People prioritize their health during their pregnancy term by eating healthily, staying active, etc. However, would you be surprised if we said that your pre-conception health matters just as much? Not just the physical well-being, preparing for pregnancy involves a lot of other factors of consideration.
You need to be prepared mentally and financially and be ready to take on that permanent responsibility before you start trying for a baby.
With so much going on, the chances are that you’d forget to prioritize one thing or the other. This pregnancy checklist should guide you well if you are in the same boat.
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In this Article
Pre-conception Checklist – Things to Consider
As we said, when you are trying for a baby, there are several factors to consider. First, you need to ensure that you and your partner are in the best physical health. You also need to ensure that you are financially stable to welcome a baby into your family.
Scroll along to find out more about this pre-pregnancy checklist in detail.
1.Sit down and discuss
Planning for a baby isn’t an unconscious approach. You and your partner need to sit down and discuss everything at length. Planning your future, discussing every little financial goal, and planning for a baby are huge responsibilities.
If you are on birth control, you need to discuss measures to get off it. This involves a doctor’s consult and further processing. So, ideally, it is important that you and your partner sit down, discuss all the possibilities, and then proceed with your plans.
Also, a proper discussion is even more important if you are an LGBTQIA+ couple. You have a lot of procedures to follow before you can finally either conceive your baby or welcome them through surrogacy.
2. Make a doctor’s appointment
Some women are highly fertile and can get pregnant on their first try. But, that isn’t the case with every person. If you and your partner are actively considering getting pregnant, a doctor’s appointment is necessary. This is where you can discuss your preconception health and find out more about the state of your reproductive health.
A comprehensive check-up before conception ensures a safe and healthy conception and pregnancy term. Your doctor will also discuss chronic illnesses and put you on the required prenatal that can boost your chances of conceiving.
So, putting a doctor’s appointment as part of your pre-pregnancy checklist is not an option but a necessity.
3. Get rid of Bad habits
Smoking, alcohol, and drugs – all of these are primary triggers of infertility. You are at a higher risk of having difficulty conceiving if you have any of these habits.
If you have an addiction to any of these substances, consider seeking help first before you start trying for a baby. Sometimes, alcohol and drug abuse can lead to complications in fetal health and development down the road.
There are several online resources available that can support your journey towards quitting these ill habits.
4. Get active
A sedentary lifestyle is a key contributor to poor health and physical well-being. It leads to risks of obesity and cardiovascular complications, but a lazy lifestyle can also make conceiving a lot difficult.
We’d highly recommend introducing more exercise, stretching, and yoga practices in your daily life if you are considering pregnancy. You don’t have to go from nothing to lifting weights. Instead, make the switch a gradual one. For example, start with 30 minutes of walking and then increase the intensity.
An active lifestyle contributes to a healthy pregnancy and less complicated delivery after gestation.
5. Eat right
What you put into your body matters a lot when trying to conceive with your partner. Introduce a balanced and nutritious full of vitamins and minerals. Folic acid is a crucial compound you can’t skip out on from your meals. Besides that, you also need a balanced proportion of iron, calcium, and protein in your diet.
Since pregnancies often come with unhealthy cravings, try to curb the bad eating habits before getting pregnant. This means avoiding fried and junk foods, carbonated beverages, and unhealthy fats. When you conceive with a healthy body, it reflects well on the pregnancy term.
Also, not just after you get pregnant, including an optimal daily dosage of folic acid can prevent eventual birth defects in your baby after their conception. A healthy woman needs 400 micrograms of folic acid according to dietary requirements.
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6. Maintain a Healthy weight
Both obesity and malnourishment can make getting pregnant a very difficult process. You can face fertility issues if you are too fat, and the same applies when you are too thin.
If your weight isn’t in the standard range, work on rectifying that first. You can discuss healthy weight management strategies with your doctor when trying to conceive a baby. Remember that starving yourself or eating too much isn’t your answer to a successful pregnancy.
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Instead, you need to work on your body at a gradual pace that won’t alter the homeostasis severely.
7. Avoid environmental toxicity
Environmental chemicals and toxins, including metals, fertilizers, can spray, animal feces, etc., can negatively affect a person’s reproductive health. So, if you work in industries that expose you to such toxic chemicals, we’d recommend weighing your options.
People exposed to such chemical compounds are at higher risk of facing fertility issues. So, try and get routine tests and check your reproductive functioning before you and your partner try for a baby.
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8. Prepare yourself mentally
Bringing a baby to the world isn’t a light decision. It is a forever and permanent commitment that you can’t back out from. So, as part of your pre-pregnancy checklist, preparing yourself mentally is a crucial pointer worth considering.
If you struggle with a mental illness, get professional help to manage your symptoms before bringing your baby into this world. Sometimes, people in relationships might get persuaded by their partner to try for a baby, even when they aren’t ready for the responsibility.
It is better to have a transparent conversation and discuss things comprehensively with your partner. In such cases, you have to prepare yourself mentally for such a life-altering decision.
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9. Get a genetic counseling
Although not a very prevalent practice, we’d strongly urge you to do this as part of your preconception checklist. Genetic counseling allows you to know about any prevalent chronic illness that either parent could be carrying.
Having a solid idea about the same enables couples to plan their pregnancies accordingly. Comprehensive genetic counseling can ascertain the risks of cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell disease, fragile X syndrome, etc., in the baby.
10. Sort out the finances
Last on the list is your financial stability. A newborn is quite an expensive affair. Right from their birth to their daily essentials, there are a lot of mandatory expenses involved in it. So, instead of rushing into getting pregnant, you need to sort out a budget.
From decorating the nursery to the birth plan expenses and their daily expenses, including diapers, formula, etc., you have to plan for it all. And, don’t leave things to the last minute. Instead, plan everything ahead of time.
Conclusion
Pregnancy is a beautiful joyride for would-be parents. However, there are a lot of planning and discussions that go into a successful conception and care for a newborn. We hope our list of the top pregnancy checklist gives you a comprehensive idea of the crucial factors you need to be aware of.
