Ready for pregnancy?
You can maximise your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and labour if you're fit and healthy to begin with.
If you're super-prepared, you and your partner can make these changes some time before you start trying for a baby. This way you'll ensure you've had enough time to get in a routine and have an effect on your health.
Bear in mind most couples don't conceive straight away; it's also normal for a few months to go by with no sign of pregnancy.
You may feel you're ready to start trying for a baby immediately. Exceptions to this might be:
It may sound obvious, but regular sex increases your chance of getting pregnant. Work out your most fertile time and ensure you make love every day around those dates.
Women mostly ovulate once during each cycle, and the most likely time for conception is 14 days before your next menstrual period is due. Also check your vaginal discharge - it will have a gluey consistency when you're at your most fertile.
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Contraception
If your pregnancy is planned and you're on the pill, it's best to wait three months after stopping before trying to conceive. This will reduce the risk of miscarriage. Also keep a record of your menstrual periods so your due date can be calculated more accurately after conception.
Rubella
Mum has an important responsibility to make sure all her vaccinations are up to date. The most important of these is rubella. Make sure you are rubella-immune and received a vaccination as a child or teenager. If you catch rubella in the first four months of pregnancy it can cause serious sight and hearing defects in your baby. If you are unsure, check with your GP and get a blood test to clarify your immune status. You may need a vaccination three months prior to conception.
Source
You can maximise your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and labour if you're fit and healthy to begin with.
If you're super-prepared, you and your partner can make these changes some time before you start trying for a baby. This way you'll ensure you've had enough time to get in a routine and have an effect on your health.
Bear in mind most couples don't conceive straight away; it's also normal for a few months to go by with no sign of pregnancy.
You may feel you're ready to start trying for a baby immediately. Exceptions to this might be:
- * if you need genetic counselling and the time to think about your discussions
* if either you or your partner are on long-term medication and need advice on its effect on pregnancy or conception (this might be the case for a woman if she has diabetes or epilepsy)
- * Give up smoking. Smoking can reduce fertility, and partners of men who smoke have a reduced chance of conceiving too. Fathers who smoke also affect the health of their babies, before and after the birth. * The risk of respiratory problems and cot death increases, for example.
* Heavy drinking may affect sperm quality
* Ease off the booze. Heavy drinking may affect sperm quality and make a successful pregnancy less likely.
* Keep stress to a minimum. It can cause hormonal changes in the body, which can lead to fertility problems.
* Keep cool. Sperm is made at slightly below body temperature, so don't spend too long in warm baths and wear boxer shorts to improve circulation around the testicles.
* Eat well. A healthy diet and regular exercise will reduce stress and increase your overall fitness, and they're good ways of showing support for your partner, too.
- * Quit smoking. Smoking in pregnancy raises the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth and low birth weight. It has effects into toddlerhood and childhood, too, mainly by increasing the risk of respiratory illness.
* Cut back on your drinking. Heavy drinking is out, but there's evidence that moderate drinking can improve fertility, probably by inducing more sex.
* Look at your weight. Not being overweight helps conception and makes pregnancy more comfortable. A carefully monitored weight-loss diet can be safe during pregnancy and is sometimes advised for women who are seriously overweight, but always check with your doctor. Being underweight can make you less fertile, while being overweight puts you at greater risk of complications such as high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy.
* Take a folic acid supplement. Folic acid - sometimes called folate - is an important B vitamin that's been shown to prevent neural tube defects (NTD) such as spina bifida. It's recommended that you start taking a supplement before you start trying to conceive, as NTDs occur in early pregnancy. The recommended dose is 400 micrograms a day. Folic acid is also found in dark green vegetables, oranges, wholewheat breads and breakfast cereals.
It may sound obvious, but regular sex increases your chance of getting pregnant. Work out your most fertile time and ensure you make love every day around those dates.
Women mostly ovulate once during each cycle, and the most likely time for conception is 14 days before your next menstrual period is due. Also check your vaginal discharge - it will have a gluey consistency when you're at your most fertile.
Source
<div align='center'>
Contraception
If your pregnancy is planned and you're on the pill, it's best to wait three months after stopping before trying to conceive. This will reduce the risk of miscarriage. Also keep a record of your menstrual periods so your due date can be calculated more accurately after conception.
Rubella
Mum has an important responsibility to make sure all her vaccinations are up to date. The most important of these is rubella. Make sure you are rubella-immune and received a vaccination as a child or teenager. If you catch rubella in the first four months of pregnancy it can cause serious sight and hearing defects in your baby. If you are unsure, check with your GP and get a blood test to clarify your immune status. You may need a vaccination three months prior to conception.
Source