Pre pregnancy - diet, vitamins and minerals, exercise

  In anticipation of pregnancy, it is a good thing to get in the habit of eating three healthy meals p

Diet

In anticipation of pregnancy, it is a good thing to get in the habit of eating three healthy meals per day. For those of you who are underweight, expect your doctor to encourage you to eat a little more when you are pregnant. If you are considerably overweight, don’t be surprised if your physician encourages you to lose weight in advance of pregnancy. However, there is no specific weight at which pregnancy is unsafe provided that your weight hasn’t caused you to have other health-related problems.

Vitamins and Minerals

In addition to eating well, pre-pregnancy ingestion of folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of certain nervous systems diseases such as spina bifida. The addition of 0.4 mg of folic acid at least a month prior to attempting conception is recommended. If you have had a prior child affected with spina bifida or other related diseases, you may be advised to take up to 4 mg of folic acid daily. Folic acid can be found in enriched bread and leafy vegetables, or taken as a supplement. Ingesting 1200 mg of calcium and taking a multivitamin each day are the other pre-pregnancy suggestions to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients for a developing fetus. Some women take a multitude of supplements prior to getting pregnant. Although they may have certain beneficial effects in the non-pregnant state, nobody can say for certain whether supplements are or are not safe during pregnancy. It has been discovered that Vitamin A in doses above the RDA (recommended daily allowance) can be hazardous to the fetus, with the potential to cause birth defects.
I often suggest to patients to discontinue all their vitamin supplements and take a daily prenatal vitamin in anticipation of getting pregnant. This way, a woman doesn’t have to worry about whether she is getting the proper amount of each vitamin and mineral.

Excercise

I think being physically fit is important no matter what you do. It can be a terrific aid for pregnancy as well. I recommend being on an aerobic exercise program before getting pregnant. If you were to choose a program with pregnancy in mind, I’d prefer a low-impact program such as swimming, walking or biking. All these activities are easy on the joints and the baby. I have found that my intense runners and weight trainers tend to ease off considerably during pregnancy due to the changes they experience. This isn’t to say that they couldn’t continue their routine but they tend to modify it considerably. In addition, vigorous exercise tends elevate the pregnant woman’s heart rate above the American College of Obstetricians/Gynecologist’s recommended maximum heart rate of 140 beats/minute.

About the author:
By: Craig L. Bissinger, MD, FACOG

http://www.pregnancy.org

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