How to prepare for pregnancy? Do I need to prepare for pregnancy?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Do I need to prepare for pregnancy? Of course, since the birth of a child in the life of every woman is the happiest event. For any mother, the he alth of the baby is above all, which means that you should take care of him even at the stage of pregnancy planning.

In order to minimize the possibility of various malformations and developmental defects in the fetus, as well as to avoid the risk of contracting latent infections, you should consult a doctor before conception. He will tell you how to prepare for pregnancy.

Which doctors to go to when planning a pregnancy

First of all, you need to visit a therapist to once again make sure of your he alth. The doctor will measure blood pressure, prescribe a fluorography.

Surveying a general urine and blood testcontributes to the detection of hidden chronic diseases: anemia, kidney disease, hypertension. In the presence of chronic diseases, consultation with a specialized specialist is required.

It is worth considering that the period of conception should not coincide with the time of exacerbation of the disease. If you are taking any medications, you also need to consult the specialist who prescribed them. There are drugs that are contraindicated for pregnant women, so before preparing for bearing a baby, such drugs should be replaced with their safe counterparts.

You also need to visit a gynecologist, he will tell you how much you need to prepare for pregnancy, and also examines for hidden infections using vaginal swabs. It would be useful to undergo a blood test for the absence of herpes, toxoplasmosis, rubella, syphilis, hepatitis. Due to the fact that these diseases are hidden, only examination in the laboratory can reveal them.

Any chronic infection tends to be transmitted to the child. Therefore, before preparing for pregnancy, you should not skip the dental office. The dentist will bring the oral cavity in order through its sanitation.

If a woman planning a pregnancy had genetic abnormalities in her family line, her parents were exposed to radiation or the age of the expectant mother exceeds 35 years, a consultation with a geneticist is required.

What does preparation include

How to properly prepare for pregnancy? First of all, in three months you should stop takingcontraceptives, to reduce the use of alcohol and nicotine to zero. Vitamins must be present in the diet of a woman planning a pregnancy. Due to the fact that the development of the embryo is directly proportional to the presence of vitamins and microelements in the mother's body, one should take care of their accumulation in advance.

Folic acid should be started a few months before conception. It is she who takes part in the development and growth of nervous tissue. Taking folic acid at a dose of 400 mcg per day for three months before and 12 weeks after conception will help protect the unborn child from malformations of the nervous system. It would be useful to take a complex of vitamins for pregnant women, even at the planning stage. If the body is deficient in iodine or iron, you should include drugs with their presence in the diet.

When should I start preparing for pregnancy?

How long to prepare for pregnancy? Many experts are still arguing over this issue. Some believe that preparation takes place throughout a woman's life. Past illnesses, abortions, alcohol abuse, nicotine abuse, and drug use - all this can affect the development of the fetus and the he alth of the pregnant woman in the future. Others believe that just a few months of he alth care will be enough before preparing for pregnancy.

In any case, two to three months before the time of conception, it will be necessary to exclude from your menu all products containing preservatives. In spring and summerperiod, it is worth abandoning the use of potatoes that have lain over the winter, since carcinogens appear in such a product.

How to prepare for pregnancy

Preparing for pregnancy in advance: the mood should be stable, upbeat. The development of the embryo is greatly influenced by the mood, so you need to avoid emotional overload, conflicts.

If the working conditions involve exposure to harmful substances, high temperatures, radioactive radiation, you will have to immediately agree with your superiors on the transfer or think about changing jobs. Even if the law at this stage still does not provide concessions, the he alth of the unborn baby is most important for you now.

Visits to crowded places where there is a risk of contracting any infection will have to be reduced to a minimum. Hypothermia should be avoided. When pregnancy occurs, any cold can cause significant harm to the embryo. For a more efficient functioning of the immune system, you need to increase the consumption of garlic and onions.

One month before the expected conception, it is recommended to stop visiting the sauna or bath, and also to exclude overheating. Walks in parks, squares, forests, at a considerable distance from the highway provide invaluable benefits for the whole organism. Every day you need to do exercises, as well as exercises for the abdominal muscles for 15-20 minutes. Subsequently, these activities will provide significant support during childbirth.

Infections

Preparing for pregnancy? It is better to pass tests for dangerous infectionsin advance. These include cytomegavirus, herpes, rubella and toxoplasmosis.

If such diseases are treated in time, they are not able to subsequently harm the expectant mother and baby. However, in the case when a woman became infected with them during pregnancy, intrauterine infection of the fetus occurs. The most dangerous is the penetration of viruses to the fetus in the first weeks of pregnancy.

Required tests

When planning pregnancy, it is mandatory to pass tests such as:

- complete blood count to detect latent infections, biochemical blood test;

- smears to determine the flora, scraping from the cervix;

- ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs and mammary glands;

- blood clotting test;

- tests for the determination of thyroid hormones, the study of its work.

Additional tests, if necessary, are prescribed by the doctor.

It is extremely important to pass all the listed tests, because based on their results, the doctor determines whether a woman's body is able to endure the conception and bearing of an unborn child. Through such examinations, the doctor receives important information about the he alth status of the planning woman. Also at this stage, latent infections that are dangerous for the mother and fetus may be revealed.

The influence of the Rh factor

It is also desirable to take tests to determine the Rh factor of the two spouses. If a woman is positive, it will not be difficult to get pregnant. If the expectant mother hasnegative Rh factor, you need to be tested for antibodies to the Rh factor, even if the man is also negative. In the case when they are positive, they will have to be corrected, since pregnancy is impossible under such conditions. If the tests show a negative result, they must be repeated at least once a month, starting from the eighth week of pregnancy.

Preparing a man for conception

It is very important that both spouses take full responsibility for the preparation of pregnancy. After all, the state of he alth of a man is also important. How can a man prepare for pregnancy? First of all, it is necessary to introduce recreational activities two to three months before the intended conception. Spermatozoa mature within 60-70 days and are sensitive to adverse environmental factors.

How a man prepares for his wife's pregnancy, the therapist will tell you. He will definitely recommend to exclude the use of alcohol and nicotine. Alcohol causes irreparable damage to both the female and male reproductive systems. Nicotine adds a detrimental effect by reducing a man's production of sex hormones. All this leads to a sharp decrease in the vital activity of spermatozoa. It is also important to exclude excessive stress on the body, including physical. Heavy sports have a negative impact on sperm functions. It is worth observing sexual abstinence for three to six days. This helps to increase the fertilizing properties of male sperm. On the contrary, longer sexual rest is undesirable,because it increases the number of overripe germ cells.

The impact of adverse factors on men's he alth

Any doctor will recommend a man at the stage of planning his wife's pregnancy to refuse to visit the sauna. Insulated trousers, underwear, hot baths, and other factors that contribute to overheating significantly reduce the fertilizing quality of sperm.

Passion for martial arts, cycling, as well as wearing tight underwear affect the groin, reducing blood supply, and therefore undesirable for conception. Contact with harmful chemicals such as paints and varnishes, exposure to irradiating devices and substances can adversely affect not only the he alth of a man, but also the development of an unborn child.

The impact of latent infections on men's he alth

Such serious diseases as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, not only cause infertility in men, but also contribute to the occurrence of malformations in the fetus, causing miscarriages. If timely treatment is carried out, then the quality of sperm after exposure to antibiotics is quickly restored. Of course, treatment is required for both partners at once.

Before a man prepares for pregnancy, it is important to remember that one sexual intercourse every 1-2 days during the fertile period in a woman's cycle is enough to conceive. With too frequent acts, each time the amount of sperm decreases, and therefore the likelihood of fertilization decreases.

When neededdonate spermogram

The norm is the onset of pregnancy during the first year of sexual activity without the use of contraceptives. At the same time, the potency of a man has nothing to do with the ability of sperm to fertilize. The quality of spermatozoa can be assessed only by passing a special analysis - a spermogram. According to its results, the doctor determines the number, mobility and viability of spermatozoa. The response that characterizes their maturity is also being explored.

Thus, before preparing for pregnancy, you need to consult a specialist. He will give detailed advice, as well as write out directions for all necessary tests. After receiving the results of the examination, the doctor will determine the body's ability to conceive and, in the absence of problems, prescribe a course of taking certain vitamins.