A well planned and healthy pregnancy.
Introduction.
When I was younger I always thought that having a well planned and healthy pregnancy would mean not starting a family until after I’d finished my studying and was established in a job. However, despite being about half way through my doctorate thesis at university here in California, my partner and I decided that now was the correct time. So you can imagine our delight when just a couple of months later my pregnancy was confirmed and at least the ‘well planned’ part of my pregnancy was accomplished.
Planning your pregnancy.
The very title for this section implies that you, as a woman, are ready to start a family and are most likely in a stable and long-term relationship with your partner; otherwise your pregnancy may well simply be an unplanned one. Whilst some women planning to start a family can become pregnant straight away many women need to be a little more pro-active in starting a well planned and healthy pregnancy. The planning behind becoming pregnant can be as simple as knowing when you’re ovulating, in order to know when you are at your most fertile. Some women can, of course, sense within their own bodies the day on which they ovulate; but over the internet you can now access an ovulation calculator to help you determine the time during your monthly cycle that you are at your most fertile. Some of these calculators can even advise you on the period during your ovulation phase that is most likely to result in a boy or girl being conceived. I think it’s important to state here that if you don’t become pregnant in the first few months of trying you mustn’t become concerned about any fertility issues. You should allow between six to twelve months before needing to seek medical advice about any concerns you might have about your, or your partners, fertility.
Having a healthy pregnancy.
One very useful piece of information to know regarding having a healthy pregnancy is to know what your ‘due date’ for the birth is. Again, using the internet you can use a pregnancy due date calculator to give you a date, probably accurate to within a couple of days, of when the birth should occur. Knowing this will help you to follow the changes that are taking place in your body and how best to ensure that your pregnancy is a healthy and successful one. A pregnancy is split into three ‘trimesters’ of: 12, 16 and 12 weeks. During each trimester you will become aware of these changes and can either read about how to live with them, to maintain your own comfort and have a healthy pregnancy, or discuss them at your antenatal classes. The importance of remembering that; whatever you consume, so too will your unborn child. - cannot really be stressed enough. You really should abstain from cigarettes and alcohol and only take medication under strict guidance from your health professionals. Having a balanced and nutritious diet is vital to having a healthy pregnancy; and it is better to eat small meals frequently rather being tempted to eat high-calorie snacks. The old saying of “you’re eating for two”; doesn’t literally mean you have to eat twice as much. The internet is, of course, a good source of recipes for a healthy pregnancy. Lots of women are concerned about gaining weight during their pregnancy; and worrying about this is not conducive to a healthy pregnancy. The average weight gain for a woman during pregnancy is around 28 pounds. Remember - this is quite healthy! Up to about a third of that weight will be the baby itself when born and the placenta and fluids make up another 3 pounds or so. Within six weeks of delivery most women are able to return to their pre-pregnancy weight, happy in the knowledge that they have had a healthy pregnancy.