To overcome fears, there are even schools for expectant mothers. They are open at antenatal clinics and maternity hospitals. You can also read special literature, magazines, attend forums where women who want to have a baby gather in the near future.
Pregnancy is a serious hormonal change. This is a time of positive stress that can activate many diseases. Now there are very few diseases in which they are not allowed to become pregnant, because almost always you can find a therapy for existing diseases that is not contraindicated for expectant mothers.
You need to change your diet, stop smoking, stay more in the fresh air. In the article we will consider some important aspects that relate to women’s health. Psychological preparation is equally important.
Lifestyle Changes in Pregnancy Planning
That’s what the obstetrician-gynecologist doctor of the network of reproduction and genetics centers of the Nova Clinic Tatyana Trubina recommends to pay attention to.
- Lifestyle. It is necessary to completely abandon bad habits. No cigarettes or alcohol. The fact is that nicotine and ethyl alcohol disrupt the circulation of blood in the uterus and fallopian tubes.
- Health status. It is necessary to exclude dangerous infections, for this, undergo a gynecological examination. Many sexually transmitted diseases occur without symptoms, especially mycoplasmosis, ureaplasmosis, human papillomavirus. Be sure to check for viral hepatitis and HIV. Most infections are treatable.
- It is important to take vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid.
- A man is examined for the presence of sexually transmitted diseases by an andrologist.
- Be sure to have a urinalysis to check your kidneys.
- An ECG (electrocardiogram) will tell you all about the condition of the heart.
- But with herbs you need to be careful. For example, in order to prevent colds in the early stages, some women drink echinacea, and it provokes miscarriages.
- It is better to keep constant weight for 3 months before pregnancy, avoiding its sharp fluctuations in the direction of increase or decrease.
- 3 months before conception, you need to remove the IUD (intrauterine device).
- Add fresh fruits and cereals to the diet and remove strong coffee and wine, canned food from it. Green vegetables, liver and beans, tomatoes and milk are useful for the future mother.
- Get less nervous, do less physical labor, work in hazardous work is contraindicated, try to change it.
- But charging in the morning will be very useful. It is necessary before pregnancy to pay special attention to the abdomen, the press. It has been proven that in women with a normal waist, fertility is higher. The ideal waist-to-hip ratio is 0.8 and below.
- Limit your time at the computer.
The best age for planning pregnancy is from 20 to 30 years. Experts note that after 35 years the risk of hereditary diseases in the child increases.
Some drugs that you need to cancel in preparation for pregnancy
Talk to your doctor if you are taking:
✔ Lithium preparations.
✔ Streptomycin.
✔ Tetracycline.
✔ Gentamicin.
When can I talk about infertility
If more than a year has passed after you started planning your pregnancy, go through an examination, including checking the hormonal background and patency of the fallopian tubes. Men take a spermogram – a special study that will show the number and motility of sperm.
There is still such a factor of infertility as psychology. If you worry that you can’t conceive, if you are constantly under stress, then there will be no pregnancy. Therefore, the best advice is to relax and enjoy the process. Do not get hung up on the child in the first year of marriage, just lead a healthy lifestyle. If the body is young and healthy, then your efforts will succeed. In preparing for pregnancy after 40 years, there will be difficulties, but there is no impossible. It is just that fertility becomes lower with age, and more chronic diseases.
The most dangerous period for the fetus is the ninth week of pregnancy. Some diseases are incompatible with the further development of pregnancy. In many countries, the fetus is not retained in the early stages. If you have had a miscarriage before, take your child’s planning more seriously.
If the doctor has not prescribed vitamins for you, do not take them yourself. In general, on the eve of pregnancy, it is better not to self-medicate. Some drugs not only cause miscarriages – many drugs cause the baby to be born with defects.
Your weight and preparation for pregnancy, physical activity when planning
Normal weight gain during pregnancy is 8-20 kg. And this is a decent load on the body. Therefore, it is better to normalize it in advance. Eliminate muffin and fast food from your diet. The underweight of the expectant mother affects fertility – thin women often have cycles without ovulation.
If you are already pregnant, attend special classes where you will be taught to breathe properly. Very useful swimming. It removes the load from the joints and spine, which grows during this period. Strong muscles of the back and pelvic floor will easily help give birth. To train the latter, Kegel exercises were invented. Their convenience lies in the fact that you can do it anywhere: at work, on a walk, in public transport and at the wheel. We do not see the muscles of the pelvic floor, but it is they who take an active part in childbirth. You will feel them better. A bonus can be an improvement in feelings during sexual intercourse with her husband.
As for the back, she is well trained at the Evminov preventative, with the help of exercises on the Pilates and swimming system. If you have scoliosis, take a massage course. A vertebrologist deals with spinal problems. Perhaps, in your case, you can recommend soft osteopathic techniques, manual therapy.
Do not forget that much more often people with weak press are faced with scoliosis, stoop and hernias. And of course, the higher your weight, the more difficult it will be for joints, back and ligaments. Wearing a special bandage will help you move the pregnancy much easier. If the doctor has allowed, you can do yoga, but some asanas with a problem back can not be done.
Chronic diseases and preparation for pregnancy
If you have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney stones and other chronic diseases – visit your doctor. He will choose a therapy compatible with pregnancy. Pay attention to your teeth. During pregnancy, they can also be treated, just a doctor will pick you a safe anesthesia. Tooth x-ray is better to postpone until lactation. In order not to lose teeth during pregnancy, pre-enrich the diet with calcium products.
If there were problems with joints before pregnancy, visit a traumatologist, arthrologist or rheumatologist. You will be prescribed glucosamine and chondroitin supplements – they strengthen cartilage. With arthritis, therapy is selected very carefully when it comes to pregnancy. Many drugs will be contraindicated, or their dosage will be significantly reduced. All this must be decided by the doctor. Self-medication is absolutely not allowed for women in an “interesting position”. Pay attention to your eyes. Most often, with myopia and glaucoma, an ophthalmologist can recommend not a natural delivery, but a cesarean.
If you have HIV, be especially careful. In this case, we need a detailed assessment of the state of the body, the activity of the virus. Yes, there is a risk of infection of the child, but it is minimal. But 20 years ago, there was no question of allowing a woman with HIV to become pregnant. Women with HIV have a slightly higher risk of premature birth, and they can only give birth in specialized maternity hospitals. If the father of the child is HIV-positive, doctors may suggest sperm cleansing. You can also consider the option of fertilizing sperm with a donor-relative of the husband.
You may think that there is too much ahead. But most of these tips are people who love their body, observe throughout life. Therefore, making some efforts is definitely worth it. The health of your baby depends on them.
It is best to start preparing for pregnancy 3 months before conception. But only 10% of couples are planning a pregnancy. Do not make this mistake. If possible, it is better to plan a pregnancy at the beginning of summer. So the child will receive more nutrients from seasonal fruits and vegetables.
