Planning for Pregnancy

Pregnancy or having a baby is one thing that everyone considers at some point of time, irrespective of whether they are single or married. Having a baby or getting pregnant does not come so easy as there is a lot of planning that goes into it. Several factors should be included in your decision to get pregnant, of which timing is one of them. You can also make out time to see a gynaecologist for more information and tips.

6 months advance planning

If you have taken the decision to get pregnant, either as a single person or with your partner, you should start planning as early as 6 months in advance. Some might wonder why planning should begin as far back as 6 months. The answer lies in the fact that this gives you enough time to keep track of your menstrual cycle and ovulation period. Unless you are one of the lucky few women who have a regular menstrual cycle, then predicting your fertile period will be so much easier. The fertile period or window is usually 5 days before your ovulation and 2 days after. Ovulation period is the period where your egg is released from the ovary.

For women who do not keep track of their menstrual cycle, the period of 6 months helps you keep track and learn the signs that accompany ovulation. The menstrual cycle of women varies, and it is from the first day of your period to the first day of the next one. For some women, it is 21 days, and for some others, it can be from 22–35 days. Important knowledge, however, is that averagely, women ovulate 14 days to the end of their menstrual cycle. There are ovulation kits and apps that can help you keep track of your cycle in case you are having problems determining your fertile window. Otherwise, you can still visit a gynaecologist for help.

Note that keeping track of your fertile window should not affect your sexual life. You can have sex as much as you want without sticking to a timetable. However, if you are more concerned with fertility, then having sex on the second day of your fertile window is good enough as sperm cells can survive as long as 5 days in the vagina. Also, note that a released egg has to be fertilised within 24–48 hours for it to survive.

Medical issues

There are medical conditions that can place the health and life of a pregnant woman at risk or increase the chances of complications. Although these diseases are not very common, you should see your doctor and gynaecologist if you have them and you are planning to get pregnant. Also, if you have medical issues that require you to visit your gynaecologist often, let your doctor know before you begin plans to get pregnant. This will help in the safe planning and delivery.

Pre-pregnancy vitamins and medication

You can start taking folate supplements three months before you get pregnant and after getting pregnant. Its benefit extends to the baby as it prevents congenital defects such as spina bifida in babies. You will have to take 400mcg of folic acid or folate daily or more if you have a certain medical condition. You can either take the folate or folic acid as a tablet or as part of a pregnancy multivitamin. However, daily pregnancy multivitamin is recommended as it contains iodine as well. It is also recommended that you take 125 mcg of iodine daily if you are pregnant.

Some medications should be avoided once you are pregnant. In some cases, it is because taking the medication is more dangerous than not taking it all. If you are already on any over-the-counter medication, be sure to inform your gynaecologist before you get pregnant. They will advise you on which ones to stop taking and the ones to continue with.

Pre-pregnancy vaccination

It is essential to check your rubella (German measles) and varicella (chickenpox) immunisation status before getting pregnant. You can do this through a blood test conducted by your gynaecologist. If you are not immune to any of these viruses, get vaccinated immediately. You will have to wait another three months after these vaccines to get pregnant again as they are not safe during pregnancy. When you do get pregnant, get vaccinated against the annual flu or influenza, as they have been shown to affect pregnant women strongly.

Pre-Pregnancy Diet, Stress and Exercise

Smoking and drinking are some of the habits you and your partner should quit months before you get pregnant. Stress and sleep deprivation can prevent your efforts for becoming fruitful, so it is also important that you remove yourself from stressful environments as well as avoid anything that will deprive you of adequate sleep. This is not just for you to follow, as your partner is included as well. Keeping all these in mind will help in making your decision of getting pregnant an easy one.

Planning to conceive is a big step in the life of every woman and it is important to take proper advice from your gynaecologist. If you are searching for the private gynaecologist in London, visit Gynaecology Clinic directly or book an appointment online.