How To Get Your Body Ready For A Baby

If you plan to try to conceive any time in the near future your best bet is providing your baby as healthy an environment to grow and flourish as possible. This means of course preparing for baby by ensuring your body is in the best shape possible. Carrying a baby for nine months is a lot of hard work! The better prepared your body is the more likely you are to experience a healthy and enjoyable pregnancy.

Physical Examination and Pregnancy

If you plan to try to conceive your first stop should be your health care providers office. Your doctor can discuss your medical history with you, offer you advice on conception and fertility, answer any questions you may have about conceiving and test you to make sure you don't have any diseases or other conditions that may prevent conception.

Your healthcare provider may also prescribe a prenatal vitamin or recommend you purchase an over the counter prenatal vitamin to help prepare your body for pregnancy. A prenatal vitamin contains among other essential nutrients loads of folic acid, which is essential for preventing birth defects in your baby. Studies suggest that women wanting to conceive should take folic acid in the months prior to conception to ensure adequate stores in the body when the baby is conceived. It is more important that you have ample folic acid in the earliest weeks even before conception than after.

Your doctor will likely also perform an annual pap or cervical smear to test for cancer and other cervical abnormalities and perform a pelvic exam to ensure that everything is as it should be. Your blood pressure will also be checked and your doctor may order a urinalysis.

A urinalysis can help rule out a urinary tract infection, which is associated with an increased risk for pregnancy complications including miscarriage and premature labor. In some cases your doctor may recommend a blood test, particularly if you are at risk for certain genetic disorders or chronic illnesses. Your doctor will also likely perform a test for STD's particularly chlamydia, which may interfere with conception or pregnancy.

Of course, many women don't end up seeing their doctor until the weeks after they have conceived. If you decide to take matters into your own hands, it is doubly important you take adequate steps to ensure your health and well-being. Be sure that you buy and start taking a prenatal vitamin immediately. You should also quit smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages if you are trying to conceive, as both can reduce your chances of a successful pregnancy.

Studies also suggest that too high caffeine intake on a daily basis may inhibit conception. While little risk is associated with moderate intake, including 1-2 cups per day, more caffeine may increase your risk for miscarriage. If you are having trouble conceiving, it is probably best you limit or remove caffeine from your diet entirely to ensure the best possible chances of conception.

Eating a diet that is high in fiber, essential vitamins and minerals and lean proteins is also helpful for conceiving. This will help prepare your body to carry a pregnancy and support your body with valuable nutrients. If at all possible, you should also engage in routine exercise or physical activity. For most women without any health risk factors or a high risk pregnancy, exercise is encouraged throughout pregnancy. It will help keep your body in optimal shape and help you prepare for labor and delivery. There is some evidence suggesting that women who exercise regularly during pregnancy are more likely to have fast and easier labors than women who do not exercise regularly.

If you haven't exercised before, you can start now. You should seek the advice of your health care provider if you have any health conditions that may limit your activity. Simply walking around the block for 15-20 minutes five days a week is a great way to start an exercise program and prepare your body for pregnancy.