Planning a Healthy Pregnancy

Looking for healthy lifestyle pregnancy information? Here are some steps for planning a pregnancy with your healthy lifestyle in mind.

The most important step in planning for a healthy pregnancy is getting you healthy. This means quitting use of tobacco products, illegal drugs and alcohol. Most doctors also advise limiting caffeine intake. A pre-pregnancy physical exam is also vitally important. Your health issues and medical history, as well as family history, will all have a bearing on the health of your baby, so discuss these issues with your doctor before conception. Your doctor may suggest a blood test to screen for some types of genetic disorders, and a review of conditions that may require special care during a pregnancy, like diabetes, should be reviewed.

You should begin watching what you eat, remember, your diet will be nourishing your baby too! Eat a balanced diet and begin taking prenatal vitamins, especially folic acid, before you conceive to make sure that the developing baby will be getting all the nutrition it needs. Your doctor can prescribe these vitamins during your pre-pregnancy exam. In addition to eating well, you should exercise regularly and get plenty of rest. Although pregnancy is usually a time of weight gain, try to manage your weight to avoid complications like high blood pressure and diabetes during the pregnancy. Making healthy eating a habit prior to conception will help to control your weight gain.

Finally, it is important to evaluate your surroundings for harmful substances. While pregnant and planning to be pregnant, you should avoid lead, pesticides, x-rays and other forms of radiation.

By planning for a healthy pregnancy, you can help your baby be healthy too!

Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.