Why is it important to plan pregnancy?

Pregnancy is not an easy thing to live with, that's why planning a pregnancy is important to do. Many of the nutrients needed before pregnancy that you have to prepare. A pregnancy that is not planned properly can have a negative impact on both the mother and the baby.

In preparing for pregnancy, you also need to understand that various changes will occur in the mother-to-be's body. This is important so that you avoid complications that may occur during pregnancy.

Things to know when planning a pregnancy

In planning a pregnancy, you should prepare yourself well before experiencing pregnancy. Therefore, you should discuss with your doctor in planning a pregnancy, and find out what preparations are needed.

Also discuss the various conditions that you have or are experiencing in planning a pregnancy with the help of a doctor.

For example, you should tell your doctor about any medical history you have had or are currently dealing with. Not only that, in planning a pregnancy with your doctor, you also need to tell your doctor about all types of medicines you are taking.

In addition, in preparing for pregnancy with your doctor, you need to tell him about any problems you have experienced while pregnant. Especially if you have been pregnant before. Your doctor also needs to know what vaccines you have used.

You also need to tell your doctor about your daily lifestyle. When preparing for pregnancy, your doctor needs to know how you go about your day.

For example, if you smoke and consume alcohol, tell how much and how often you smoke and drink alcohol on a daily basis.

To avoid complications that may occur when you are pregnant, you should also check with your doctor about what you should do to prepare for pregnancy.

Then, you also have to ask your doctor if there are any restrictions when planning a pregnancy, so that you and the fetus stay healthy. Checks while planning and during pregnancy are highly recommended in order to maintain the health of you and your future baby.

What should be prepared when planning a pregnancy?

In preparing for pregnancy, there are several things you should pay attention to, such as:

1. Have an ideal body weight

To plan a pregnancy, it would be better if you have the ideal weight. If you are overweight in planning a pregnancy, start limiting your food intake. Not only that, you are also advised to start exercising to lose weight.

Having a normal weight while planning your health can reduce your risk of developing complications later in life, such as hypertension or high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

If you are overweight while preparing for pregnancy, this is a sign that you need to lose a little weight. However, if you are underweight while planning pregnancy, you will need to gain more weight during pregnancy.

2. Pay attention to nutrition before pregnancy

In planning a pregnancy, one of the things that must be your concern is nutrition before pregnancy. We recommend that you improve your diet when planning a pregnancy. Try to start by eating a healthy and balanced diet. This is to meet your nutritional needs while planning pregnancy.

Not only that, by adopting a healthy diet, you will also help your pregnancy to be easier to live because you are accustomed to eating healthy foods and having a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women.

To start with, you can add fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily diet while planning pregnancy.

That way, you will be younger to adopt a balanced diet. In addition, other nutrients that you must fulfill when planning a pregnancy include:

Carbohydrate

While planning pregnancy, you can increase your intake of healthy carbohydrates. For example, you can eat whole wheat bread or brown rice instead of white rice. Then, you are also advised to limit the consumption of sweet foods and drinks.

Protein

You also need protein in preparation for pregnancy. You can get these nutrients from meat, fish, milk, and also dairy products, and nuts. However, if you are vegetarian, you can also get appropriate amounts of protein from other sources. For more details, you can consult a doctor.

Fat

Did you know that fat is apparently an important nutrient, even when you are planning a pregnancy? Yes, fat has a function to help your body absorb vitamins. Therefore, make sure that you consume healthy fats during pregnancy preparation. You can get them from fish or other vegetable sources, such as nuts.

Fiber

One of the nutrients that is also important when preparing for pregnancy is the consumption of fiber. You can eat them from vegetables, fruit, and seeds. To get the fiber intake you need during pregnancy planning, You can get it by eating vegetables and fruit three to five times a day. Meeting your daily fiber needs can also prevent you from constipation while you are pregnant.

3. Take vitamin supplements

Taking vitamin supplements can also help you plan your pregnancy. This you need when you cannot meet the needs of certain nutrients. Intake of vitamin B or folic acid before pregnancy is important in planning pregnancy.

The reason is, based on the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, a woman who wants to become pregnant must at least have enough folic acid intake in her body. This does not only apply during pregnancy, but also when planning a pregnancy. The reason is, these nutrients can help prevent birth defects, especially in the baby's brain and spine.

Other nutrients that you can also get from supplements include iron and vitamin A. Taking prenatal vitamin or vitamin supplements when planning pregnancy or during pregnancy can help you meet your essential nutritional needs during pregnancy.

However, you need to be careful when taking this vitamin supplement. Consult with your doctor first whether you need these vitamin supplements. Your doctor will adjust it to your daily intake.

Too much vitamin intake can also be bad for you and your baby, for example excess vitamin A can cause birth defects.

4. Get used to exercise regularly

Regular exercise is also one of the things that you should start when planning a pregnancy. Exercise can make you feel better and give you lots of energy. Exercising during pregnancy can make you better prepared for labor.

You can get used to doing sports starting from the time you prepare for pregnancy. You can start with walking, swimming, yoga, or other light exercise.

5. Quit smoking and drinking alcohol

In preparing for pregnancy, there are some habits or patterns of your life that you must give up. One of them is quitting smoking and consuming alcohol. Why? Both have been shown to harm the health of the baby as well as your own health.

In fact, if you insist on maintaining this unhealthy lifestyle, there is a chance that the next time you get pregnant, the risk of miscarriage increases. Smoking or drinking alcohol while still planning pregnancy can also make it harder for you to get pregnant.

6. Reduce stress

While planning your pregnancy, you should make sure that you are healthy and that nothing will bother you. In fact, you should also apply this during pregnancy and after. The reason is, if during pregnancy preparation, you let various things haunt your mind, this can lead to stress.

Meanwhile, stress while preparing for pregnancy can be one of the reasons it is difficult for you to get pregnant. Not only that, the stress you feel during pregnancy can also bother you. Therefore, when planning pregnancy, do things that can make you happy and calm. Also, avoid the stress you can get from work.

7. Completing vaccinations

If you have not completed the various types of vaccinations during pregnancy preparation, now is a good time. This is so that you avoid infectious diseases, such as rubella, when you become pregnant. Rubella can harm your baby during pregnancy.

If you have not received two doses of MMR vaccine or you do not remember it, you should consult your doctor. Complete your vaccinations as part of planning a pregnancy.

Health problems that can be avoided by planning a pregnancy

Quoted from the Maternal and Early Years page, The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition states that many factors determine fetal growth that occurs during pregnancy planning.

The reason is, the mother's nutritional status when planning a pregnancy also affects the ability of the mother's body to meet the nutritional needs needed by the fetus when she succeeds in pregnancy. Meeting the nutritional needs of mothers and babies must be carried out continuously until the baby is born.

One example of a nutrient that a mother needs to prepare when preparing for pregnancy is folic acid. Folic acid deficiency both before and during pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects in babies. Another nutrient that mothers must also fulfill during pregnancy is iron.

Iron deficiency during pregnancy can cause the mother to experience anemia during pregnancy. Vitamin D and calcium deficiency during pregnancy can also affect bone formation in babies. Lack of various nutrients can occur because pregnant women do not plan their pregnancy well.

In addition to nutrition, another thing that mothers must pay attention to in planning a pregnancy is weight. Being overweight or obese in a mother before she becomes pregnant can increase the risk of the mother developing diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) and hypertension.

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