Are you planning a baby? Plan a visit with your doctor!
At this visit, you can discuss any health concerns you have and ask for advice on all the steps listed here! Also tell your doctor if other types of doctors, including for mental health, are treating you.
If you are thinking about getting pregnant, or you are able to get pregnant, try to take care of your health as best as you can.
Here’s what you can do:
- Get 400 micrograms (or 0.4 mg) of folic acid daily from foods fortified with folic acid, or a vitamin, or folic acid pill before you get pregnant and in the first three months while you’re pregnant. Folic acid (or folate) can help keep your baby from having birth defects. If you don't get enough folic acid, your baby’s spine may not form right. This is called spina bifida (spy-nuh bif-uh-duh). Also, without enough folic acid, your baby’s brain may not form or may only partly form. This is called anencephaly (an-en-seffelee). Many doctors will prescribe a vitamin for you that has folic acid. But you also can buy vitamins or folic acid pills at the drug store or grocery store. Taking folic acid in a pill is the best way to be sure you’re getting enough. You could get your folic acid though food alone, but it is hard to know if you’re getting enough. A healthy diet is always good for you and your baby though. Some foods with folate are leafy green vegetables, kidney beans, orange juice and other citrus fruits, peanuts, broccoli, asparagus, peas, lentils, and whole-grain products. Folic acid is also added to some foods like enriched breads, pastas, rice and cereals. Click here for more information on folic acid.
- Start watching what you eat. Load up on your fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains (such as whole-wheat breads or crackers). Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods (such as non-fat or low-fat yogurt, milk, and broccoli) that your baby needs for strong bones and teeth. If you live in areas where fruits and vegetables aren’t in season, frozen vegetables are a good option. Avoid eating a lot of fatty foods (such as butter and fatty meats). Choose leaner foods when you can (such as skim milk, chicken and turkey without the skin, and fish). Click here for more information on pregnancy and nutrition.
- Tell your doctor if you smoke or use alcohol or drugs. Quitting is hard, but you can do it. Ask your doctor for help.
- Get enough sleep (try to get seven to nine hours every night).
- If you can, control the stress in your life. When it comes to things like work and family, figure out what you can really do. Set limits with yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to say NO to requests for your time and energy.
- Move your body. Once you get pregnant, you cannot increase your exercise routine by much. So it’s best to start before the baby is on the way.
- Get any health problems under control. Talk to your doctor about how your health problems might affect you and your baby while pregnant. If you have diabetes, monitor your blood sugar levels. If you have high blood pressure, monitor these levels as well. If you are overweight, talk to your doctor about what a healthy weight is for you. Talk to your doctor about how your health problems might affect you and your baby while pregnant. There are things both you and your doctor can do to help you have a safe pregnancy and healthy baby.
- Ask your mother, aunts, grandmother and sisters about their pregnancies. Did they have morning sickness? Problems with labor? How did they cope with them?
- Find out what health problems run in your family. Tell these to your doctor. You can get tested before getting pregnant for some health problems that run in families (genetic testing).
- Make sure you have had all of your immunizations (shots), especially for Rubella (German measles). If you haven't had chickenpox or rubella, get the shots at least three months before getting pregnant.
- Get checked for hepatitis (hep-uh-tie-tus) B and C, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and HIV since these can harm both you and your baby. Tell your doctor if you or your sex partners have ever had an STD or HIV.
- Go over all of the medicines you take (prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines you buy without prescriptions, and herbals) with your doctor and ask if they are safe to take while you are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant.
Ask your partner to stay healthy too!
Ask your partner to limit how much alcohol he drinks. If he uses illegal drugs or smokes, encourage him to quit. Studies show that men who drink a lot, smoke, or use drugs can have problems with their sperm. These might cause you to have problems getting pregnant.
Planning Conception
While planning to conceive, you may choose natural planning methods such as the ovulation method (intercourse takes place just before or after ovulation) or the symptothermal method (evaluating fertility based on your daily temperature). Remember: women are more likely to becomepregnant if intercourse takes place just before or just after ovulation. This is because the unfertilized egg can live for only 12-24 hours in your body. If you have been trying for a few months with no results, don't get discouraged. Only 20% of women who are trying to get pregnant are successful on the first attempt, so don't lose hope or assume something is wrong.
Infertility
Women today are often delaying having children until later in life, when they are in their 30s and 40s. While many women in their 30s and 40s have no problems getting pregnant, fertility does decline with age. If you are over 40 and have not become pregnant after six months of trying, you should see your doctor for a fertility evaluation.
It is not uncommon to have trouble becoming pregnant or to experience infertility (inability to become pregnant after trying for one year). Overall, there are about 2.1 million married couples in America experiencing infertility, and some 9 million women have used fertility treatments. If you think that you or your partner may be infertile, you can discuss this with a health care provider who can recommend treatments such as drugs, surgery, or assisted reproductive technology. Click here for more information on infertility.
Adoption and Foster Care
If infertility is a problem for you, other options you might want to consider are adoption and foster care. Adopting or becoming a foster parent could be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Click here for more information on adoption and foster care.
