10 steps to take before conceiving

By Renita Tisha Pinto, Health Me Up

Pregnancy is a stage wherein the mother needs to be very strong physically as well as emotionally.

To have a healthy pregnancy period and healthy baby, you need to take extra care of yourself. If you want to have a healthy pregnancy than you need to understand the first few basic steps required right from the time of your decision to conceive.

Planning is the key to an efficient pregnancy period. Follow these simple and basic steps laid down by Dr. Keya Lahiri - Chief Pediatrician, Mumbai, to make your pregnancy period and your baby healthy...

Choose the best doctor

A good doctor is essential for a good pregnancy and healthy baby. A good doctor means - one who has been recommended by your close ones, who is friendly, with whom you can build a relationship and whose clinic is somewhere near to your residence.

Watch what you eat

Keep a very close eye on what you eat, because now you are not eating only for yourself, but also for the baby. Hence, ask your doctor to recommend a good healthy diet plan for you, so that the growing baby gets all the required nutrients. To avoid harm for your baby avoid uncooked food, cold meats, raw food and unhealthy foods. Also pay attention while eating fish, as some fishes have a high level of mercury and other contamination in them.

Avoid alcohol and cigarettes

Both these substances can cause huge damage to the health of your baby. Hence, to have a safe and healthy pregnancy kicks both these harmful items away from your life.

Go for an overall health checkup

Go for an overall health checkup, so that you evaluate your health well in advance. This will help you to find out any obstacles which can affect your pregnancy. Go for x-rays before planning your pregnancy, so that the harmful rays won't harm the baby's health.

You need a healthy body weight

If you are too thin or overweight than this point applies to you. Check in with your doctor and achieve a moderate weight to have a safe pregnancy period and to avoid complications.

Check if you have received all vaccinations

Before conceiving, check if you have received all vaccinations. As occurrence of vaccine-preventive diseases like chickenpox during pregnancy can have severe birth defects. If you haven't received immunization than immunize yourself, before conceiving.

Eat well

The most important thing for a healthy pregnancy is eating a healthy well balanced diet. Include protein rich food in your diet. Never skip breakfast, keep yourself very well hydrated, and include lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Take prenatal vitamins

Include folic acid and iron in your diet, before conception and during early pregnancy. Consuming adequate folic acid helps to prevent development of neural tube birth defects. Start taking in at least 400 micrograms of folic acid before you become pregnant. Never increase the dosage of folic acid as it can lead to complications.

Make sure health problems are under control

If you have any health problems, than make sure that they are under control or else they can lead to complications. Hence keep a check on your obesity, asthma, diabetes, cholesterol before conceiving.

Think before you pop a pill

Consume only the pills that your doctor has prescribed, avoid popping pills unnecessarily as it can harm you and your baby's health.

Source: 10 steps to take before conceiving