Preparing for Pregnancy | Pre-Pregnancy Planning

Preparing for Pregnancy

Today, we will discuss about preparing for pregnancy. As you prepare to contemplate pregnancy, there are many things to consider. One of the most important elements is establishing preconceptual and early prenatal care in order to ensure the birth of a healthy baby with minimal risk for the mother. A discussion with your medical provider can help to determine potential rest for you during pregnancy and ideally decrease or eliminate these risks.

Preparation and Risk Assessment

Take a look at your own health

Optimizing the health of the mother before conception is important for improving pregnancy outcomes. Establishing or maintaining a healthy diet and some form of exercise on a regular basis can improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Ideally, before conception, you should address medical problems or conditions with your doctor to potentially alleviate any possible complications. Remaining up to date on immunizations is also important and can decrease other potential complications to a mother and baby. The use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. It is also important to begin taking folic acid. Ideally at least one month prior to conception. You can check with your provider regarding the proper dosage.

Are you an advanced Maternal Age?

A woman over the age of thirty-five is considered to be advanced maternal age women in this group are at risk of infertility having or developing a chronic medical disease and pregnancy complications. Such as fetal chromosomal, abnormalities, congenital anomalies, cesarean delivery, miscarriage, and preterm birth. However, most women over the age of thirty-five have uncomplicated healthy pregnancies.

Do you know your family history?

Knowing your family history is important to determine any potential conditions that may pose rest during pregnancy. Some disorders are genetic and can be inherited. Examples include metabolic disorders, muscular dystrophy, and kidney disease.

What's your ethnicity?

Ethnicity can also play a part in risk assessment for pregnancy. There are medical conditions that tend to be more prevalent in certain ethnic populations. Examples include Tay Sachs an Ashkenazi Jews, cystic fibrosis and Caucasians and hemoglobin Opeth these and Mediterranean's Africans and Asians.

Conception

Conception is the act of fertilization resulting in an embryo or developing fetus. Most pregnancies occur in the first six months of couples attempting to can see. The normal menstrual cycle averages twenty-eight days. An ovulation typically occurs around day fourteen. Some women have shorter or longer menstrual cycles and will therefore obviously earlier or later depending on this line.

There are various methods to monitor ovulation. You can monitor your body temperature or certain symptoms that may indicate ovulation seems to occur. Additionally, blood work evaluating hormonal changes or ultrasonography looking for certain features can be used to determine the presence of ovulation.

During a typical menstrual cycle, the fertile interval is approximately six days. During which conception is most likely to take place. This time frame includes the five days before ovulation and the day of ovulation itself.

Infertility is defined as a failure to conceive after twelve months for women less than thirty-five years and six months for women over thirty-five years. There are many causes of infertility some simple and some more complex. If you were having difficulty conceiving you should discuss this with your medical provider.

Pregnancy's Impact on the Body

Pregnancy affects the mother's various organ systems in many ways

Once conception has occurred, pregnancy begins to produce its changes on the body affecting most organ systems by the end of pregnancy. Changes in the respiratory system call shortness of breath, cardiovascular system changes affect blood pressure, gastrointestinal system changes cause constipation indigestion and changes in the musculoskeletal system because of lower back pain.

Most women will experience the majority of these common symptoms at some point during pregnancy.

Most common signs and symptoms of early pregnancy

During early pregnancy even before you may realize you were pregnant you may experience symptoms such as Amenorrhea or the lack of menses, nausea with or without vomiting, breast enlargement or tenderness increased frequency of urination and or fatigue these symptoms illustrate the variety of changes pregnancy produces on the body even at a very early stage.

Nutrition and Weight Gain

During pregnancy adequate in property nutrition is essential. Generally you should aim to increase your caloric intake by around three to five hundred calories per day. Additionally, certain vitamins and minerals are important including folic acid, iron, calcium and vitamin D. taking a daily prenatal vitamin and eating a well-rounded diet can help with proper nutrition during pregnancy.

Mild to moderate exercise is also important during pregnancy and encouraged. If already exercising regularly you should continue. Check with your provider regarding safe exercise in pregnancy.

Weight gain during pregnancy is variable and depends on your pre-pregnancy weight. Normal weight individuals average of twenty-five to thirty-five pounds should be gained. If a woman is underweight she should aim to gain more and that's overweight she should gain lass. A woman at the upper or lower extremes of weight gain during pregnancy is at increased risk of pregnancy complications.

Summary

In summary, as you prepare for pregnancy, it is crucial for you to address all medical problems and potential risks with your medical provider prior to the conception of possible. Seek evaluation by a medical provider, If difficulty achieving pregnancy and establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle and aim for appropriate weight gain and pregnancy.

Pregnancy is a unique experience for every woman in a couple individualizing care with your medical provider is recommended.