Bump Pregnancy Planner and Journal

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Feeling stressed? Try taking a relaxing walk, practicing some deep breathing exercises, or doing anything else that brings you joy. A healthy diet that provides all the necessary nutrients for the developing fetus increases the chances of a healthy pregnancy. For this reason, it is best to avoid certain diets during pregnancy. In particular, high-fat diets, some vegetarian diets, and weight-loss diets should generally be avoided by pregnant women. A healthy diet also means limiting sugar intake. Many women also choose to start eating a healthy diet in the stage prior to conception to maximize their chances of delivering a healthy baby. In general, a healthy diet is the same for both pregnant women and non-pregnant women, with a few special exceptions that will be discussed below. When you're planning for a baby you should consider taking folic acid at least three months before you start trying. Folic acid, or folate, the natural form of folic acid found in food, is one of the B vitamins - vitamin B9. Folic acid reduces the risk of your baby having a neural tube defect, a condition where the baby’s brain and spinal cord does not form normally, which is seen in cases of spina bifida. Quit smoking: Studies have shown that babies born to mothers who smoke tend to be born prematurely, be lower in birth weight and are more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In addition, women with exposure to secondhand smoke are more likely to have low birth weight babies. There may also be dangers from thirdhand smoke — the chemicals, particles and gases of tobacco that are left on hair, clothing and furnishings.

Planning for Pregnancy | Preconception Care | CDC Planning for Pregnancy | Preconception Care | CDC

Resist turning sex into a chore from the start. Have it often and for fun. Be spontaneous and passionate. After all, sex is what will likely get you pregnant. Creating sound lovemaking habits now will help strengthen your relationship. Before becoming pregnant, consider how much alcohol you drink. Once pregnant, the advice will be to avoid all alcohol, at least for the first three months, and ideally throughout your pregnancy. So if you are planning a pregnancy, it is wise to cut down your alcohol intake and ideally to stop altogether. If you do this, you won't find you have been drinking alcohol before you realised you were pregnant. See the separate leaflet called Diet and Lifestyle during Pregnancy for more information about the possible damage alcohol can cause a developing baby. As soon as you start thinking about having a baby, it’s very important to make an appointment with your GP or nurse. They can give you advice and will refer you to a pre-conception clinic. Understanding where your health is currently at is vital when preparing for pregnancy. Some underlying health conditions can impact your chances of conception, your pregnancy risks or even the health of your baby. If you have a pre-existing health condition, we advise speaking to a healthcare professional in preparation for pregnancy. These can include:

Health

Making the decision to start planning for a pregnancy can be an exciting time, but can also bring challenges. With the right care and treatment most women with a mental health condition have healthy babies. If you have, or have had a mental health condition, you should speak to your healthcare professional for support and advice. If you work with raw meat. Raw meat is sometimes contaminated with germs, such as listeria and toxoplasma. If these germs infect adults, they may cause listeriosis or toxoplasmosis, but may cause little harm. However, these germs can cause serious problems to your unborn child if you become infected when you are pregnant. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256 If you think that your job may pose a risk to a pregnancy then ideally you should discuss this with your employer before becoming pregnant. Certain jobs and workplaces may pose a risk to a pregnancy, in particular to the early stages of pregnancy. For example: Nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period is crucial to having a good pregnancy and birth and we are delighted to be partnering with Tommy’s and UCL on this campaign to deliver tailored advice for women on the key steps they can take before getting pregnant to decrease the risk of complications during pregnancy. In the UK, the high prevalence of obesity means that 1 in 4 pregnant women are overweight or obese. Diet, weight and the body’s metabolism prior to conception impacts on the chances of conceiving naturally, having a good pregnancy and delivery, as well as affecting the health of children in their later life. Focussing on the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and weight prior to conception will not only improve the health of individuals, but also the health and quality of life of future generations." Professor Viv Bennett, Chief Nurse and director of maternity and early years at Public Health England, said :

Pregnancy due date calculator - NHS

There are several key steps that can be taken before conception to improve fertility, pregnancy health and the baby’s future health. However, before women become pregnant, they are often not talking to health professionals and many are not aware of about how they can reduce their risks.But more than that, it's important to take a 10,000-foot look at your career, says Cathy Stahl, co-author of Twin Set, and ask yourself the following questions: Are your hours OK? Is there enough flexibility for child care after your baby arrives? Can you handle the commute? Do other new parents seem happy working at your company? NIH, NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Available online: January 29). Preconception stress increases the risk of infertility. Human Reproduction, 29(5), 1067-1075. Here’s a little tip! To improve iron absorption - consume it with foods rich in vitamin C such as orange juice.