Preparing for Pregnancy - Part 1 of 2 - Healthination

[HOST] Hello and welcome to HealthiNation. I’m Pat Murphy. Deciding to bring a baby into the world can be both exciting and nerve-racking, especially for first-time parents. Even before you become pregnant you may wonder “what should I eat?” “how should I exercise?” and “what vitamins should I take?” Don’t worry, there are a lot of things that you can do to be baby ready. Dr. Isabel Blumberg is going to take you through a pre-pregnancy checklist to help you make sure you’re ready. [PHYSICIAN] The months leading up to conception are just as important to the ultimate well being of your baby as the actual months of pregnancy. Because you may not know if you are, in fact, pregnant for several weeks, you should treat your body as though you already are, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some steps you should take to prepare. First, visit an obstetrician, a doctor who specializes in the care of pregnant women, like myself. This is often the same doctor as your gynecologist and in that case they’re called an O-B-G-Y-N. About three months before you start trying to conceive, visit your doctor for a full physical examination. She will run some routine tests to determine whether it’s a good time for you to get pregnant. These tests can include a pap smear, cervical cultures, and blood tests to test for anemia and your immunity to rubella and chicken pox. A blood test will also determine your Rh status. Rh, or rhesus, is a protein that 90 percent of people have on the surface of their blood cells. If that Rh factor is missing, you are Rh negative and your blood may be incompatible with your baby’s blood. If left untreated, this incompatibility can lead to things like anemia or brain damage. Injections will help avoid any complications during pregnancy. Your doctor will also ask about you and your family’s medical history. Based on that history, it may be recommended that you visit a genetic counselor to determine if your baby will be at risk for conditions like downs syndrome, and cystic fibrosis. The third step is to eat right and nourish your body. Eating foods rich in protein, nutrients, carbohydrates and iron are especially important. Take pre-natal vitamins that contain folic acid before and during pregnancy. Folic acid reduces the risk of brain and spinal cord malfunctions by more than 50% and will stimulate the proper cell growth and development of the embryo[1]. Step four: Stay physically fit. As all mothers can tell you, pregnancy and giving birth can be tiring and strenuous, so it’s important to keep your body in good shape. A woman’s body weight should be no more than 15% above or below the ideal weight[2]. Any exercise is good, but as you move forward in your pregnancy you’ll want to focus on more low impact exercises like cycling, swimming and yoga. Next, avoid exposure to asbestos, lead, radiation, undercooked foods and cat litter. Cat litter and undercooked foods can cause an infection called toxoplasmosis, which can cause damage to the baby. This doesn’t mean you need to get rid of the family pet. It just means someone besides you should change the litter on a daily basis. Finally, we all know smoking, drugs and drinking can damage our bodies. But when you’re pregnant, that damage extends to your baby as well. So, the time to stop using all of these things is before you start trying to get pregnant. They can all hamper your ability to conceive and have proven to cause birth defects. You should also consult your doctor before taking prescription and over the counter medications. [1]Add DHA here [2]BMI (body mass index) of 18.5 to 24.9