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Getting
ready for pregnancy |
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A good starting point is to visit your family doctor for a check-up
about six months before you plan to conceive. Your doctor will give
you suitable advice based on your personal circumstances. Why not
take your partner along with you so he fully understands the importance
of the measures you will be advised to take. By sharing the responsibility,
you will both find it easier to make the necessary adjustments to
your lifestyle.
If you don't exercise on a regular basis, now is the time to start
rather than wait until you are pregnant. Taking regular exercise does
not mean working out at the gym several times each week. It means
simply incorporating some exercise into your daily routine. For example,
try walking or cycling to the shops or your place of work rather than
taking the bus or driving. Walk up stairs rather than taking a lift.
Exercise can be fun and it's a pastime both you and your partner can
do together. For example, swimming is an excellent form of exercise
because it allows you to stretch and tone your muscles without putting
excessive stress on them.
It is important to have a dental check-up and any necessary treatment
before trying to conceive since some forms of dental care e.g. X-rays,
can be harmful to your baby once you are pregnant. Also, some women
are prone to gum disease during pregnancy so a pre-pregnancy check-up
and then regular visits to the dentist during pregnancy can help prevent
any potential problems.
During your pre-pregnancy period, it is a good idea to get your weight
to a reasonable level. If you are overweight it is a good idea to
try to lose the surplus before you conceive. Dieting during pregnancy
is not advisable because cutting back your calories may have a harmful
effect on your baby's growth and development. Your family doctor will
be able to advise you accordingly.
Taking Folic Acid supplements before conception and in early pregnancy
can help to reduce the risk of having a baby with Spina Bifida and
other neural tube defects. It is generally recommended that all women
planning pregnancy should take at least 0.4 mg of Folic Acid daily
for four weeks before conception and for the first twelve weeks of
pregnancy. Folic Acid supplements should be available from your local
pharmacy. It is also advisable to eat foods that are rich in Folic
Acid. These include:
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Green salad |
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Raw or lightly cooked
vegetables |
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Fresh fruit |
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Fortified breakfast
cereals |
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Wholemeal bread |
If you have any questions about Folic Acid, talk to your family doctor
when you visit for your check-up.
It is now quite well known that smoking and drinking too much alcohol
can be harmful to your health. However, it is less well known that
smoking and drinking can also have damaging effects on both a developing
baby and on future pregnancies.
Drinking alcohol regularly, even in small quantities, can reduce the
fertility of both partners thus making conception less likely. Smoking
can result in the birth of a smaller and less intelligent baby and
small babies tend to be more vulnerable. Furthermore, recent concern
is also being expressed about the health risks associated with passive
smoking, that is, a non-smoker inhaling smoke while in the company
of smokers.
Research by Birmingham University in December 1996 suggests that men
who smoke between 10 to 20 cigarettes a day have a 31 per cent higher
chance of fathering a child who dies of cancer. The assumption is
that smoking causes cancer in children by damaging their father's
sperm. The Cancer Research Campaign acknowledges that the majority
of childhood cancers are caused by factors which occur prior to birth
and it seems plausible that paternal smoking could be one of them.
This new study therefore gives a compelling reason for men who smoke,
and want to have children, to quit prior to attempting to conceive.
So, as part of your pre-pregnancy routine you should both try to stop
smoking and cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink. Your family
doctor will be able to give you more advice and support.
You need to eat a wide variety of foods to give you all the vitamins
and nutrients you need for a healthy body. Listed below are four important
food groups that you should eat each day:
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Meat, Fish, Eggs and
Pulses (e.g. beans and lentils)
These foods contain protein and iron and should be included
in at least two meals each day. If you are a vegetarian, your
doctor can advise you on suitable alternatives. |
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Fruits and Vegetables
High in minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamin C. You
should try to eat 3-4 pieces of fruit each day or 3-4 portions
of vegetables. |
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High Fibre Bread and
Cereals, Pasta and Brown Rice
These foods are high in fibre, calcium and vitamin B and should
be eaten 4-6 times each day. |
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Milk and Milk Products
Dairy products contain protein, calcium and a variety of vitamins.
You should try to drink at least one pint of milk each day.
Semi-skimmed milk is a satisfactory alternative to full fat
milk. |
Please note, any extra or supplementary vitamins and minerals should
only be taken after consulting your doctor. You should also consult
your doctor if you suffer from any allergies to any of the above foods
groups.
There are certain foods which should be avoided during the pre-pregnancy
period as well as during pregnancy, because they can contain harmful
bacteria, such as Listeria and Salmonella. Foods containing high levels
of Vitamin A should also be avoided, as they may be harmful to your
developing baby. It is therefore advisable to avoid:
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Unpasteurised cheeses
such as Brie and Stilton |
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Pâté |
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Raw or soft boiled
eggs |
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Raw or lightly cooked
meats |
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Liver or foods made
from liver |
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Cod liver oil |
Also, the way foods are prepared and kept may encourage the growth
of harmful bacteria. Normally, the effect of food poisoning in an
adult is not serious but it can be far more damaging to a developing
baby. Having said that, the recent deaths in Scotland caused by the
e-coli bacteria show how life threatening food poisoning can be. So,
to keep foods as safe as possible, you should adhere to the following:
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Wash your hands thoroughly
before handling food or eating |
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Check the use-by date
of any shop-bought foods |
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Put chilled or frozen
foods in your refrigerator or freezer soon after purchase |
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Keep your refrigerator
temperature to less than 5°C and your freezer at -18°C
or below |
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Make sure that raw
foods (e.g. salad and fruit) are well washed before eating |
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Make sure that all
reheated food is piping hot before serving, and do not reheat
food more than once |
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Cover food in your
refrigerator and store raw and cooked food separately in covered
containers |
During your pre-pregnancy period you will still need to continue using
some form of contraception until you feel ready for pregnancy. You
can continue with your usual method except if you have been taking
oral contraceptives (the pill). Before trying to conceive, it is advisable
to wait at least one to three months after stopping the pill, so that
your periods become more regular (the time taken for your periods
to return to a regular cycle is often dependent upon your age and
the length of time you have been on the pill). When you become pregnant
your doctor will need to know the date of your last period in order
to calculate the date your baby is due. The more regular your periods
are, the more accurate your doctor can be. When you stop taking the
pill, try one of the barrier methods such as a condom or diaphragm
until you are ready to conceive. Ask your doctor or family planning
clinic for further advice.
Some infections or toxic substances may not be particularly harmful
to you as an adult, but they might linger in the body and affect your
baby at conception. To be safe, follow these simple tips:
Exposure to this virus during early pregnancy can result in a seriously
handicapped baby. Most girls receive a Rubella vaccination at school
but it is advisable to have a blood test to check your immunity, prior
to conceiving. If you are not immune you should be vaccinated as soon
as possible. Then you should avoid becoming pregnant for the next
three months as the mild form of the virus used in the vaccination
could still be in your body.
If either you or your partner are taking medications, even mild pain
killers, discuss them with your doctor. Some medications may be harmful
during pregnancy, so it's advisable to seek advice and possibly change
medication. This also goes for any other treatments you may be receiving.
If you are prescribed any medication, it is best to tell your doctor
that you are planning to conceive so that adjustments can be made
if necessary.
This is a common infection caused by a parasite found in cats' faeces,
soil, raw or uncooked meats and unpasteurised 'green top' milk. It
can affect both animals and humans, and can harm unborn babies. To
avoid infection try to follow these simple rules:
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Avoid handling cat
litter. Ask your partner to empty the litter tray, or if you
have to do it yourself always wear rubber gloves and wash
your hands thoroughly afterwards. The used litter should be
bagged and sealed |
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Wear rubber gloves
when gardening to avoid infection from the soil |
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Make sure you wash
fruit and vegetables thoroughly before use |
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Always wash your hands
before and after handling meat, and store both cooked and
raw meats in separate covered containers in your refrigerator |
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Avoid unpasteurised
milk and its products |
Although best avoided, if you have to use strong household chemicals
e.g. weed killers or cleaning fluids, wear rubber gloves to prevent
these harmful substances getting into your body through your skin.
Also, try not to use them in confined or poorly ventilated places
because of the danger of breathing in harmful vapours.
If either of you or any of your family members have genetically inherited
diseases such as Tay-Sachs, sickle cell anaemia, haemophilia or cystic
fibrosis, you may find that you are carriers of such genetic traits.
Therefore, if this is of concern to you, please talk to your doctor
before you conceive to discuss the tests that are available.
If you are planning to conceive shortly after your marriage and you
intend to honeymoon overseas, it is advisable to determine from your
doctor what sort of diseases are common in the country you will be
visiting. If any inoculations are required, you will be advised as
to their effect on your ability to conceive.
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