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You've decided to take the plunge into parenthood. But wait just a second or a month or two, at least. To give yourself the best chance for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, there are some important things you need to do before you head down the road to conception.
3. Give up drinking, smoking, and drugs and get help if you need it
If you smoke or take drugs, now's the time to stop. Numerous studies have shown that smoking or taking drugs can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, and low-birthweight babies. Keep in mind that some drugs can stay in your system even after their noticeable effects have worn off. What's more, research suggests that tobacco use can affect your fertility and lower your partner's sperm count. In fact, studies have shown that even secondhand smoke may affect your chances of getting pregnant. Alcohol can also get in the way of getting pregnant, so it's a good idea to cut back when you start trying. Abstain altogether during the last two weeks of your cycle in case you've conceived. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects and a host of other problems for your developing baby. Stopping unhealthy habits can be very difficult. Don't hesitate to talk with your healthcare provider. She can talk with you about aids for quitting smoking or refer you to a program to help you stop taking drugs, for example. Your local health department may also be able to help by putting you in touch with counselors, group programs, and other assistance.
Coffee is one, of course. The amount of caffeine in a serving of coffee varies widely, depending on the type of bean, how it's roasted, how it's brewed and, obviously, on the size of the coffee cup. (Although espresso contains more caffeine per ounce, it's served in a tiny cup, so a full cup of brewed coffee will deliver more caffeine.) To manage your caffeine intake, though, you'll need to be aware of other sources, like tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate, and coffee ice cream. Caffeine also shows up in herbal products and over-the-counter drugs, including some headache, cold, and allergy remedies. Read labels carefully.
Coffee coffee, generic brewed coffee, Starbucks brewed coffee, Dunkin' Donuts brewed caff latte, misto, or cappuccino, Starbucks caff latte, misto, or cappuccino, Starbucks espresso, Starbucks espresso, generic coffee, generic instant coffee, generic decaffeinated
Tea black tea, brewed green tea, brewed black tea, decaffeinated Starbucks Tazo Chai Tea latte instant tea, unsweetened Snapple Lipton Brisk iced tea
Caffeine 47 mg 25 mg 2 mg 95 mg 26 mg 42 mg 5 mg
Soft drinks Coke Diet Coke Pepsi Diet Pepsi Jolt Cola Mountain Dew 7-Up Sierra Mist Sprite
Amount 12 oz 12 oz 12 oz 12 oz 12 oz 12 oz 12 oz 12 oz 12 oz
Caffeine 35 mg 47 mg 38 mg 36 mg 72 mg 54 mg 0 mg 0 mg 0 mg
Energy drinks
Amount Caffeine
8.3 oz 8 oz 2 oz
77 mg 48 mg 138 mg
Desserts dark chocolate (70-85% cacao solids) milk chocolate coffee ice cream or frozen yogurt hot cocoa chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate milk
Amount 1 oz 1.55-oz 8 oz 8 oz 4 oz 8 oz
Start and stick to a fitness plan now, and you'll be rewarded with a healthy body that's fit for pregnancy. Plus, working up a little sweat is a great way to relieve the stress that can get in the way of getting pregnant. A healthy exercise program includes 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise, such as walking or cycling and weight training, on most days of the week. To increase flexibility, try stretching or yoga, and you'll have a really well-rounded fitness program. Once you're pregnant, it's okay even recommended to continue exercising. (That's unless if you have pregnancy complications and have been told not to, of course.) If exercising hasn't been a priority for you lately, you'll need to ease into an exercise routine. Start with something tame, like walking ten to 20 minutes a day. Add more activity into your daily routine by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking your car a few blocks away from work.
If you have health insurance, give the company a call and find out what kind of prenatal coverage they offer. If you're lucky enough to have a choice of plans, compare coverage and providers. If you have a particular doctor or midwife in mind, find out if she's in your plan or how much it would cost to go out of network for her care. Find out what your deductibles are for prenatal visits and delivery, and ask what tests and procedures your insurance covers. If you have a high deductible, try to put a little aside now so you won't be slammed with exorbitant bills when the baby arrives. If you're one of the millions of women without health insurance, contact your local health department to see what programs and resources are available in your area to help pregnant women and babies get the medical care and other services they need. Call 1-800-311-BABY (1-800-311-2229) to be connected to your local Health Department. (For Spanish, call 1-800504-7081.)
below 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C) to keep cold foods from going bad. It's a good idea to wear gloves when digging in the garden or sandbox, and to get someone else to change the litter box to avoid contracting toxoplasmosis, another infection that can be dangerous for a developing baby. Finally, make sure you get a flu shot, to avoid coming down with flu when you're pregnant. Get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine for the coming season becomes available. Getting the flu while pregnant can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and preterm labor.
Have you thought through how you'll handle childcare responsibilities and balancing work and family? Are you prepared to parent a special-needs child if you have one? If you have a partner, are you both equally committed to becoming parents? If you and your partner have religious differences, have you discussed how they will affect your child?
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that affects people differently. Caffeine can cause nervousness, irritability, anxiety, irregular heartbeats and problems sleeping. How caffeine affects an unborn baby is still under investigation. Some scientists believe caffeine can cause premature or smaller than normal babies or possible birth defects. Precautions
Cut down or eliminate food and drinks that contain caffeine such as coffee, tea, colas and other soft drinks, cocoa and chocolate. Caffeine is an ingredient in many non-prescription medicines such as headache, cold, allergy, and pills made to combat drowsiness. If you have been consuming caffeine in large quantities, gradually decrease your intake. Stopping all at once can cause severe headaches, nausea, fatigue and other symptoms. Check with your health care provider for more information.
Food additives
Precautions Whenever possible, try to minimize your use of:
Processed food items, such as hot dogs. Foods containing sodium nitrate, such as cured meats like ham or bacon. These substances may be carcinogenic (cancer-causing).
Be sure to wash fruits and vegetables and peel carrots to avoid eating pesticides used on farms to kill insects.
What is this medicine/herb? What does it treat? What are the side effects my baby or I may experience? What is the smallest effective dose? How long will I need to take this medication?
Precautions
Be cautious about using medications that contain multiple ingredients. They are more likely to contain extra substances that may harm your baby.
Avoid possible overheating. Check with your health care provider for recommendations.
Reduce your exposure to VDTs whenever possible. Be sure to take frequent stretch breaks and look away from the computer screen whenever possible.
First pregnancies Twin or other multiple pregnancies Women with high blood pressure before 20 weeks of pregnancy Teenage pregnancies Women with diabetes Women who have had preeclampsia during a previous pregnancy
Symptoms of preeclampsia include a rise in blood pressure, protein in your urine and rapid weight gain due to fluid retention. If left untreated, preeclampsia can cause many problems that could be life threatening to you and your baby. Early preeclampsia can be diagnosed during a routine visit with your health care provider. Call your health care provider immediately if you experience blurred vision, headache, upper abdominal pain, rapid weight gain or increased swelling. Gestational Diabetes Gestational diabetes only occurs during pregnancy. The changes in your body during pregnancy can cause your blood sugar (glucose) levels to be high, which can cause problems for you and your baby. You will receive specific education on how to care for yourself if you develop gestational diabetes. It is very important to follow the diet, exercise and blood sugar monitoring plans given to you. Gestational diabetes is most likely to develop if you:
Are overweight Have a family history of diabetes Gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more Had a baby who died before birth Had gestational diabetes in the past Are of Latin, American Indian, African, Asian or Pacific Islander descent
You and your baby may have the following problems if you don't keep your blood sugar under control:
Baby Big baby Premature birth Jaundice Low blood sugar Stillborn (although this is rare) Mother o High blood pressure o Bladder or kidney infection o Shortness of breath o Harder birth and longer recovery time
o o o o o