Planning Pregnancy - Things to Consider Before Becoming Pregnant

Planning Pregnancy

Once you have made the decision that it's time for you to start a family, you need to take the opportunity of the pre-expectancy weeks to establish a healthy lifestyle so that your body will create the best environment possible in which to nurture your baby once it starts to grow inside you. There are a few issues to consider when planning for a family that can make for an easier once the time comes.

One of the most important things that any woman must take into account is whether or not she is taking any medications that are harmful to the baby once she becomes expectant. Not all prescribed drugs are dangerous to the baby during expectancy, the ones to watch out for are the ones that cross the placenta - these are the ones which will invade the baby's environment and potentially affect the baby in an adverse way.

If you have a medical condition that requires medication, speak to your medical provider about this and query if the medication you take is safe during expectancy. If it isn't, you have time during this planning pregnancy period to explore the options available to you. It could be that your condition means you are unable to come off the drugs completely, but another type of similar but safer drug is available.

Depending on the lifestyle you lead, the planning period can be used to change your current life into one that will better reflect the demands expectancy will make on your body, as well as provide a safe environment for your baby to grow in. If you smoke or drink alcohol, and don't feel able to cut these out of your life completely, use this time to reduce the amounts you smoke and drink.

If you are someone who has a stressful job which requires you to be on your feet much of the day, and working many more hours than you should, then perhaps you need to consider a change of employment during your planning stage. It could be sideways move within your own organization, or a new job altogether - but if you change employers, make sure you don't lose any maternity benefits.

Expectancy can be a smooth ride, or a rough one. Most seem to fluctuate between the two extremes. Planning changes in advance of getting pregnant allows you to control some of the things that influence the early stages, such as fatigue, medication changes, and stress levels caused by immediate lifestyle changes because you have already started to make these before becoming expectant. Planning makes for a smoother transition.

Also read our article about Pilates Pregnancy