Print This Page

Getting it on: Preparing for Pregnancy

Making babies is fun. Actually succeeding in producing babies, on the other hand, can be tricky business for both parties. Unplanned pregnancies still happen, of course. For many couples, though, preparing for pregnancy is a delicate process. A lot of different factors can affect a person’s fertility, and knowing how to prepare for pregnancy will definitely help your chances of conceiving.

Proper preparation for pregnancy also often plays a big part in preventing problems like congenital defects and low birth weight. As potential parents, you have the responsibility of making sure that your baby arrives as healthy as possible. One of the implications of that responsibility is that you’ll have to find the best ways to prepare for pregnancy.

Procreation is often taken for granted, especially since pregnancies can happen whether or not couples prepare for pregnancy. Consciously preparing for pregnancy and conception is a relatively new phenomenon. Given all the new scientific information on health and genetics, it’s really not a bad idea to make the effort.

Preparing your body for pregnancy significantly reduces chances of miscarriage, stillbirth, congenital birth defects, and premature birth. It even helps enhance fertility in couples who have trouble conceiving.

The Environment and Preparation for Pregnancy

We are the products of our environment: what we eat, where we live, and what we drink. These elements and many others that affect how we develop as children also affect our health as adults. Studies have shown that nutritional deficiencies in either parent can potentially affect the chances of conception and the baby’s health as well.

So daddies, don’t think that you’re off the hook. You’re still providing half of the genetic material at the start-up stage, and it’s essential that that material is healthy. This means that even though you won’t be the ones getting pregnant, you’ll still have to prepare for pregnancy, too.

How to Prepare for Pregnancy

Couples trying to conceive should stay away from potentially harmful toxins like cigarette smoke, pesticides, and alcohol. As a starting point to preparing for pregnancy, you’ll also have to improve basic habits, like diet and exercise.

The human body is an integrated system, and if one or more parts aren’t healthy, they can affect all the other parts. This is why staying fit and eating a balanced diet are really important; not just in preparing for pregnancy, but in all other aspects of your lives.

Even gum diseases and dental problems can badly affect pregnancy and a couple’s chances of conceiving. A thorough dental check-up is just one step in preparing for pregnancy. Of course, to prepare for pregnancy, you shouldn’t just stop at good eating and exercise habits, and good dental hygiene.

Get a complete physical exam and properly manage other medical conditions that may affect fertility. Doing these things won’t just make you healthier but will also give your future children a better chance of coming into the world healthy.

When Should We Start Preparing for Pregnancy?

Couples will want to begin their preparation for pregnancy at least six to twelve months before they actually plan on conceiving. Why? Because it’ll take about three months for a woman’s egg cell to mature.

Sperm-production takes about four months. It’ll take about half a year to make extra sure that all of the healthy changes you’ve made in preparing your body for pregnancy will actually affect the parts of your bodies that will bring your baby.

It’s a really great idea to discuss how to prepare for pregnancy with your obstetrician. Preparing for pregnancy can be either very tricky, or very easy. A good obstetrician will give you the input you need on preparing your body for pregnancy. This advice is tailor-made to your unique strengths and weaknesses, both singly and as a couple.

The previous article is on Infertility Causes.

Other wiki resources:  improve fertility; ovulation period; infertility causes; preparing for pregnancy; getting pregnant