WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU TRY TO GET PREGNANT?

The first few weeks of pregnancy are crucial in a child's development. However, many women don't realize they're pregnant until several weeks after conception. Therefore, if you are planning to become pregnant, planning ahead and taking care of yourself before becoming pregnant is the best thing you can do for you and your baby.

 

Prepregnacy care checkup
 

The goal of this checkup is to find things that could affect your pregnacy. Identifying these factors before pregnacy allows you to take steps that can increase the chances of having a healthy pregnacy and a healthy baby. During this visit, your health care professional will ask about your diet and lifestyle, your medical and family history, medications you take, and any past pregnancies.
 

If you are planning to become pregnant, it is a good idea to have a prepregnancy care checkup. The first 8 weeks od pregnancy are key for your fetus. Most of the fetus’s major organs and body have begun to form. Your health and nutrition can affect your fetus’s growth and development in these early weeks.
 

Vaccination 
 

Vaccination can prevent some infections. Some vaccines are not safe to use during pregnancy. It is important to know which vaccines you may need and to get them before becoming pregnant.

 

 

Eating a balanced diet before and during pregnancy isn't only good for the mother's overall health, but essential for nourishing the fetus.

 

Take 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid each day, a nutrient found in some green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, citrus fruits, fortified breakfast cereals, and some vitamin supplements. Folic acid can help reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord (also called neural tube defects).

 

 

It's important to exercise regularly and maintain a proper weight before and during pregnancy. Women who are overweight may experience medical problems, like high blood pressure and diabetes. Women who are underweight may have babies with low birth weight.