Planning your pregnancy before you get pregnant helps ensure that your baby gets the best start in life that you can possibly give him or her. For that reason, many physicians and other healthcare workers are now considering pregnancy a 12-month term. The actual length of a pregnancy (growth from a fertilized egg into a normal-size baby) is 9 months. But now we know the few months before you get pregnant can be as important as the 9 months in which the fetus develops inside of you.With good preparation on your part, you can give your baby the best start toward a healthy life. The months that you plan for your pregnancy give you time to prepare your body and make any necessary lifestyle changes. You can eat nutritiously, cut out alcohol and tobacco use, begin an exercise program, get your weight under control and talk to your doctor about any other medical concerns you have.
You can do many things to prepare for pregnancy
- Exercise regularly.
- Find out if medications you take regularly can be decreased or discontinued.
- Ask your physician if they are safe to take during pregnancy.
- Get your weight under control. Pregnancy is not the time to lose weight.
- If you need X-rays or medical tests, get them done before trying to get pregnant.
- It's a good time to control or to eliminate tobacco, alcohol or drug use.
- Decide who will deliver your baby.
- Check on your insurance coverage for pregnancy.