Be prepared. Schedule a preconception visit with your physician to discuss vitamins, immunizations and any medications you take. This is important, because your baby starts developing before you may know you’re pregnant. Be sure to mention any genetic disorders that run in your family. This will alert your doctor to monitor for them or suggest genetic testing.
Think twice. If you’re contemplating pregnancy, be sure to shed your illusions before making a decision. Parenthood involves sacrificing sleep, enduring tantrums and changing plans when your child gets sick. Are you ready for the job?
Eat well. Before and during pregnancy, eat a variety of healthy foods, and get at least 400 to 800mcg of folic acid every day. Folic acid helps your baby form a normal nervous system and heart. Ask your clinician for a prenatal vitamin to take daily for three months before conception, during the pregnancy and between pregnancies. Do not double up on your usual multivitamins.
Avoid harmful substances. If you’re pregnant or likely to become so, don’t smoke, drink alcohol or use illicit drugs (they can cause early births and brain damage). And check with your physician about any medications you’re taking. Drugs used to treat acne or seizures can harm a developing fetus. To avoid toxoplasmosis (a parasitic infection that passes from hand to mouth), have someone else empty the cat-litter box, wear gloves when you garden and wash your hands after handling raw meat. You should also avoid mercury-rich fish, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish.
Get moderate exercise. Walking and swimming are particularly healthful and safe. Avoid saunas, hot tubs and long, hot baths; high temperatures can cause miscarriage or damage the baby’s spinal cord.
See your clinician regularly. At your first prenatal visit, expect a full physical, including routine blood tests. You may also be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, which can harm the fetus if left untreated, and your urine will be checked regularly for sugar (a sign of diabetes).
After your pregnancy is confirmed, your doctor will offer another blood screen and may also recommend other tests to ensure that the fetus is developing normally. Ultrasound images can reveal anomalies in time to plan further testing or care. Other tests, such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, involve drawing fetal cells from amniotic fluid or preplacental tissue and checking them for chromosomal defects.
No one can guarantee you a perfect birth or a trouble-free pregnancy, but these steps can improve any parent’s prospects.
