A Healthy Home for Your New Baby; Pre-Conception Care

It used to be as soon as you thought you were pregnant; you would go to your doctor, who would promptly give you a bottle of pre-natal vitamins. Some of the readers may remember these huge horse tablets that were part of every normal pregnancy.

Other than that, you were considered healthy if you didn’t gain too much weight during pregnancy and saw your doctor on a prescribed basis.
Now we know that is not enough. To prepare a healthy home for a baby, you must begin prior to becoming pregnant. This care is called preconception care.

What can a woman do to promote a healthy pregnancy?

Health care providers recommend that a woman who is thinking about becoming pregnant see a health care provider to ensure she is in good preconception health. There are steps a woman can take to reduce the risk of certain problems during pregnancy:

1. Folic acid – The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that women of childbearing age get at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, through food and/or supplements. Many health care providers recommend supplementing the diet with folic acid for 3 months before getting pregnant and at least the first 3 months of pregnancy.

2. Proper immunizations for the mother – Women who are thinking about getting pregnant should make sure they have been properly vaccinated for certain diseases that could harm a developing fetus (such as chicken pox or rubella). It is important to get these vaccinations before becoming pregnant because they can harm a developing fetus.

3. Healthy behaviors – Having a healthy weight and diet and getting regular physical activity can help both the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Avoiding smoking, alcohol, or drug use is also important. In addition, certain medications and exposures in the environment can be harmful to the fetus and it is important to avoid them during pregnancy.

So you want to be a ‘mama’; then start now to ensure the future health of your baby and yourself.