Planning to have a baby? Here's how to prepare for a healthy pregnancy! (Pregnancy Planning)

What color to paint the baby's room, a little shoe rack, beautiful clothes... How wonderful is it to dream like this? It's the biggest dream of every couple. But the journey to make that beautiful dream come true is very important to start as healthy and happy as possible. So if you and your partner are thinking about adding a new member to the family, there are a few things we need to think about and plan before we get ready. Let's talk about that today.

First of all, let's think about your health.

The first and most important thing I tell women is, "Your health, health, health!" If you're expecting a healthy baby, the best predictor of that is how healthy you are as a mother.

Simply put, your body is your baby's home for nine months. So it's our responsibility to make that home as comfortable and healthy as possible.

Be careful about your weight.

Before you think about getting pregnant, try to maintain a healthy weight for your height. One measure we use for this is the body mass index, or ``BMI - Body Mass Index''. It is best if you can keep your ``BMI`` value below 30. Because when your body weight increases too much, the chances of various complications during pregnancy are higher.

• Preeclampsia: This is a dangerous condition that occurs with high blood pressure during pregnancy.
• High Blood Pressure
• Gestational Diabetes

The risk of developing these conditions can be reduced by controlling your weight. Therefore, now is the best time to exercise daily, eat a balanced diet, and lose any excess weight. Also, if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use other drugs, you should stop doing so completely.

Let's meet with the doctor and make a plan.

This is a step that many people skip, but it's extremely important. If you're thinking about having a baby, the first thing you should do is go see your doctor and talk about it. We call this a 'pre-conception checkup'.

There, the doctor will ask you and examine you about several things:

• If you have any underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, or depression, you should get them well under control before getting pregnant.
• The medications you are taking: Whether they are prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, or other supplements, tell your doctor about all of these. Some medications are not suitable during pregnancy.
• Folic Acid : This is something you should start taking as soon as you think about becoming a mother. Your doctor will often tell you to start taking a vitamin that contains folic acid. Folic acid is essential for preventing serious birth defects in your baby's brain and spine. Therefore, it is very important to take at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, even before you get pregnant. Your doctor will recommend the right dose for you.

Let's also be aware of vaccines and necessary tests.

Before you embark on a healthy pregnancy, it's important to make sure your vaccinations are up to date. Be especially careful about measles, chickenpox, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and flu vaccines. If you're not sure if you've had these vaccines before, your doctor can check with a simple blood test.

Screening tests are also available for some genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis . Talk to your doctor about which tests are right for you and your family.

How do you balance this with other things in life?

Work? Higher education? Other children in the family? It's normal to feel a lot of pressure when you think about when is the best time to add another responsibility to all of this.

But think about this, when you're under a lot of stress, it affects your body too. "When you're under a lot of stress, your body's hormones are out of whack, and a woman's ovulation, or fertile period, can be disrupted." So, if you're going through a very busy, stressful period in your life, it might be a good idea to wait until things have calmed down a bit before thinking about having a baby. Because even after you get pregnant, you need to have the mental freedom to exercise and eat well.

Age and family planning

A woman's fertility gradually declines with age. The ability to get pregnant may decrease somewhat, especially after the age of 35. Also, the risk of having a child with genetic conditions, such as Down Syndrome, increases slightly with age.

But, don't worry. This doesn't mean that you can't have a healthy baby after the age of 35. Today, healthy women in their late 30s and early 40s are successfully giving birth. What matters is your overall health.

If you're planning to have multiple children, doctors recommend spacing them out at least 18 months apart . This gives you plenty of time to spend quality time with your first baby, breastfeed, get your body back to normal, and get back to your pre-pregnancy weight.

Finally, don't put too much pressure on yourself to plan everything. "We can plan a lot of things in life, but we can't plan the exact moment we conceive a baby." However, it's wise to be as well prepared as possible.

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