Do I need to prepare for pregnancy? Of course, since the birth of the child in every woman's life is a happy event. For any mother, the baby’s health is above all, which means that you should take care of him even at the stage of pregnancy planning.
In order to minimize the possibility of the fetus having various malformations and developmental defects, as well as avoiding the risk of infection with latent infections, you should consult your doctor before conception. He will tell you how to prepare for pregnancy.
What doctors need to go through when planning a pregnancy
First of all, you need to visit a therapist to once again make sure of your health. The doctor will measure blood pressure, prescribe a fluorography.
Passing a
general analysis of urine and blood helps to identify hidden chronic diseases: anemia, kidney disease, hypertension. In the presence of chronic diseases, consultation with a specialist is required.
It is worth considering that the period of conception should not coincide with the time of exacerbation of the disease. If carried out taking any drug, also need to consult a specialist appointed them. There are drugs that are contraindicated for pregnant women, so before preparing to bear a baby, such drugs should be replaced with their safe counterparts.
You also need to visit a gynecologist, he will tell you how much you need to prepare for pregnancy, and also examine for hidden infections using smears from the vagina. It will be useful to undergo a blood test for the absence of herpes, toxoplasmosis, rubella, syphilis, hepatitis. Due to the fact that these diseases are hidden, only an examination in the laboratory allows them to be detected.
Any chronic infection tends to be transmitted to the baby. Therefore, before preparing for pregnancy, do not skip the dental office. The dentist will put the oral cavity in order by means of its rehabilitation.
If a woman planning a pregnancy through the birth line had genetic abnormalities, the parents were exposed to radiation, or the expectant mother is more than 35 years old, consultation with a geneticist is required.
What does preparation include?
How to prepare for pregnancy? First of all, for three months you should stop taking contraceptives, reduce the use of alcohol and nicotine to zero. Vitamins must be present in the diet of a woman planning a pregnancy. Due to the fact that the development of the embryo is directly proportional to the presence of vitamins and microelements in the mother’s body, care should be taken to accumulate them in advance.
A few months before conception, you should start taking folic acid. It is she who takes part in the development and growth of nervous tissue. Taking folic acid at a dose of 400 mcg per day for three months before and 12 weeks after conception will help protect the unborn child from malformations of the nervous system. It is worth the reception complex vitamins for pregnant women, even at the planning stage. If the body lacks iodine or iron, drugs with their presence in the diet should be included.
How long does it take to start preparing for pregnancy?
How much to prepare for pregnancy? Many experts are still arguing over this issue. Some believe that preparation takes place throughout a woman’s life. Past illnesses, abortions, alcohol, nicotine abuse, and the use of narcotic drugs - all this can affect the development of the fetus and the health of the pregnant woman in the future. Others believe that before preparing for pregnancy, it will be sufficient to take up health for only a few months.
In any case, two to three months before the time of conception, it will be necessary to exclude from the menu all products containing preservatives. In the spring-summer period, it is worth abandoning the use of potatoes that have lain in winter, since carcinogens appear in such a product.
How to prepare for pregnancy
Preparing for pregnancy in advance: the mood should be stable, upbeat. The development of the embryo is greatly influenced by mood, therefore, emotional overloads and conflicts must be avoided.
If the working conditions involve exposure to harmful substances, high temperatures, radioactive emissions, you will have to immediately agree with the authorities about the transfer or think about changing the place of work. Even if the law at this stage still does not imply concessions, the health of the future baby is now most important to you.
Visiting crowded places where there is a risk of contracting an infection will have to be minimized. Subcooling should be avoided. When pregnancy occurs, any cold can cause significant harm to the embryo. For more effective work of the immune system need to increase the use of garlic and onions.
One month before the proposed conception, it is recommended to stop visiting the sauna or bath, as well as to exclude overheating. Walking in parks, squares, forests, at a considerable distance from the motorway provide invaluable benefits for the whole organism. Every day you need to do exercises, as well as exercises for the abs muscles for 15-20 minutes. Subsequently, these exercises will provide significant support during childbirth.
Infections
Getting ready for pregnancy? Tests for dangerous infections are best done in advance. These include cytomegavirus, herpes, rubella, and toxoplasmosis.
If in time to treat such diseases, they are not able to subsequently harm the expectant mother and baby. However, in the case when a woman became infected with them during pregnancy, intrauterine infection of the fetus occurs. The most dangerous is the penetration of viruses to the fetus in the first weeks of pregnancy.
Necessary analyzes
When planning pregnancy, it is mandatory to pass such tests as:
- general blood test to detect latent infections, blood chemistry;
- smears to determine the flora, scraping from the cervix;
- ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs and mammary glands;
- blood coagulation test;
- tests to determine thyroid hormones, the study of its work.
Additional tests, if necessary, are prescribed by a doctor.
It is extremely important to pass all of these tests, because based on their results, the doctor determines whether the woman’s body is able to endure the conception and gestation of the unborn child. Through these surveys, the doctor receives important information about the health of women planning. Also at this stage may reveal hidden infections, which are dangerous for the mother and fetus.
Rhesus factor effect
It is also advisable to take tests to determine the Rh factor of the two spouses. If a woman is positive, getting pregnant is easy. If the expectant mother has a negative Rh factor, you need to take an analysis for antibodies to the Rh factor, even if the man is also negative. In the event that they are positive, they will have to adjust, because pregnancy is not possible under such circumstances. If the tests show a negative result, they must be repeated at least once a month, starting from the eighth week of pregnancy.
Preparing a man for conception
It is very important that both spouses take full responsibility for the stage of pregnancy preparation. After all, the health status of men is also important. How does a man prepare for pregnancy? First of all, it is necessary to introduce recreational activities two to three months before the proposed conception. Sperm cells mature within 60-70 days and are sensitive to the effects of adverse environmental factors.
How a man can prepare for his wife’s pregnancy, therapist will tell you. He will definitely recommend eliminating the use of alcohol and nicotine. Alcohol causes irreparable damage to both the female and male reproductive system. Nicotine adds a detrimental effect, reducing the production of sex hormones in men. All this leads to a sharp decrease in vital activity in sperm. It is also important to exclude excessive loads on the body, including physical ones. Classes heavy exercise a negative effect on sperm function. It is necessary to observe sexual abstinence for three to six days. This helps to increase the fertilizing properties of male sperm. On the contrary, longer sexual repose is undesirable, since it increases the number of overripe germ cells.
The influence of adverse factors on men's health
Any doctor will recommend a man to his wife's pregnancy planning stage to abandon the sauna. Insulated trousers, underwear, hot baths, as well as other factors that contribute to overheating, significantly reduce the fertilizing quality of sperm.
Passion for sports in martial arts, cycling, as well as wearing tight underwear affect the inguinal region, reducing blood supply, and therefore, are undesirable for conception. Contact with harmful chemicals, such as paints and varnishes, exposure to irradiating devices and substances can adversely affect not only the health of the man, but also the development of the unborn child.
The Impact of Hidden Infections on Men's Health
Serious diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, become not only the cause of infertility in men, but also contribute to the onset of defects in the fetus, causing miscarriages. If we carry out the treatment on time, the quality of sperm after exposure to antibiotics is quickly restored. Of course, treatment is required immediately for both partners.
Before a man prepares for pregnancy, it is important to remember that for conception it is enough to have one sexual intercourse every 1-2 days during the fertile period in the woman’s cycle. With too frequent acts, the amount of sperm decreases each time, and therefore the probability of fertilization decreases.
When to take a spermogram
Norma is a pregnancy during the first year of sexual activity without contraception. In this case, the potency of men has nothing to do with the ability of sperm to fertilize. Evaluate sperm quality is possible only by putting special analysis - semen. According to its results, the doctor determines the number, motility and viability of sperm. The reaction characterizing their maturity is also investigated.
Thus, before preparing for pregnancy, you must consult a specialist. He will give a detailed consultation, as well as write out directions for all the necessary analyzes. After receiving the results of the examination, the doctor will determine the body's ability to conceive and, in the absence of problems, will prescribe a course of taking certain vitamins.