How to Get Your Body Ready for Pregnancy

How to Get Your Body Ready for Pregnancy

If you are planning to start trying for a baby soon, you should try to make sure that your body is as healthy as possible first, before getting started. Investing in your health now will not only make it easier to conceive but will also help you have a healthy pregnancy. Read on for tips that you (and your partner) can do for yourselves and your future baby now.

Get Your Body Ready for Pregnancy

So, how can you get your body ready for pregnancy? There are a few aspects that are especially important to consider:

• See your GP for a check-up

If you want to start trying for a baby, it’s a good idea to book an appointment with your GP to discuss your plans and any concerns you might have so that they can give you a full check-up and take any tests that they find suitable.

• A more personal check-up

Once you become sexually active, you should have regular STD tests to ensure that you’re clear of any infections down there. Looking after your sexual health is always important but most people don’t realise that sexually transmitted diseases can cause complications in pregnancy. Before trying for a baby, get yourself and your partner tested if there’s any chance that either of you might have something.

• Stop any hormonal contraception

Hormonal contraception, like the pill, cause all kinds of havoc with our hormones and if you plan to try for a baby in the near future, stop using hormonal contraception to let your body’s natural hormones and your cycle return to normal. I’d suggest 3-6 months without hormones to let your body get back to normal. Use condoms in the meantime until you’re ready to conceive.

• Track your cycle

I think it’s a good idea to keep track of your menstrual cycle at all times but it’s naturally even more important if you’re trying to conceive. By knowing your dates for your period and ovulation, you’ll be able to recognise your signs of ovulation and therefor know when you’re the most fertile and the most likely to get pregnant. This will help you conceive much faster than just getting intimate on random days!

• Take the right supplements

Women who want to get pregnant should take folic acid for at least three months before trying to conceive to ensure you have enough stored for your baby. Doing this, can help prevent birth defects to your baby’s brain and spinal cord so it’s very important to remember your supplements. You can keep taking it throughout your pregnancy or choose a pregnancy specific supplement with everything you and your unborn baby needs. Your partner should take supplements while you’re trying to conceive too, especially one that contains zinc.

• A healthy lifestyle
  

Eating well and doing physical exercise is a great way to stay healthy and get your body ready for pregnancy. Try to eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables in large amounts, healthy fats and whole grains. Including full fat dairy products in your diet has also been shown to improve your chances of getting pregnant — Greek yogurt is a good choice!

Limit processed food and foods high in sugar and, while you’re trying to conceive and while you’re pregnant, cut down on caffeine and alcohol. Alcohol should be avoided completely during pregnancy too.

Exercise does not have to be intense at all, just try to be physically active in your daily life. Of course if you’re smoking, stop that now and, if your partner does, he should stop too as smoking reduces the quality of sperm.

• Relax

Being stressed is one of the worst things for fertility so you need to relax physically and mentally as much as you can. Don’t overthink this whole experience, look after yourself and your body and trust it to do its thing. Limit stress in your work and home life and make time for relaxation with your partner to help you make your baby dreams come true sooner!

Collaborative Article.