Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Part One: Pre-Pregnancy

So you want to have a baby? You and your partner have decided that now is as good a time as any to start your family. Yippee!!! You could just get down and dirty and be on your merry little way OR you can plan for the healthiest pregnancy for you and your baby and you can plan ahead for your post pregnancy body.

Prenatal Vitamins

Why are these things so stinkin' important? Well, they contain way more folic acid, which reduces the chance of having spinal and brain defects in the baby, than a normal multivitamin. They also contain more iron which helps the baby's growth and development as well as helps prevent anemia in you. Now obviously there have been millions of babies born without taking a prenatal vitamin as a preventative measure, but my thought is if you can have a little extra help, why not use it?

Here is a link for more detailed information. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prenatal-vitamins/PR00160

Fitness

Obviously, fitness should be a part of everyone's life regardless of the reasons. However, studies have shown that the healthier a woman is before pregnancy, the better her chance of getting pregnant as well as having a healthy pregnancy is. Also, a healthy lifestyle can help your man have healthier sperm too!

Where to start? : WALKING. Anyone can do this! If you have joint problems, walk in a swimming pool or just swim in the pool. Find a fun class that interests you. Start some light weight training. You'll want the extra strength to carry around that big belly and help push that baby out. Trust me. Hire a personal trainer or ask a friend who knows about this stuff to help you out. If anyone truly loves the fitness world, they love to share and help. Trust me. I LOVE it when someone asks me for help, especially if they are really serious about changing their lifestyle. Want more on this? http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnancy/getready_fit.html

Food

As with above, you should try to eat healthy anyway and not just because you're trying to get pregnant. So not dwelling on that, here are some foods that are rumored to help with fertility.

Dairy: something in the calcium can make it easier to conceive.

Lean Animal Protein: chicken and turkey provide a good amount of iron which is one of the main reasons for taking the prenatal vitamin. Protein also helps build lean muscle.

Fish: it seems like everyday there is more good news about Omega 3s. If you're like me and don't like to eat fish, definitely take a fish oil supplement. If you are against animal-whatever, I believe they have those supplements as well.

Complex Carbs: Eating these more pure carbs such as whole wheat, whole grains, fruits, and so on take longer to digest and don't spike your insulin levels which can mess with your menstrual cycle. If you are trying to conceive, now is really the time to stay away from white bread, white rice, and basically any processed snack.

Yams: yams are full of zinc that supposedly juices up ovulation.


Wrap Up

I am not a health professional, I'm just offering some knowledge that I have acquired. I posted some links, but I encourage everyone to do their own research. I hope you have found this helpful. :)

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