Getting ready to add a new baby into your life can sometimes seem overwhelming. There is so much to think about. You wonder if you have enough money, energy, and time for a new baby. You think about the diapers, clothes, and toys. Rarely do people think about preparing their body for a new arrival as well.
There are things that every woman needs to think about before she is dreaming of buying pink and blue. You will need to start preparing your body for pregnancy prior to trying. You also need to see where your body currently is, especially if you are throwing away the birth control.
Vitamins and Nutrients
Your body should be in the best health possible when you are trying to conceive. This starts with how you eat. You want to be eating healthy foods and be at a good weight prior to conception. If you are too thin or over weight you may find conception quite difficult. You will want to cut out high fat food and other unhealthy snacks. This will set you up for a healthy pregnancy.
When you are TTCing you want to treat your body as if you are already pregnant. This means staying away from toxic or dangerous substances, and taking a prenatal vitamin. The prenatal vitamin will make sure that you are getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need to have a healthy baby. This will include the right amount of folic acid, which is critical to proper brain development.
Preconception Appointment
Many couples today will leave nothing up to chance. A preconception checkup is one where you are checked out by your doctor to be sure that you are healthy enough to get and stay pregnant.
This appointment is where you will be asked both you and your partner’s medical history, what type of exercise you have, eating habits, birth control you are currently using, menstrual cycle history, past pregnancies, miscarriages, and abortions. All of these things will help the doctor decide if you are healthy enough to carry a child full term or not.
You will be able to expect to have your blood pressure checked to be sure it is not high, which can not only put you at risk now, but an even higher risk during pregnancy. A pelvic exam will be done to be sure that your reproductive organs are healthy and you have no physical anomalies that can stop you from carrying a child to term, such as fibroids, bicornate uterus, or endometriosis. You will get a Pap smear, blood work, and urine analysis. If you have a family history of genetic issues, then you and your partner could be asked to do genetic counseling to see what or if you have any risk factors.
Menstrual Charting and Cycle Tracking
It is very important to begin to track your menstrual cycles with menstrual charting. This will allow you to see how long each cycle is, whether you are ovulating or not, and if your cycles are normal. For those just getting off birth control, it can take months to regain your fertility with some methods. Tracking allows you to see when ovulation begins again, so you can time intercourse right.
Menstrual charting is very easy and takes little to no time each day. Using a fertility monitor, such as Ovatel, can help you know exactly when you are fertile each month. You can chart down all of your information each day and after 3 cycles you can bring it to your doctor to analyze if you are not already pregnant.
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