Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

There are a lot of women who are asking how do I get pregnant.

The truth is that there are a lot of aspects that you have to consider when thinking about a future pregnancy. The main point is to reduce the chances of the baby getting harmed in any way.

Folic acid and preparing for pregnancy

For sure you know that it is important to take folic acid. You should start taking it at least a month before you get pregnant and you should continue taking it until the 12^th week of pregnancy. This is a nutrient that you can naturally find in some foods. Nonetheless there is need for supplements because you can’t get enough folic acid from food.

When you are planning a pregnancy you must know that folic acid is so important because it can decrease the chances of the baby being affected by neural tube problems like spina bifida. In the same time it can reduce the chances of the baby getting born with a cleft palate or lip.

Vitamin D

In case you are preparing for your pregnancy keep in mind that this vitamin is needed for the growth of the baby. You should have 10 micrograms of this vitamin per day. However if you have little sunshine on your skin, it is best to double the dose. Vitamin D is produced in the skin using sunshine.

Alcohol

One of the most important pieces of advice that you will get when you have to prepare for a pregnancy is not to have any alcohol during those 9 months. There is no such thing as a healthy limit. Even the smallest amount of alcohol could hurt the baby and for sure this is something that you would like to avoid.

Smoking

There are a lot of smoking women, but when they have to plan a pregnancy it is best if they give up smoking. The specialists say that women should give smoking up even before they get pregnant. If you go on smoking you have higher chances of having a miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.

Obesity and being overweight

When you are getting ready for your pregnancy and you are overweight or obese, it is best if you lose some weight. This is because otherwise you will have higher chances of complications like preeclampsia, the need for a C-section or stillbirth. The more extra pounds you have, the greater the risks are.

Balanced diet

If you have to get ready for pregnancy, your diet should be based on starch food along with vegetables and fruits. Also make sure that you have plenty of proteins coming from fish, meat, chicken and pulses. Remember that you don’t have to eat for two during pregnancy. You only need 300 extra calories per day.

As you can see, there is a lot to think about when planning to get pregnant. The main point is to make sure that both you and the baby will be healthy during the pregnancy.