A healthy body is better equipped to conceive a child, and importantly, to promote a problem-free pregnancy.
The best way to ensure that you have a healthy baby is to prepare your body before you become pregnant. By maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet, a reasonable level of fitness and by reducing the intake of alcohol, your body will be much better equipped to conceive a child. This is for obvious reasons- a healthy body is the best place for your baby to grow. No matter what age you are, if you are planning a family it is important to increase your chances of conception and successful, problem-free pregnancy by looking after your body and developing good eating, exercise and lifestyle habits now.
While what level of lifestyle change you will implement will vary, there are some most important steps you can take as an essential starting point when trying to conceive.
Quit smoking
The best thing you can do for you and your baby is to quit. We’re all aware of the damage that smoking can do to our own bodies, as well as that of the unborn child, but what many people don’t realise is that it also affects your ability to conceive. A British study of over 17,000 women aged 25 to 39 revealed that smokers were 22% less likely to conceive than non-smokers. Smoking in men has been associated with a decreased sperm density and increased abnormal sperm morphology, so if you are trying to conveive it is important for your partner to quit as well.
Limit alcohol intake
Alcohol can be damaging to both the sperm and the ovum prior to fertilisation, which will make your chances of healthily conception much lower, so if you are trying to create a child it is important to consider both you and your partner’s alcohol consumption. Additionally, by the time you realise you are pregnant you may already be in the fourth week of your pregnancy or later, by which time you should not be drinking for risk of harming your unborn baby, so it is best to lower intake now.
Develop and maintain a healthy and nutritious diet
It’s common sense that a healthy body is a more hospitable environment for a child to develop, and developing good habits now will ensure that your body is in the best condition when your baby is conceived. If your body is going to carry, protect and nourish an unborn child for nine months, you will need to be able to supply your baby with all its nutritional requirements as well as maintaining your own wellbeing.
Develop and maintain physical fitness
Moderate exercise is important for all general health, but when you are trying to become pregnant it becomes increasingly important to keep your body in the best possible physical condition, both to increase your chances of a healthy conception and to ensure the best environment for a baby to develop. To build up fitness, you can begin with small, regular bouts of exercise such as walking, swimming or yoga. Making physical activity part of your regular routine will make keeping fit an effortless part of your lifestyle.
Check your prescribed medications
Visit your doctor to make sure that any medications you are taking will not cause problems with conception. Do not simply discontinue using prescribed medications without consulting your doctor- if it is discovered that the medication may affect your ability to conceive, your health professional will discuss with you some options and methods to increase your chances of becoming pregnant. It goes without saying that recreational drugs are both harmful to you and the baby’s health and detrimental to your efforts at conception, so if you use any drugs you must inform your doctor and discuss your options for safely changing your habits.
Visit your doctor
Even if you aren’t taking any medications and don’t have any known health problems, it is a good idea to visit a healthcare professional and tell them that you are trying to become pregnant. It may be important to check for undiagnosed medical conditions, ensure your immunity to particular viruses, or to discuss options for increased fertility.