That’s defiantly some great advice! Thanks for sharing!
Here’s some info I give to my clients at the massage clinic at my school – some from my test books, some from a book called “the mother of all pregnancy books” by Ann Douglas, some just from personal experience.
----
Defiantly get on that folic acid, its recommended that any female of child bearing age should take it, just in case! There is significant evidence that the recommended daily amount of folic acid will greatly reduce spinal cord defects (spina bifida, ancephaly etc).It is especially crucial in the first 7 weeks of babies development before the neural tube closes, this is why is especially important to take it prior to conception.
Exercise is recommended too, and suggested you try and obtain a HEALTHY body weight before getting pregnant. If you start too much overweight or gain too much weight you are at an increased risk of preclampysia( condition characterized by extremely high blood pressure), gestational diabetes, and requiring induced labour or c-section. You are also more likely to give birth to very large babies (ouch!), babies with neural tube defects, and babies who are at an increased risk of developing diabetes later. So its very important to exercise before and during pregnancy.
Drink lots of water! Pretty much every health care provider I have seen or spoken to during my pregnancy has said this – its good even if your not pregnant or trying too of course.
Check your meds, check anything you use. I had to stop using my face cream, so you never know!
Its also important no to wait until your pregnancy to start eating healthy. Note that you don’t need to up your calorie intake yet, unless you are underweight and it has been dr. recommended. Three very important things to look for in your diet (or supplement); FOLIC ACID, CALCIUM, and IRON, all very important during pregnancy, so its good to have an adequate store before hand.
----
One book that I read had a list of things for dads-to-be to do while trying to conceive or getting ready to do so:
- avoid injuries to the genital area (although im pretty sure they all do that anyways lol)this can hamper the development and transport of sperm and cause ejaculation or hormone problems
-don’t expose genitals to excessive heat (so i guess the hot tub is kinda out for optimal results)
-avoid exposure to toxic or radioactive material (which yu should really be doing anyways)
-achieve a healthy weight (too much can mean an increase of estrogen which causes problems with communication between the pituitary and testes)
-get the dr.s okay about herbal medicine, some are associated with damaging sperm (st. johns wort, ginko biloba, and eccenacia)
Yeah I think us ladies have a bit more to do on the list then our male counterparts (but then again when do we not
)
Smoking
Not much needs to be said about smoking – but some highlights are:
- smoking makes you less fertile
- smoking interfered with absorption of vit
- disrupts the flow of oxygen to the baby
- smoking increase chance of birth defects (esp. cleft palate/lip)
- can harm even the baby’s lungs
- increases your risk of delivering prematurely
- can even be FATAL to the developing baby
- you are more likely to experiences placental abnormalities and bleeding among other pregnancy complications
- smoking has been linked to childhood behavioural problems in some studies
- smoking can negatively effect breast feeding
Caffeine
Unfortunately most experts agree that caffeine can expose the baby to significant risks. This is suggested that the risks come into play if there is 150 mg of caffeine per day or more (im not sure about this, but I think you get more than that in an can of coke or iced tea). None the less there is still not a recommended “safe” amount of daily intake for caffeine, so its best just to kick the habit for the next little while.
I know its much easier said than done, but keeping down stress levels is very important. Being super stressed can make conceiving difficult and really screw around with your periods and ovulation (as we have probably all experienced before). Its also suggested that extremely high levels of stress can lead to an increased chance of birth defects. So, take a weekend off, grab a nice book and a comfy chair and try your best to “chill”.
It’s a great idea to go get a check up at the doctor to get a clean bill of health. Let him or her know it’s a preconception visit! Your dr. will:
-talk with you about your plans to conceive, and answer any questions you may have, they will also give you some healthy pointers
-ask questions about your lifestyle and recommend any changes
-conduct a general physical to determine if you have any undiscovered health issues which could be a concern
-review your list of medications and let you know which ones are safe to continue
-they’ll probably do a breast exam and pelvic exam, along with a pap, and discuss your sexual health history
-they will likely send you for blood work to check for anemia and sexually transmitted diseases, and a urine test to check for problems with your kidneys, and UTIs etc
-a rubella test (german measles), which can be deadly to a fetus (STAY AWAY from anyone who potentially has german measles!! VERY IMPORTANT
-if you don’t already have one, your dr. may be able to give you a referral to an ob/gyn or midwife
All in all – if your trying to conceive its good to go see the doc if your able, they will let you know all the details and answer any questions.
P.s. I’ll second you on the dentist thing for sure! My teeth have always been bad due to poor enamel, but since ive been pregnant its been much worse. I’ve got a toothache, so im looking forward to a nice cavity-filling visit soon.
