Pre Pregnancy: Get the Basics Right!

Pre Pregnancy stage is as important as pregnancy itself. In the present times, there is a lot of concern with pregnancy and childbirth unlike before. Women have been bearing children since pre historic times and without the present terms and conditions that we attach to it. The probable reason behind us attaching so many conditions to it is that we are in a habit of being in control of our lives. Controlling our eating habits is one of the ways that we do it. However, controlling the intake of excess caffeine, NutraSweet or smoking is definitely good for your baby.

A pregnancy diet is often termed as a fad. But owing to the different body constitutions of different people, a pregnancy diet has become a necessity. Often women want to have their babies on Valentine's Day, for this purpose they need to keep a tab on their menstrual cycle and correspondingly the intercourse needs to be scheduled too. Ovulation takes place 14 days after the start of the cycle irrespective of the length of the cycle. Keeping this in mind, intercourse should occur regularly around the time of ovulation to increase chances of conception.

Pre pregnancy concerns also include things like exercise, diet, drugs and alcohol, smoking etc. Pre pregnancy planning should include an exercise regimen preferably an aerobic one as it helps you in attaining complete fitness. A low impact program is supposed to be perfect if you are taking it on with pregnancy in mind. Your major concern is to protect your vulnerable area that's your abdomen which takes care of the whole thing the uterus and the baby.

Diet is another area of pre pregnancy concern. If you are not in the habit of eating three regular and healthy meals a day then it is advised that in anticipation of pregnancy, this needs to be done. Yoga while pregnancy also helps to calm your senses and to give you a feeling of tranquility. But again, it needs to be done under the supervision of a trained instructor.

There is no denying that labor is painful. But to prepare for labor better, pre pregnancy planning needs to include breathing exercises during pregnancy. Smoking is normally harmful to the human body but especially for pregnant mothers or for those intending to conceive smoking, can become a roadblock. While smoking before can prevent pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy can lead to premature and smaller babies. Children of smokers have been known to have more lung conditions.

Illicit drugs, of course are again a big no as they can have a serious impact on the unborn child. Vaccinations for the expecting mother also need to be kept in mind and should be taken in consultation with your health care provider. Family history is another of those important points that you need to keep in mind before you plan for pregnancy. This will help you understand your genetic make up and plan accordingly for the baby.