When considering pregnancy and having children, you should make every effort to be as healthiest as possible, inasmuch as your body would be your fetus's house in the course of the pregnancy months, so you have to make this 'house' at its best.
Following are five steps to maintain a good pregnancy and a healthy baby:
- Drink folic acid on a daily basis for at least a month to help prevent malformations (like spina bifida), after consulting your doctor.
- Cease to smoke, in case you are a smoker.
- Consult your doctor in case you suffer from a chronic disease (e.g. diabetes, asthma, high\low blood pressure, heart diseases, epilepsy), as some medications may have to be changed before pregnancy.
- Make sure to take the necessary vaccinations before pregnancy in due time, based you your doctor's consult, so as to keep you – and your child- healthy.
- Keep away from the toxic substances that may affect your health, either at work or home, such as chemicals and cat droppings, as they are a source of toxoplasmosis, which is a parasitic disease affecting the fetus. Also, avoid uncooked meat and eggs to avert salmonella.
Consulting a doctor
The doctor will ask you a number of questions related to your general health and lifestyle. Following are some details you ought to make known for your doctor:
- The medications you take: some commonly used medicines may affect the fetus. Therefore, it is highly recommended to inform the doctor of the medicines you take, and comply with his instructions to stop or alter any of them if need be.
- Whether or not there are genetic diseases in your family.
- Whether you have undergone a health problem (e.g. abortion or premature birth), along with the reasons of its occurrence.
- The regularity of the menstrual cycle.
The medical examinations needed to ensure the readiness of your body for pregnancy, and that it is free from the diseases impeding pregnancy:
- Gynecological examination: usually conducted in cases of previous deficiency in the menstrual cycle.
- Urine examination: a sample of urine is examined to make sure that there are not any inflammation in the urinary tract, and to immediately treat such a case. Avoid pregnancy while suffering from urinary inflammation, as it may lead to abortion, baby's underweight or premature birth.
- Blood test: is important to see whether or not you suffer from anemia or any other blood problems.
- Blood pressure test: it is important to adjust your blood pressure before pregnancy.
- Genetic testing: in case you, or your family members, suffer from any genetic problems, you have to undergo the genetic testing, which is now replaced by premarital test.
