10 Ways to Prep Your Body for Pregnancy

Most people have a good understanding of what you should and should not do during pregnancy. We know that you should eat a healthy diet, should not drink or smoke, and you should take your prenatal vitamins daily. But what about what you should do before you conceive? The time to start planning for baby is actually 3-6 months before you plan to conceive. This is the time to prepare your body and adopt healthy habits to create the most favorable environment for your baby-to-be. Here are 10 simple ways to get your body in gear for a healthy pregnancy.

1. Review your diet: Are you a generally healthy eater or could your diet use some cleaning up? Give up unhealthy foods and eat a diet rich in whole grains, veggies, fruit and protein. Adopt a clean eating plan that eliminates processed foods and additives in favor of organic, GMO free, whole foods. 
2. Schedule a preconception check-up: Meeting with your doctor or midwife before you plan to conceive is a great time to identify any areas of your health that may need to be addressed. Whether it’s adding a vitamin to your regimen to fill a deficiency, losing or gaining weight or getting more sleep, your care provider can help you come up with a plan to get your body healthy and prepped for baby. You will also want to make sure you are current on any vaccines that are necessary before pregnancy.
3. Start taking a prenatal vitamin: Prenatal vitamins help ensure that you are getting the all vitamins and nutrients that your body needs for pregnancy and will fill any nutritional gaps that are left in your diet. Start your prenatal vitamin at least three months prior to trying to conceive to help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. 
4. Give up drinking and any other unhealthy habits: Drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and using recreational drugs are not only dangerous for the health of your future baby but can actually interfere with your ability to conceive. Treating your body as if you are pregnant while you are preparing to conceive is the safest and healthiest plan for you and your baby to be. You should also double check that any prescription medications you are taking are safe for pregnancy.
5. Exercise: Establish a moderate exercise routine that you can continue once you become pregnant. Exercise during pregnancy will help ensure that you don’t gain excess weight and prevent complications like gestational diabetes. It will also aid in keeping your blood pressure low, give you energy and help combat prenatal depression and anxiety.
6. Remove toxins from your environment: Choose non-toxic cleaning supplies, sulfate and paraben free hair and skincare products and BPA free plastics for your home and body. Avoid unnecessary pesticides and herbicides and other environmental toxins to ensure that your body is as healthy as possible. Exposure to toxins during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects and abnormalities. 
7. Schedule a dental checkup: Pregnancy hormones can do a number on your teeth from periodontal disease to loose teeth and bleeding gums. It’s best to get any preexisting dental issues resolved before you get pregnant to ensure that your mouth is as healthy as possible going into pregnancy. 
8. Cleanse your gut: Consider adding a probiotic to your daily regimen to ensure that you have a healthy digestive tract and a strong immune system. Probiotics may also help prevent vaginal infections during pregnancy that can lead to preterm labor and other maternal and fetal complications.
9. Reduce your stress level: Although trying to conceive can sometimes be a stressful process, stress is actually counterproductive to your fertility. Stress causes your cortisol levels to rise which can consequently suppress ovulation. Incorporating stress reducing activities into your daily life before you begin trying to conceive will help ensure that you are physically and mentally prepared for pregnancy. There are many ways you can begin to make your mental and physical wellbeing a priority including but not limited to practicing yoga, getting more sleep, meditation, acupuncture, deep breathing, counseling, and massage. 
10. Consider doing a pre-pregnancy detox: Detoxifying your body by cutting out meat, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and dairy and increasing your water consumption can have a cleansing effect on your whole system. Consider also drinking a natural, detoxifying tea and doing a colon cleanse to further clean out your digestive tract.

Getting healthy before pregnancy is not only beneficial for your future babe but for you as well! Make it a team effort and get your partner involved by exercising together and coming up with a pregnancy-friendly diet plan for the whole family. At Health Foundations, we love to see couples 3-6 months before they plan to conceive to address any health concerns, review medical history and discuss your plans for a healthy pregnancy. Contact us for a free consultation with a midwife and for a tour of our Birth Center. We are here to support you and your family in your journey through pregnancy.