What to Expect Before You're Expecting
Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
18 min
8 Key Points
5 RateWhat's inside?
A comprehensive guide to prepare your body and mind for pregnancy, offering expert advice and practical tips for a healthy conception.
You'll learn
1. Getting your body baby-ready: A guide for guys and gals2. Body prep for baby-making3. Periods and fertility: What's the deal?4. Eating right and living well for baby-making5. Spotting and sorting fertility issues6. What's up with the first few weeks of pregnancy?Key points
01Why it's good to be mentally ready before having a baby
Getting ready for a baby isn't just about picking out cute onesies and decorating the nursery. It's about preparing your body, mind, and lifestyle for the journey of pregnancy. This means taking care of yourself and your partner even before you start trying for a baby. Think of it like training for a marathon. You wouldn't just wake up one day and run 26.2 miles, right? You'd train, eat right, and make sure your body is in the best shape possible. The same goes for having a baby. You need to get your body ready for the big event. This includes eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding things that can harm your fertility, like certain foods and drinks. And it's not just about the ladies. Guys, you're in this too! Your health and lifestyle choices can affect your sperm health and fertility. So, ditch the hot saunas, say no to drugs, and quit smoking. Your future baby will thank you. Medications are another thing to consider. Some can mess with conception or harm a baby in the early stages of development. So, make sure to chat with your doctor about any meds you're taking. But don't toss out all your pill bottles just yet. Some medications, like prenatal vitamins, can actually help boost your fertility and support a healthy pregnancy. So, don't think of this time as just waiting around for a positive pregnancy test. It's a time to prepare and plan. By taking care of yourself now, you're not only increasing your chances of getting pregnant, but you're also setting the stage for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. In short, getting ready for a baby is like giving your future little one an early gift of health and well-being. So, start expecting before you're expecting. Your future self (and your future baby) will thank you.
02Getting your body ready for a baby: diet and exercise
"Getting Ready and Checking the Scales Before Baby-Making" Before you start trying for a baby, it's crucial to get your body and life in tip-top shape. This means making some changes to your health, lifestyle, and even your finances and career. First off, let's talk about health. The healthier you and your partner are, the better your chances of having a healthy baby. So, now's the time to get those regular check-ups, eat a balanced diet, and make sure any health issues you have are under control. Next up, lifestyle changes. This might mean cutting back on your coffee and wine, tweaking your workout routine, or saying goodbye to hot tubs and tanning beds. Why? Well, too much caffeine and alcohol can mess with your fertility, and extreme heat can affect the quality of a man's sperm. So, take a good look at your lifestyle and see where you can make some changes to boost your fertility. Now, let's talk money and career. Having a baby can shake things up in these areas. You might need to think about how much childcare costs, whether one of you will stay home and how that might affect your income, or how taking time off for baby might impact your career. Planning for these changes now can make things a lot smoother when baby arrives. Finally, it's important to be at a healthy weight before you start trying for a baby. Being too thin or too heavy can make it harder to get pregnant and can increase the risk of problems during pregnancy. So, aim for a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) before you start trying. Not sure what a healthy BMI is? It's a measure of body fat based on your weight and height. You can talk to your doctor or a dietitian, or use online tools to figure out your BMI and keep track of it. In a nutshell, getting ready for a baby means taking care of your health, making lifestyle changes, planning your finances, and thinking about your career. By doing these things, you're setting the stage for the best possible start for your future little one.
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Full summary is waiting for you in the app
03You are what you eat: nutrition and pregnancy
04How to know when you're most likely to get pregnant
05Understanding your fertility: what affects it?
06Common fertility problems and how they can affect you
07It's okay to ask for help if you're struggling to conceive
08Conclusion
About Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
Heidi Murkoff is an American author best known for her "What to Expect" series on pregnancy and child-rearing. Sharon Mazel is a writer specializing in parenting and health issues, who has co-authored several books in the "What to Expect" series with Murkoff.
