Exercise
Get moving! Exercise has been shown to have beneficial effects on mom and can even help make labor and delivery a little easier ““ trust me, you’ll be thankful for your fitness when trying to push that baby out. Unless otherwise directed by your doctor, there’s no reason why you can’t continue exercising through your pregnancy. You should check with your doctor to see if there are any restrictions on what types of activity you are able to do.
Weight Loss
If your doctor recommends losing weight before getting pregnant, she’s not being mean. Studies have shown that being overweight can put both mom and baby at risk for a number of complications, including high birth weight, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and more. If you need help, seek out the services of a dietician or nutritionist. Your doctor should be able to make a recommendation. Try to avoid fad diets, though, and find a way to make positive and sustainable lifestyle changes.
Social Behaviors
Before you start trying to get pregnant, it is important to curb those bad habits; you know the ones I’m talking about: smoking, drinking and illegal drug use. Caffeine is okay, though you should definitely try to cut back. Current recommendations are no more than 100 to 200mg of caffeine each day. That’s roughly one or two small (8oz) cups of coffee.
While there’s nothing that anyone can do to guarantee a healthy pregnancy and baby, taking these steps beforehand can help. Isn’t it worth it?
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