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.
