Are you Physically Ready To Be Pregnant?
Hopefully by now you have established the fact that your family is ready for a baby. The next thing to look at is are you physically ready to have a baby? From what I understand it us unwise to just plan by yourself to have a baby without the advise of your doctor. On these web pages I will talk about how to get ready for having a baby. On 9/1/2000 my husband and I started trying for our second child. I was on the birth control pill Desogin and was told by my doctor that we had to wait six months before trying. Its advised that you be off of any birth control for a month with a regular cycle established before starting to try. Believe it or not the first month we tried after coming off of birth control I became pregnant.
Before trying for a baby it is wise to be as healthy as you can possibly be to insure the best for you and your baby during pregnancy.
Are you physically ready to have
a baby? I've learned that having a baby these days isn't just
agreeing with your spouse to try for a baby. These days in order
to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby you need to
prepare health wise before you get pregnant.
WEIGHT
Look at how much you weigh. If you are over weight for your height and age it is wise that you lose some weight before getting pregnant (personal advice but I'd talk to you doctor before doing so). When I got pregnant with my first daughter I was 120lbs. I had 4 months of morning sickness which caused me to go down to 110. After morning sickness left I slowly went up to 138lbs. Studies have shown that gaining 30lbs while pregnant is normal weight gain. After my daughter was born I found it harder and harder to lose weight especially since I was use to eating for two for nine months. When we started to try for #2 I was 153 lbs and over weight for my height and age. I went on a healthy diet and exercise and lose a few pounds. Being over weight while pregnant can cause problems with your body and in most cases can be the cause of gestational diabetes. A lot of heavy weight can cause back problems and a lot of back pain during pregnancy. Heavy weight can also cause your legs to swell more than usual and can cause your body to work harder than its use to and cause a lot of stress on the body. Depending on how much you weigh now and how much you gain during pregnancy, if you were very over weight while pregnant your doctor may prescribe bed rest for the rest of your pregnancy. If you are worried about your weight while you are pregnant, talk to your doctor. There are many safe exercise classes for pregnant women. Never take up your own exercise routine while you are pregnant, always talk to your physician even if you are doing basic things such as sit ups or biking. Even if a pregnant friend of yours is pregnant and doing certain exercises, talk to your physician before trying them. Each women is different and each pregnancy is different.
DIET
Having a healthy diet is
important even before you become pregnant. There are certain
things that you need to add in your diet before you get pregnant
to insure your baby is healthy. Folic acid and calcium are very
important to add to your diet before you get pregnant. Folic acid
can prevent things such as birth defects. Eating three meals a
day and limit snacking is also very important to both you and
your baby. Here is a page that gives examples of a healthy diet.
http://mtbttc.tripod.com/diet.htm
FATHER
STOP USING CONTRACEPTION
Before you stop using
contraception I would call your obstetrician (OBGYN)or doctor
before coming off of contraception so they can give you
instructions. I was on the birth control pill and was told that
after my pill pack was done I could safely come off the pill. I
was also told that I would have to wait 3 months off of the pill
and three more months on prenatal pills before I should get
pregnant. Many doctors have different plans. I was also told that
it will take at least three cycles before your period resumes on
schedule.
If you have a intrauterine device
(IUD) you will need to have it removed before planning on getting
pregnant. It can increase the risk of intrauterine infection.
In the months that I can not get
pregnant my husband and I use condoms. I also go to
epregnancy.com who has a place were I just give them the 1st
day of my last period and it gives me a rough idea of when
I’d be fertile.
If you have been taking Depo Provera aka depo or provera. I strongly recommend you ask your OBGYN to put you on cycle regulating medication which will need to be taken 2-4 months until your period is a regular 28 days. 90% of women I've talked to who have taken Depo Provera and have planned to TTC have waited 3 to 5 years or more to get a period let alone a regular cycle all due to side effects of the medication that linger after coming off of it. I found from former users of the birth control that it takes months for the medication itself to release from your system. The good news though is most who have gone on medication to start and regulate their cycles after coming off of depo provera have become pregnant in 6 months to a year after regulating.
SMOKING,ALCOHOL
AND DRUGS
If you smoke,drink
alcohol or take drugs try your best to stop now. Talk to your
doctor about quitting smoking or quitting taking drugs. Both can
cause low birth weight, cause your child to have respiratory
problems,asthma and more ear infections, it can also increase the
likelihood of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Smoking may
also cause still birth and miscarriage.
Drinking alcohol can cause
problems getting pregnant, can cause miscarriage,low birth
weight, still birth, and premature birth. Drinking can also cause
damaging health effects to your baby including mental retardation
and physical problems. The safest approach is to stop drinking.
If you wish not to stop then reduce your consumption to not more
than two drinks twice a week.
MEDICAL
If you need dental work done take
care of it now. Going to the dentist while pregnant as long as
you mentioned you are pregnant is ok but some dental
work,including x-rays, are harmful to you and your baby.
If you are on any prescription
medication, talk to your doctor and see if it is safe to take
them or see if your doctor can get you a safer alternative. Also
talk to your doctor about what you can and can’t take while
trying and pregnant. Tylenol is safe for pain and Tums is great
for upset stomachs and gas but other than that I can’t
remember what else is good.
HOME AND WORK
Take a look around your home and
the place you work. If you live in a place that was built before
1978, check the pipes to make sure they are not lead. If you are
concerned ask your utility company to test your water.
If you have a home that was built
before 1978 and you have paint that flakes, have it tested by a
professional lead inspector. If it tests positive have the paint
removed by a professional and stay away from the are while it is
being worked on. Lead is very harmful to
fetus and can cause brain damage in children.
At work if you are exposed to
chemicals,gases,radiation,or x-ray equipment. Talk to your
employer and asked to be moved to a area away from these things.
Stay away from tuna
fish,weedkillers,agricultural chemicals and dental amalgam
fillings because they contain mercury which has proven to be
toxic to pregnant women. Also stay away from eating raw
meat,unpasteurized or mold-ripened cheese. You may contract a
infection from the animals that give these resources which can
harm your baby.
PETS
Having pets while pregnant shouldn't have to be
a problem at all. Unfortunately there are some side effects in
owning a cat while pregnant. If you own a cat then you will have
to take some extra special steps to take care of both your health
and your baby's health while you are pregnant. Some cats and
sheep carry a disease called toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis causes
damage to the fetus in early pregnancy or can be passed on to
your baby in the later months. Only 1 in 10,000 is born with it
but it is still a concern. If you have a cat you can still keep
your cat,pet and love it like before. Toxoplasmosis is mainly
found in a cats fecal matter. If you have had your cat for a
number of years chances are you are immune to Toxoplasmosis. The
best way to tell whether or not your pet has this disease you can
take him/her to the vet and have him tested and you can ask your
doctor to have you tested to see if you are immune. Until then
have someone else clean kitty's kitty litter box.
If you work on a farm or near farm animals hygiene is very
important. Talk to your doctor about risks working with farm
animals. Sheep get infected with a disease that causes them to
miscarry called Chlamydia psittaci which poses a similar threat
to pregnant women. If you are taking care of farm animals, have
someone take over your chores until you can talk to your doctor.