Are you planning to get pregnant? All set to hear the chimes of your little human?
Am I hearing a yes! Wow…many congratulations. Having a baby is one of the most beautiful things you can ever think of. Planning it smartly can make it the most happy pregnancy and a healthy delivery.
When you have decided you are going to get pregnant, here are the 13 things you need to do before you get pregnant.
The 2 foremost important things you need to do before you are planning for pregnancy are to make up your mind and plan your finances well. Let us discuss in detail.
- Make up your mind
Only when you are sane mentally & physically (which is possible only before pregnancy) can you talk to yourself and your spouse about the roller coaster ride you both are going to get into emotionally and physically.
No, I am not trying to scare you. Though most of the things will go in a flow, it’s very important to prepare your mind. If you are reading this blog, I know you are in the process of preparing your mind.
Here are the few things you need to bring clarity on:- Your work-life balance – does the company provide you benefits like WFH, maternity care, paid & unpaid leave (applicable only if you are working).
- Where and how you want to deliver the baby (like natural birthing, hospital birth and more)
- How are you going to build the support system – is it with the help of parents, caretakers ?
- Lifestyle changes that need to be done together to build a healthy body.
- Unpredictable twists and turns which are mostly related to finance. Explained in a separate point.
As mentioned before, you need a sane mind to prepare for the above list as this preparation will be the key for the marathon you would like to complete with flying colors. And I wholeheartedly wish you all success for stepping into the pregnancy journey.
- Plan your finances well
You need to plan your finances wisely when you are planning for pregnancy. Every doctor visit, there are numerous tests that need to be taken to understand the vitals, position of the baby, and so on and so forth . Personally, being a mother of 2 kids, I had to pay minimum 8000 rs per visit on an average in a local clinic for my younger one in the year 2024.
These visits for the first few months of pregnancy are 3 weeks once and gradually when you are in your third trimester you need to visit the doctor every 2 weeks and in the 9th month it will be weekly once.
The expenses could be reduced to a quarter if you have a trustable government hospital to visit. The expenses after a delivery is another topic for another day.
If you have made up your mind and have found ways to equip yourself financially. The focus now needs to be put on your body and relationship with your spouse.
3. Meet a Doctor
Consult a healthcare provider preferably a gynecologist and go through a preliminary investigation to understand your uterus health and overall fitness of the body. For your spouse, if he smokes or drinks. It’s very crucial to take a test for semen analysis. As fertility is unisex.
If you are blood relation then genetic screening is mandatory to avoid genetic disorders. Meanwhile, the counselor or the doctor can help you understand more about the conception cycle and the way to enhance fertility and lead a healthy pregnancy.
If you are above 30 years of age, I would suggest you to mandatorily pay a visit. I gave birth to my baby girl at the age of 29, though age is just a number we need to be more conscious towards our body irrespective of how fit you are. A doctor visit gave me a clear picture of what I can expect.
So this is the next important step towards a healthy pregnancy. Once you get a blue tick on the above two steps, the next tips or steps are towards a healthy conception and pregnancy.
4. Start having folic acid tablets
I wanted to add this as a subtopic in healthcare providers but I felt it is way more important to emphasize the need for it separately.
Most of the healthcare providers give folic acid supplements but if your doctor doesn’t give. Kindly ask them the reason for it. Folates help in early fetal development and prevent birth defects. As a matter of fact, they are included in the form of folic acid supplement throughout the pregnancy along with calcium and iron.
5. Make yourself and your partner aware about the process of conception
Generally we assume having intercourse will help you get pregnant. It is partially right but if you notice not every conception leads to pregnancy. So what are the factors you should be aware of:
- Your spouse is not overtired.
- Right time for conception.
- How to handle stress.
- Make sure you are emotionally well.
Overall, it is important to be present emotionally, physically and mentally. There are multiple active support groups and books to make you aware of the pregnancy preparation process and more. Key here is – you need to learn as well as educate your spouse about it to be on the same page.
All right, I assume you are aware of the do’s and don’ts. Now here are few practical things you need to follow:
6. Download an app to understand your period cycle
You need to have an app in hand to understand your menstruation cycle. As you might be aware, every one of us has a different period cycle, for a few it is as little as 22 days and for a few it goes up to 32-35 days.
Only when we know our period cycle, the app can help us calculate the best fertile days in the cycle. Doing this helps to do the deed at the right time thereby increasing the chances of conceiving.
I used an app called Flo for my first pregnancy way back in 2016 and switched to Ovia pregnancy to track the same for my second pregnancy. As the former becomes a paid app. While you are reading this, I am not sure which app would be more popular. So you can choose the one that works for you.
7. Ovulation strip
Get an ovulation strip to understand the best days for conception- For my first pregnancy I was not aware of ovulation strips, post 5 years I can hear from many of my friends that ovulation strips have been a blessing for them.
They are cost effective and they can help you cross verify with the app, what could be the best days for conception.
8. Maintain your weight
It is important to maintain your weight before you get pregnant. During pregnancy, by the time you reach your final semester the range of weight gain could be anywhere from 5kgs to 22 kgs ( This for Indian body type and this data is gathered from my friends around 25 people with different body types)
You should be comfortable to walk, climb the stairs even till the last month of your delivery. If we can get into ideal weight then it helps better.
9. Hydrating yourself regularly
Even on a normal day, one needs to have a minimum of 2.5L – 3L of water but few of us hardly drink 1L consciously. Keep colorful bottles for motivation and make a habit of drinking at least 2L-3L of water daily.
10.Start avoiding junk, especially Chinese food
I would suggest both you and spouse to avoid junk and start eating healthy to keep yourself healthy for conception. As ajinomoto and color used in these junk can cause stomach irritations and allergies at times even food poisoning can make you feel worse.
11. Avoid smoking and alcohol
It is highly recommended to abstain from these habits to avoid birth defects. Research says when the mother is exposed to alcohol it can lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). FASD can create behavioral and learning related difficulties to the offspring.
My sincere suggestion is – If you are very fond of smoking & alcohol then please do not be fond of making offspring’s as you can have only one desperate need at one point of time…
12. Reduce drinking coffee or caffeine drinks
At times caffeine can prove more harmful than his foreign friend liquor. I would suggest you limit the caffeinated drinks to 1 or 2 maximum in a day for 2 important reasons –
- 1. It messes with your sleep cycle
- 2. Caffeine can prevent the absorption of the most important nutrients iron and calcium that helps in conception.
P.S: When I had a craving for filter coffee, my doctor suggested that I drink 2 glasses of water for each glass of coffee I drank to avoid dehydration in the first place. So I used to drink coffee twice or thrice in small quantities.
13. Try to stay in a positive judgment free environment
No matter how much you are prepared mentally & physically, I personally believe the energies surrounding you plays a major role in one’s well being.
As pregnancy can naturally induce anxiety and stress, being in a positive environment helps reduce your stress level and improve your emotional well being. So choose the people and surroundings better to keep you positive during the process of conceiving as well as pregnancy.
I hope all the above steps, tips and my experience helps you sail through this journey hale and healthy. Again I wish you a happy conception, healthy pregnancy and a happy delivery.
