Family

Growing your family: Do these things now if you want to get pregnant

Are you ready to grow your family? Click here to learn how to improve your chances of conceiving and do these things now if you want to get pregnant.

Posted 2024-01-15T10:27:46+00:00 - Updated 2024-01-16T13:00:00+00:00

Photo by Anastasiia Chepinska on Unsplash

Jessica Patrick

, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Getting your mind, body, and life ready for a pregnancy is a huge undertaking. From addressing health conditions, diet, medications, and other factors, you'll have a lot on your plate.

Many people don't realize all the preparation involved, and as a result, can have trouble conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Luckily you have the answers you need right at your fingertips in this "do these things now if you want to get pregnant" list.

Read on to learn how to improve your chances of conceiving and having a healthy and safe pregnancy.

Get a checkup

One of the first things you should do is visit your doctor for preconception counseling.

Even if you've had previous pregnancies, this is the time to ensure you're in good overall health and don't have any new issues that need addressing. It also gives you a chance to check on your partner's health.

It's best to schedule this appointment at least three months before you begin trying to conceive. Your doctor will review different aspects of your health, starting with blood tests to check for any health issues like sexually transmitted diseases.

A pap smear and pelvic exam evaluate the health of your ovaries, uterus, cervix and vagina. Pap smears rule out serious conditions like cancer. In addition, a physical exam evaluates your blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and weight.

Your doctor will also review other details with you such as:

Personal and family medical history

Your doctor will want to know about any chronic health conditions that could impact your pregnancy like diabetes, high blood pressure, or anemia. You'll also need to discuss past pregnancy complications like miscarriages.

Getting control of chronic health conditions before pregnancy can reduce pregnancy complications. Complications during pregnancy can increase your risk of heart disease, and going into a pregnancy with uncontrolled chronic diseases like diabetes only increases this risk further.

Reviewing your family medical history is also necessary. This includes assessing both partners to determine if any medical conditions could be passed down to a child, such as genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia.

If you're at risk for these genetic conditions, your doctor may recommend genetic screening before you conceive.

Vaccines

You also need to ensure you're current on vaccines like chickenpox and rubella. Getting these diseases during pregnancy isn't safe and can cause birth defects or miscarriages.

It's best to get these vaccines at least a month before conceiving to give your body time to build immunity.

All of this will help to ensure you're in the best health possible before conceiving.

Get regular exercise and maintain a healthy weight

Women who are overweight or obese when they get pregnant are at greater risk of serious health complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.

Gestational diabetes starts during pregnancy due to excess blood sugar, but it also puts you at a higher risk for diabetes after the baby is born. Preeclampsia typically occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy and includes high blood pressure and blood clotting problems that can become life-threatening.

When you have preeclampsia, there is an increased risk of premature birth since the birth of the baby is the only way to completely remedy the problem. Gestational diabetes can also lead to babies who are too large for their age.

All of this increases your chances of needing a cesarean (c-section) birth, which increases your risk of infection and blood loss.

The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about your diet and begin making changes before getting pregnant. The more you fuel your body with healthy foods like lean protein, vegetables, and fruits, the healthier your pregnancy will be.

If you don't have a regular exercise routine, take this time to start adding exercise to your routine each day. Simply going for a 30-minute walk daily can make all the difference and jumpstart you into regular activity.

Start taking folic acid

Folic acid is a form of vitamin B known as folate. Folate plays a critical role in red blood cell production and helps the baby's neural tube develop properly into the brain and spinal cord.

Foods like fortified cereals and dark green leafy vegetables are some of the best sources of folic acid. However, not everyone can get enough folic acid this way. It's best to start taking folic acid at least a year before pregnancy, and the CDC recommends starting it at least a month before pregnancy.

Overall, taking the recommended 400 micrograms of folic acid before and during pregnancy is an essential part of prenatal care and increases your chances of having a healthy baby.

Eliminate smoking, drinking and caffeine

Changing these lifestyle habits before pregnancy is crucial, so be sure to take the time you need to adjust your lifestyle.

First, you should limit your caffeine intake during pregnancy to 200mg daily and this includes both caffeinated foods and drinks. To put it in perspective, a mug of instant coffee contains 100 mg of caffeine and a cup of filtered coffee has 140 mg of caffeine.

You'll also add more to the mix if you drink soft drinks and eat chocolate regularly. So, if you're a big coffee drinker, you should start cutting back now to prepare yourself for pregnancy.

Smoking also makes it more challenging for you to get pregnant and also increases the risk of preterm birth if you continue smoking during pregnancy.

Finally, alcohol can increase the chances of birth defects and learning difficulties. It can also make it more difficult to conceive. If you tend to drink regularly, it's time to stop altogether before getting pregnant.

Do these things now if you want to get pregnant

Remember to do these things now if you want to get pregnant and you'll have a much better chance of maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

Schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to start the process. This will give you plenty of time to get testing done and make changes to your lifestyle before growing your family.