Pre Pregnancy Planning

Bringing a child into the family is a momentous event - therefore, it is essential to ensure that your pregnancy is planned. Pre Pregnancy planning can be started with the help of your doctor when you decide to have a baby; since you want to make sure that your child is born in a healthy environment, making the journey of conception, pregnancy and delivery a smooth one.

The most important factors to consider in the process of pre pregnancy planning would include the right diet and nutrition, vitamins, weight, adequate exercise, what medication you can take and avoid, abstinence from alcohol and genetic counseling. You will probably have a normal pregnancy even without planning but there's nothing like being prepared for this crucial time.

If you are taking medications for any reason, during pregnancy planning, you must consult your doctor about the safety of continuing them. When your baby is developing inside you, you want to make sure that nothing that is harmful is being consumed by you unknowingly. Your fetus starts growing even before you miss your period, when you are pregnant. So the last thing you want to do is create problems for yourself.

It is very important during pre pregnancy planning, to know what to do and when to do it. You have to start off with deciding when to come off contraception and its effect on you and your baby. When you conceive, it is a magical moment. Did you know you could influence the sex of your baby?

Here's an interesting way to do it: the Chinese pregnancy calendar or the Chinese lunar calendar. Legend has it that it was taken from a 700 year old Royal Tomb near Peking, China and today you can see it at China's Institute of Science. It is used to determine your baby's sex and is considered 99% accurate. Basically, it takes the month of conception and the mother's age at the time of conception. After determining this, 9 months are added to her age to find out the sex of the baby. Take a look at the Chinese Pregnancy Calendar here.

You must start taking good care of your health even during the pregnancy planning stage. Find out all about what to do and avoid during pregnancy. Your pregnancy diet must include the right ingredients. Stock up on pregnancy clothes - looking good can go a long way in making you feel confident. Follow your doctor's medical advice to make sure that your body is ready for pregnancy.

You might want to get genetic counseling to consider all the risk factors during pre pregnancy planning, to minimize the possibility of birth defects in your child. Moreover, with all the facts available about cord blood banking, since it can save your baby's life should the necessity arise, you will also have to make decisions about banking your cord blood.

Do your pre pregnancy planning the right way to enjoy a blissful pregnancy-period and experience the unbound joys of parenthood. Happy Parenting!