregnant. Being too heavy puts you at risk for health problems, including diabetes and high blood pressure — and it can make labor last longer. The good news is that regular, moderate exercise can help you feel your best as you try to get pregnant. Begin doing a safe yet rigorous workout that you enjoy for 30 minutes to an hour, five or six days per week. Walking, bicycling, and swimming are all great ways to get a workout. Or look into joining a prenatal exercise class.

•  Create and plan a Suitable Baby Budget – You’ll want the best for your little one. So start planning now. Consider formula, baby food, diapers, equipment, pediatrician visits, child care — and baby clothes — fun and functional. Discuss the financial implications of having a child with your partner and rebalance your budget to reflect both pregnancy and parenthood. Review your medical, disability, and life insurance policies and make any necessary changes to suit your plans for pregnancy. Make sure you know and understand the maternity leave policies at your job.

• Make appointments with your general practitioner, OB/GYN, and family dentist for pre-conception visits. Begin taking a good quality pre-natal vitamin (folic acid) as early as three months prior to TTC.

•  Watch the Caffeine – Can’t get going without that cup of coffee? It’s OK, but you may want to stop at just one. Some experts recommend that you get no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day while trying to get pregnant and during pregnancy itself. That’s about one 12-ounce cup of coffee. Even warm, spiced milk can be a soothing substitute for a regular cup of Joe.

• Avoid alcohol – What if you had a drink before you knew you were pregnant? One drink is probably not a concern. It is safest to avoid it entirely. And, it is well known that drinking during pregnancy itself raises the risk for birth defects and learning problems
• Quit Smoking – If you smoke, now’s the time to quit. Smoking can make it harder for you to get pregnant. And smoking during pregnancy can increase the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and even miscarriage. It also puts your baby at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Ask your partner to quit, too. Breathing in secondhand smoke is also dangerous. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor.
• What else?
  •  Engage in a hobby that relaxes you for at least 20 minutes once or twice per week.
  • Browse pregnancy and parenting books and films and choose to read or watch those that interest you.
  • Talk to your own mother and/or other women in your family about the types of experiences they had during pregnancy.
  • Discuss the type of labor and delivery you’d like to have including use of drugs during labor, feelings about C-section and assisted birth, etc.
  • Discuss your views on vaccination and childhood nutrition.
  • Discuss family history of disease with your spouse and parents.
  • Research and discuss the potential for genetic diseases in your family and consider having genetic testing done.