Many women improve their nutrition when they already know they are pregnant, but it is also very important to take care of nutrition before pregnancy comes into your life. Women and their partners can give their baby the best life if they begin to watch their diet and habits before conceiving. In addition to increasing the chances of conceiving, they will do so in optimal health.
If you are thinking about having a baby, then it is time for you to start thinking about your nutrition and changing some of the lifestyles you may have. If you want to start improving your nutrition right now so that you can get pregnant by eating right and knowing that you are taking care of your health to the fullest, then follow these tips.
Next goal: healthy weight
The weight has to be healthy for you to be in good health. Weight says a lot about how you feel or how your health is, and for that reason, you must calculate what your ideal weight is and reach it. It is normal that on some occasions you gain weight, but what is not normal is that over the years you do not stop gaining just without realizing it. If you are overweight, pregnancy complications may increase such as: gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia or complications in childbirth. For all these reasons it is worth putting aside those extra kilos before getting pregnant.
A mother's weight before pregnancy has a direct effect on the baby's birth weight, as well as on her health. Compared to other fathers who are within their weight, mothers who are overweight or obese will have a higher chance of having high-weight babies and this can increase complications in childbirth. What's more, High-weight babies may be at higher risk of developing obesity, heart disease, or diabetes later in life.
For this reason, it is necessary that you start improving your diet and your physical activity right now in order to have a healthy weight for you. Women who have extra pounds, if they lose between 5 and 10% of their weight before pregnancy, it is enough to improve fertility and reduce the risk of complications related to excess weight.
Choose your food wisely
You are what you eat and also what you drink. For this reason it is necessary that you begin to be aware of what you eat every day of your life. It is necessary that you increase the variety of foods that you consume each week of the type: vegetables, fruits, cereals, plant foods, eggs, meat, fish, dairy products, etc. Also, if you are thinking about conceiving, you can start thinking about taking prenatal vitamins. Talk to your doctor about this.
Right now the time has come for you to start evaluating how you eat and if the quality of your diet is correct. Check what you eat and how you eat it. If this work is too complicated for you, you can go to a dietitian or nutritionist to explain what the best options are and even, so that you make a correct diet according to your needs.
Folate supplement
Folate is a vitamin of group B. It is necessary to take it so that the baby has a good development in the neural tube that forms the brain and spinal cord in the first weeks of pregnancy. You can do this before you even try to conceive, if the neural tube doesn't close, it can cause spina bifida. Taking a folate supplement (in the form of folic acid) from one month before pregnancy to the end of the first trimester is the best way to make sure you meet folate requirements during early pregnancy.
You can choose a supplement with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. Talk to your doctor about how you can also include sources of folate in your diet, such as: green leafy vegetables, fruit, lentils, etc.
Iodine supplements
As with folate or folic acid, iodine is also very important for pregnant women and the developing baby. Pregnancy needs iodine to develop the baby's brain and nervous system. The good sources of food that are most important for the pregnant woman are: shellfish, dairy products, eggs, etc.
If necessary, your doctor can prescribe iodine supplements for you to take to ensure that you are not lacking and that you have good iodine levels in your blood. Although seafood is rich in iodine, there are some types to avoid in pregnancy such as shark or swordfish as they lose large amounts of mercury.
No alcohol
Yes, you are not pregnant yet and you probably will not see anything negative in drinking alcohol, but it is better that you reconsider this option. It is best to avoid alcohol from the moment you are thinking of conceiving a baby. Alcohol will never be a good option for you.
Drinking alcohol, especially in moderate amounts, can cause fetal alcohol syndrome and increase the risk of having a preterm birth or low birth weight baby. This can make your little one more likely to have medical problems. The less alcohol you drink, the less problems you will have both physically and with your baby.
The safest option is not to drink alcohol or while pregnant, or giving love and not if you are thinking about conceiving.
Now is the time for you to start making these changes to your diet and lifestyle to improve your health, your chances of conceiving, and to ensure that your baby's health is good. Your lifestyle and your health is essential to take into account so that your baby develops correctly.