The health of the mother and father before pregnancy affects the health of their future babies. Before you get pregnant, there are some special things you should do to help your baby. The baby's organs before the mother even realizes that she is pregnant; occurs in the first 4 weeks of pregnancy.
What to do?
- Take a multi-vitamin containing 400 mcg of folic acid every day before pregnancy: Take a multi-vitamin containing 400 mcg of folic acid every day before pregnancy and during early pregnancy because the baby's brain and spinal cord develop during this period. Inspect the vitamin bottle thoroughly before taking it to make sure it contains enough folic acid. Use foods containing folic acid, the natural form of the vitamin, and eat a balanced diet. Consume breakfast cereals, beans, green leafy vegetables and orange juice.
- Go through a pre-pregnancy check-up: Your doctor will tell you how pregnancy can affect you, and will make sure that your immune system is good by examining the medications you are taking. Your doctor may want you to be tested for immunity to HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases and some childhood diseases such as measles and chickenpox. It is important that you have these tests before pregnancy.
- Eat healthy: If you eat a healthy and balanced diet every day, you will both feel better and start your pregnancy right. Avoid high-fat and sugary foods. Quit the caffeine. Drinking 2 cups of coffee or tea a day can make it harder for you to get pregnant. If you are overweight, it is a good idea to lose weight before trying to get pregnant. If she's very thin, you can gain some weight to make it easier for you to get pregnant. Your doctor will guide you whether you are overweight or underweight by using a formula called body mass index. By exercising, you can maintain your weight, get rid of excess weight, stay fit and reduce your stress. If you don't exercise at all, now might be a good time to start. You can discuss with your doctor which exercise movements are healthy and beneficial.
- Do not smoke or be in smoking environments: Smoking can make it difficult for you to become pregnant. Smoking while pregnant can cause your baby to have serious health problems. Studies show that smoking slows down a baby's development. The best time to quit smoking is before you get pregnant. If you need help quitting smoking, you can get advice from your doctor. Passive smoking, that is, being in smoking environments, is also harmful. Avoid such situations before and during pregnancy.
- Do not drink alcohol: No matter what kind of alcohol is used, you will expose your baby to miscarriage, physical and mental problems. If you need help quitting alcohol, you can get advice from your doctor.
- Avoid getting an infection because some infections affect the fetus badly: Some infections can harm a developing baby. Wash your hands frequently. Avoid unsafe foods. Do not eat meat and eggs until they are thoroughly cooked. Wash all vegetables and fruits. Avoid unpasteurized dairy products. Stay away from cat litter because it can contain a type of parasite that can cause infection, called toxoplasma. These infections can harm the baby. Try not to get too close to children with a cold or common childhood illness. Avoid sexually transmitted diseases. If your partner has some kind of illness, avoid intercourse during that period.
- Stay away from harmful substances and chemicals: Some cleaning materials, pesticides, solvents may be harmful to your baby. Stay away from chemicals and dyes.
- Talk to your doctor about your family history, genetic makeup and birth defects: Your doctor may ask you questions about your health history and the health histories of the members of your family. In the light of these data, it may be recommended that you see a genetic counselor in case your baby has a birth defect.
- Avoid stress: Before, during and after pregnancy, stress is not good for you and your baby. Too much stress can lead to premature birth, underweight or miscarriage.
Do not skip the topic that the father-to-be should also be healthy. To increase your chances of getting pregnant, your partner needs to take care of himself, exercise, eat a balanced diet and not smoke.
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