Preconception Care

by Buelah
(India)

Pregnancy is a time in a woman's life when it is important for her to be as fit as possible. Increasingly, doctors are also stressing the significance of health care and fitness during the months prior to conception for both the potential parents.

If you are already pregnant then do not worry about what you should or should not have been doing up to now. What ever stage you are at, it is not too late to begin working toward a healthier lifestyle for the rest of your pregnancy, and it is important that you do not feel guilty about events that are already in the past.

A healthy way of life adoption before conception might lessen the risks to the growing baby during the crucial early weeks of development, when a woman might be unaware that she is pregnant. The baby's spinal cord develops between 4 1/2 and 6 1/2 weeks, the arms during the same period, the legs between 5 1/2 and 7 1/2 weeks, and by the eighth week of pregnancy, the fetal heart is beating.

If you are planning a baby, then first you must stop contraception. If you are taking the pill, you should switch to a barrier method, such as the diaphragm or condom for at least three months to allow time for the natural pattern of hormone production and egg release to be re-established. And remember that it takes one in eight couples longer than a year to conceive. If you or your partner smoke, try to stop, or at least cut down. Reduce your alcohol consumption as well-even an occasional overindulgence is not a good idea. Diet is also very important. Your doctor might prescribe iron and folic acid supplements. Pay attention to your weight before conception. While being overweight is not ideal, crash dieting can impair fertility. You should not go on a reducing diet once you are pregnant, but you can make sure that you are within the desired weight range for your height and build before you conceive.

There are several other matters that call for medical guidance. Ask your doctor to check that your are immune to German measles (rubella). If you need immunization, continue to practice birth control for at least three months afterward, for while the vaccine is taking effect, it might damage a growing fetus.