Introduction to pregnancy preparation

I believe that every parent wants to have a healthy baby. If you want your baby to be born in good health, you need to do a series of preparations before pregnancy. The editor here will introduce to you what preparations you should do before pregnancy in order to give birth to a healthier baby. Let's take a look.

Say goodbye to alcohol, tobacco and drugs

If you smoke or take drugs, stop. Because some drugs remain in your body after their effects wear off. Numerous studies have shown that smoking and drugs can cause miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight. Additionally, studies have shown that smoking may affect fertility and sperm count in men. In fact, even exposure to secondhand smoke can affect your chances of conceiving. Experts recommend that expectant mothers should avoid drinking alcohol during pregnancy, so after you start trying to have a baby, it is best to reduce your alcohol intake and avoid drinking in the last two weeks of your menstrual cycle in case you have already conceived.

Weight control

Women whose weight is within the normal range have a higher chance of getting pregnant. Studies show that women with a body mass index (BMI) below 20 or above 30 are less likely to conceive. Therefore, before preparing for pregnancy, it is best to control your BMI value between 20 and 30. If your weight is not within normal range, changing it may increase your chances of conceiving. Please consult a professional to develop an exercise plan to achieve your ideal weight.

Choose Healthy Foods

Now is not the time for you to "eat for one and supplement for two", but from now on, you should start choosing nutritious foods to reserve beneficial nutrients for the future baby's breeding environment. Eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible every day, plenty of grains, and calcium-rich foods such as milk, calcium-fortified orange juice, and yogurt. If you really like eating fish, you should be aware that although fish is rich in protein, some fish, such as shark, swordfish, mackerel and tilefish, often contain too high mercury content (mercury usually exists in fish in the form of methylmercury). Large amounts of methylmercury are harmful to the development of the fetal brain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that pregnant women avoid these fish and limit their intake of cooked fish to no more than 340 grams per week. This advice is very valuable for you to refer to.

Develop and stick to a long-term fitness plan

Start customizing a fitness plan now and you will gain a healthy physique that is best suited for nurturing a fetus. According to research by the American College of Sports Medicine, a healthy exercise program includes three aspects: 1) 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling, 3 to 5 days a week; 2) muscle strengthening training, such as strength equipment training, 2 to 3 days a week; 3) flexibility exercises, such as daily stretching, yoga, etc., 2 to 3 days a week. And even if you are pregnant, these exercises are still fine for you and are even recommended to continue. If you don't like to exercise normally, you should increase the amount of exercise step by step. Start with some relaxing activities, such as walking for 10 to 20 minutes a day, or add some exercise to your daily life, such as climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator, or getting off the bus one or two stops earlier and then walking.

Finally, the editor wishes everyone can have a healthy baby, but the editor also wants to remind those friends who are about to become prospective parents that if you want a healthy baby, you must do a good job of pre-pregnancy preparation. But the editor also believes that everyone will do a series of preparations.