8 Tips to Help You Prepare BEFORE You Become Pregnant!

“Lets have a baby!”

Easy enough for the men to say! It gets a little tricky for us women though. If getting pregnant is something you are planning to plan with your man, then there are certain steps to take, starting after the phrase “Lets have a baby!”

1. Are you on birth control? Doctors recommend you are off birth control, and have a few cycles before you start the baby making. Give your body time to figure out what to do now that you are off the pill, and once you have one cycle, you can start tracking it to make sure you are ovulating regularly. A little tip to help you figure out when you are ovulating is to subtract 14 from the length of your cycle. (Example: Cycle is 28 days long, minus 14, means you ovulate around the 14^th day of your cycle). Of course, make sure you are still using protection until you’re ready. Even though you just got off the pill, it does not mean that you cannot get pregnant right away.
2. Replace your birth control with prenatal vitamins. It is best to start taking the prenatal vitamins before you conceive to give you a healthier pregnancy. Also, The Centers for Disease Control believe if you take 400mcg of Folic Acid per day for no less than a month before you start trying, your chances of have a baby with neural-tube defects will decrease by 50-70 percent.
3. Stop the partying. You shouldn’t be smoking, drinking, or doing drugs while pregnant. It only makes sense to stop doing any of that before you plan to get pregnant. Drugs, alcohol, and smoking can decrease your chances of getting pregnant, and if you do get pregnant, they can increase your chances of miscarrying, or having a baby with birth defects.
4. Make an appointment with your OB/GYN. Sometimes it's nice to get the “all clear” before hand, just to make sure there will be no road blocks in actually getting pregnant.
5. Weigh yourself. When you find out you are pregnant, your doctor will want to know your pre-pregnancy weight to help them keep track of how much you’ve gained during pregnancy, and how much you should be gaining.
6. Start eating right, and continue being active. Eating healthy and being active increases your chances of having a healthier pregnancy. Avoid more than a cup caffeine a day, limit your intake of fish per week to 2 servings and avoid fish that are high in mercury.
7. Sit down with your husband to start planning what happens next. Start budgeting, you’ll have to save for baby gear, and maternity clothes, also paying for your medical bills. How long will you take off of work after the baby is born? Will you send your baby to daycare after 6 weeks? All of these questions are good to start thinking about before trying to conceive.
8. Once you and your husband are ready, then you know it's time! Relax and have some fun! You can get pregnant right away, or it may take a few tries, but that is okay! No stress! Getting pregnant and being pregnant should be an exciting time for you and your spouse! Good luck! Get ready for the start of a new and exciting life!