From the moment you consider the possibility of pregnancy you have to start taking care of yourself. In addition to your own good, your body must be healthy because it will have a very important mission ahead: that of creating a new life.
It will house your baby for nine months, so it is necessary that you start taking care of yourself before you get pregnant or take extreme care if you already did. The specialists consider fundamental for the good development of the pregnancy that the woman enjoys good health at the time of becoming pregnant.
If you plan to look for a baby there are certain recommendations that you cannot ignore, for example:
● The first thing you should do is go to a pre-conception medical consultation. It is a custom that is not widespread but it is extremely convenient. They recommend doing it about three months before starting to look for pregnancy because doctors consider this visit to be as important as prenatal checkups. In it, your gynecologist will check you to verify that everything is in order to face a pregnancy and will investigate your medical history to detect possible risks in pregnancy.
Aspects such as weight, age, diseases, previous interventions or if you take any medication are data that the specialist should know to help you plan a healthy pregnancy. It is very likely that you perform studies to analyze your general health status in case you need a vitamin supplement.
In this consultation, the gynecologist will recommend, if necessary, a consultation with a geneticist. Couples who have a family history with a known congenital defect will be subjected to a genetic study that will identify the degree of risk of transmitting the defect to the baby.
● Surely the gynecologist will tell you to start taking a daily dose of folic acid, an essential vitamin to prevent neural tube defects in the baby. When you find out that you are pregnant, it may be too late to prevent a congenital defect such as anencephaly or spina bifida, since the formation of the neural tube occurs in the first weeks of pregnancy when you are still unaware that you are pregnant. If you have not taken it before, as soon as you know about your pregnancy you should start doing it.
● You can't take any medication If you plan to become pregnant, except those prescribed by your doctor at the indicated doses. Most medications are contraindicated during pregnancy as some can cause abnormal growth of fetal cells. If you follow any treatment (also homeopathic) you should tell the doctor in the pre-pregnancy consultation.
● Of course, you must put aside tobacco and alcohol (and of course any other type of drug). In these pages we have tired of pointing out the serious consequences that the consumption of these substances can cause in the fetus, even by the father. From greater possibilities for the baby to develop serious diseases, delayed intrauterine growth, coronary risks to mental retardation to name some of the effects they can cause.
● Food is a special chapter in pregnancy planning. It is not necessary to eat more, but to eat better. The feeding must be complete and varied, increasing moderately the consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes and fish. You should start reducing fat intake, as well as foods with excess sugar. With regard to the latter, blood sugar levels, there is research that suggests that they are the key to determining the sex of the baby, so opting for certain foods in the diet before pregnancy could influence the choice of sex.
Good eating habits should be a constant throughout life, but before and throughout pregnancy they are especially important, both for your own health and for your baby's.
● Physical exercise It is also essential to be fit and so that the weight is controlled when you get pregnant. The practice of violent sports is not recommended, but a moderate practice is beneficial for both the mother and the future baby.
● Finally, dad counts too. It is not only the mother who must adopt good habits. I have already commented above that the alcohol and tobacco consumed by the father influences the health of the future baby, but the feeding in the man is equally important, he must begin to ingest essential nutrients to generate healthy spermatozoa that give rise to healthy children.
We hope these recommendations help you plan a healthy pregnancy. In addition, I have not said it because it is presupposed, but another important advice, I would say that the most significant is that the couple also enjoys good emotional health. In short, we talk about creating a life, the fruit of love and understanding between two people.
