Pregnancy is a condition that needs to be informed in advance. Nine months of pregnancy is a great effort for the mother’s body. Therefore, it is good to reach the peak of physical ability when preparing for that time. You can do this by rejecting bad life habits and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Get rid of strenuous obligations
Planning a pregnancy primarily means choosing the right moment in your life that will be free of strenuous obligations, whether it is a family or business obligation. During the nine months of pregnancy, it would be best to concentrate only on the new condition and on the child to be born, without the impact of stressful obligations.
Even the future father’s presence plays a big role in the pregnancy: he should provide appropriate support to his wife at all times. If you have a long separation from your partner shortly, it is better to postpone the pregnancy.
Visit a gynecologist
A woman who wants to stay pregnant should have a gynecologist check-up. Every woman who lives a sexually active life is at risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
In addition to the gynecological examination, a PAPA test should be performed (an examination that examines cells from the cervix and vagina and shows the presence of inflammation or some types of pathogens), at least once a year, and certainly before the planned pregnancy. Some infections, in fact, can jeopardize the course and outcome of the pregnancy and should therefore be detected and treated sooner.
Check your pregnancy weight
The expectant mother should start the pregnancy with normal body weight. In this way, the body is in the best possible condition and will more easily withstand nine months of increased load.
If it’s your body weight too much, you should consult a doctor so that you can, without haste, implement a balanced and healthy diet, and lose extra pounds. That way, you won’t find yourself with a huge one at the end of your pregnancy extra pounds.
Namely, if the body is not burdened with too many kilograms during pregnancy, it will be less tiring, and it will be easier to perform the increased efforts required of it by pregnancy. Weight loss should be avoided on your own, without a doctor’s supervision, as this can lead to serious deficiencies in certain nutrients, which can be harmful to both the pregnant woman and the baby.
Get vaccinated against rubella before pregnancy
If acquired in pregnancy, this contagious disease, which is quite widespread, can cause severe disorders in the fetus, especially if the infection occurs in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. The virus that causes the disease comes through the mother’s blood to the placenta, passes through it and reaches the fetus. It interferes with the development of certain of its organs, especially the central nervous system, heart, vision, and hearing.
So if a woman is not immune (she has not been vaccinated before or has not gotten over rubella), she should be vaccinated when deciding on a future pregnancy. Vaccination is prohibited during pregnancy, and it is generally advised to wait at least three months after vaccination.
Take folic acid
Many gynecologists advise taking folic acid-based preparations (this is one vitamin from group B vitamins) during the three months preceding pregnancy and in the first three months of pregnancy. Folic acid deficiency is associated with an increased risk of certain central nervous system malformations.
Get rid of minor health problems
It is best to stay in another state when the body is in excellent health. Therefore, you should consult a doctor to control minor health problems you would otherwise neglect. In a pregnancy that develops in a weakened organism, even small health problems can intensify.
In particular, you should control the teeth and gums’ health, and you should maintain good oral hygiene because problems on this side usually appear or intensify during pregnancy. You should also consult a doctor if you suffer from low back pain. A specialist can detect the existence of a herniated disc, and this is a more serious health problem that you must resolve before pregnancy. The enlarged abdomen and uterus’s weight is an increased strain on the spine and should be relieved.
Eat healthy
It is good to include many fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet to replenish your vitamin and mineral stores. The amount of fat, especially that of animal origin, should be limited in food. It is better to season the dish with olive oil, while you should reduce margarine and butter consumption.
You should include raw vegetables and foods rich in fiber in the diet to achieve (if you do not have it) regular bowel movements. This will also prevent it from occurring obstipation, which occurs in pregnancy, even in women who have never had it before.
Develop your body a bit
It is best to start pregnancy with strengthened muscles that will support the constantly increasing weight of the uterus. Among the most advised sports, swimming is the most common: it allows the development of all muscles, especially those along the spine, thus easing the load for the next nine months. If the pregnancy progresses without complications, the pregnant woman can swim for almost the entire pregnancy.
They are good and long walking or gymnastics (at home or in the hall). Good heart rate and proper breathing during pregnancy will prove very useful because then the heart’s work increases anyway, as does the exchange of gases by breathing.
Stop smoking!
Smoking harms the child’s health in the womb, so from the moment a woman decides to stay pregnant, she should drastically reduce the number of cigarettes smoked, and it would be best to give them up completely. It would help if you also avoid passive smoking, i.e., staying in smoky rooms or near a smoker person.
Children born to mothers who smoke are usually less overweight than mothers who do not smoke. However, she later made up for that shortfall. But even lung maturation is thought to be slower in children whose make-up smokes.
Fight anemia
If you suffer from anemia, you should start treatment before pregnancy. Mild iron deficiency is sure to occur during pregnancy. This mineral, found in hemoglobin and gives the color of the blood, is found in red blood cells and carries oxygen to the tissues of both mother and child.
Anemia is a disorder that affects a large number of pregnant women. Therefore, it is even more important to determine whether it exists even before pregnancy so that the condition does not worsen further.
Summary
If you plan a pregnancy, plan and arrange a gynecologist visit to clarify all possible doubts and make all the necessary tests.
Briefly
· When you decide to have a child, start taking more care of yourself. It is necessary to get rid of possible minor ailments, such as back pain and dental problems, so that this is not resolved during pregnancy.
· It is necessary to go to a gynecological examination to determine if everything is OK and consult whether you should take folic acid and iron supplements.
