Before you start trying for pregnancy there are things you should do to increase chances get pregnant faster and have a healthy baby.
- Take Folic acid or Prenatal dietary supplements containing Folic acid.
It is recommended to start taking Folic acid 3 months before you start trying to conceive. It can help prevent major birth defects. You can take Folic acid in form of tablet but you can find it in many foods as well. Leafy greens, citruses and beans are natural sources of Folic acid. Most the women need pill though to get recommended daily amount which is 400 micrograms.
Some of the supplements contains Folate which is only different form of Vitamin B9. Folate is naturally occurring form of Vitamin B9.
Folic acid is a synthetic form of Vitamin B9, also known as pteroylmonoglutamic acid.
- Stop smoking, drinking alcohol and using certain drugs
- Smoking can make it harder to get pregnant as it can affect egg quality. It can also can raise problems as miscarriage, premature birth or low birth weight.
- Alcohol can sometimes make it harder to get pregnant and as you may not know you are already pregnant it is better to give up before you start trying. Drinking during pregnancy can raises chances of birth defects and learning problems.
- Avoid toxic substances and chemicals in environment
Harmful chemicals are in many products which we use every day, it is important to reduce exposure to this chemical as it can affect your fertility and can be also unsafe during pregnancy. You can find them in everyday products such as cleaning products, house paint, perfumes, makeups, beauty product as moisturizer, shampoos hair color and others.
Canned food can be lined with BPA (chemical found in plastic which can leach into food, it is concern for fertility and development of babies). Is better use fresh fruit and veggies but it can contain pesticides so wash it thoroughly before use or buy organic.
- Maintain healthy life style
- Being physically active before and during pregnancy has many benefits. Try get into habit of regular moderate exercise. Avoid high-level workouts that leave you overheated and exhausted. Aim to be as close to your recommended ideal weight as possible before conceiving.
- Eat healthy and balanced diet including variety of whole grains, fruit and vegetable. Don’t eat large fish as shark, swordfish, tilefish and mackerel because they contain high levels of mercury. Mercury has been associated with reduced pregnancy rates. Drink lots of water, hydration is very important during preconception and pregnancy. Limit or omit coffee, caffeinated tea and drinks.
- Maintain healthy weight
Being underweight can make it harder to get pregnant, but being overweight can also cause problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy. In both cases, women trying to get pregnant can experience greater difficulty to conceive and are at higher risk for miscarriage.
Your normal body mass index (BMI) should be between 18-24. You can calculate it by your self. BMI = WEIGHT (kg) / HEIGHT (m2)
- Get mentally healthy
Trying to conceive can be exiting but also incredibly overwhelming time. To manage mental health when trying to conceive don’t put too much pressure on yourself and don’t try to change too many things at once also practice self-care. Find your people is also good idea. Connect with people with similar interest such as online support group.
- Doctor and dentist check up
- Check with doctor test vaccines you need and needs to be done before getting pregnant. Manage and control any health conditions which you have before getting pregnant.
- See your dentist as pregnancy raises chances of gum disease. This health problem could also make early labor, miscarriage or preeclampsia more likely. Regular brushing, flossing and seeing your dentist can cut risk of miscarriage by up to 70%.
- Detox your body
Pre-pregnancy detox is good idea as it improve your fertility and pregnancy. Detox helps you get pregnant faster as it can improve egg quality and environment of your womb is much healthier for conception. The reward of detoxing is worth it. Babies today are born pre-polluted. Detox should be done before trying to get pregnant. There are many herbs used for Detox which may be contraindicated in pregnancy. You shouldn’t be cleansing with any herbs while trying to get pregnant. You can absolutely cleanse with dietary practices and teas.