Im thinking of getting pregnant any suggestions?

Question

Ive just come off the pill injection so ive got about a year before the stuff totaly comes out of my system, and then i wanted to start a family with my husband....i know they recomend taking folic acid i think...but does anyone have any tips on how to prepare your body for pregnancy?...or tips for when i get pregnant as i want to have a healthy baby and i really need to be more healthy myself!

Answer 1

Get a full physical now if you haven't done so, and discuss this issue with your doctor. You need your thyroid checked. You need your blood pressure checked. You need a pap smear. You need a breast exam. If you need to lose weight, lose it now, prior to the pregnancy. And if you don't exercise regularly, begin doing so. You should take folic acid daily, and instead of just folic acid, you might want to start a prenatal vitamin. Stop smoking, if you do so, and consider stopping alcohol or illicit drugs now, if that applies. Check out the March of Dimes website for more information on healthy pregnancies.

Answer 2

Pre pregnancy, just folic acid supplements and generally eat healthily, don't drink alcohol in excess and limit caffeine if you can. Also the fitter you are, the easier you will find the pregnancy and labour so some excercise is always a good thing. Check you have immunity to Rubella (German Measles)- your doctor will advise you on this.

When you are pregnant definitely NO smoking, very limited alcohol, avoid soft cheeses and softly cooked eggs, wash bagged salads even if they say they are washed and ready to eat, avoid gardening without gloves and if you have a cat with a cat litter tray, get someone else to change this. All of these things are for the health of your baby.

You may find this website useful:
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/
Also Dr Miriam Stoppard's book, "Conception, Pregnancy and Birth".

Relax, keep healthy, and best wishes for an enjoyable time when you do start a family.

Answer 3

Start taking a folic acid supplement designed for pregnant women immediately.

If you are overweight, this can impede conception, so try losing excess weight through healthy eating and gentle exercise (no fad diets).

Take up a gentle exercise if you're not doing exercise already such as swimming or walking to get you a little fitter for the pregnancy and labour.

Stop smoking and cut down (or preferably cut out) alcohol (you and your partner as it affects sperm motility).

When you fall pregnant, keep taking the folic acid until 12 weeks of pregnancy, and contrary to popular belief, as long as you eat well and healthily, you shouldn't need to intake a lot of extra calories... I keep cereal to hand to snack on if I get hungry.

Good luck to you and your husband and future family!

Answer 4

I know that the healthier you are, the healthier your baby will be. You have to exercise and eat really healthy everyday. You should always check with your doc too, if you are on any medicine, because sometimes that can effect getting pregnant and having a healthy baby. Also, you can ask you doc if he can prescribe you prenantal vitamans, but if not, then a Woman's one a day is also good because it has lots of the vitamins you need including folic acid. I get myn at Wal-mart, and I buy the generic, they are the same, but cheaper. Also, quit smoking, and drinking. Good Luck!

Answer 5

I thought it was about time I put my story onto the graduates board and hoping that it brings hope to other people in my situation.
I started using the Depo injection nearly 8 years ago, thinking it was easy and fitted my lifestyle, not knowing of the possible repercussions this could have.
I never had any problems, as such, whilst on it, but in December 2004, I decided I'd had enough and wanted to give my body a chance to return to it's natural state!! I had lost all interest in sex and was becoming more and more depressed so decided to stop the Depo as I thought this was the cause of it (it was!).
I then waited eagerly for AF to return, but in the end stopped worrying about it. Not being in a relationship at the time, it wasn't really an issue as I wasn't trying for a baby, so I wasn't concerned and just decided to let time run it's course. However, when I went to have a routine smear test done in December 2005, I asked the nurse whether it was right not to have had AF return after so long, and she said they don't take action until it's over 18 months!! I was starting to get concerned, as by now, I was in a relationship (with now DF) and we were thinking about wanting to start a family. She said to go back again in the March if nothing had changed! I was quite annoyed at this, as you just never know what permanent damage may have been done, and no-one seemed to want to take any notice.
Anyway, good timing or what, AF appeared on 28th December 2005 (just in time for New Year!!) and I thought, great, this is it, my body is starting to return to normal. Foolishly, I then expected things to fall straight back into line, and to get my (previously) 28 day cycles back. However, it wasn't until exactly 8 weeks later until AF showed again.
Me and DF hadn't been consciously ttc, as we didn't want to put any undue pressure on ourselves (not knowing if my 'plumbing' as he calls it, was working properly) but we weren't using anything contraception-wise at the time.
Anyway, we carried on as we were (BD'ing lots, as you do!!), and when I felt unwell (sore boobs, bloated, VERY tired) at the end of March, I did a HPT, which came up positive!!
This isn't a story of 'here's some tricks to try', more a story of hope to all those ladies out there who are ttc after Depo.
I am now 16 weeks gone, and the baby is due the end of November, so still a long way to go, but can't wait to see what we've made :o)

Answer 6

the basics excersise eat right take a multivitamin now, you can even take pre-natal vitamins now as a mulit-vitamin and just follow the instructions on the box as to how to use them as a multivitamin verses when you become pregnant as a pre-natal vitamin.
also i have heard to start using cocoa butter lotion so your skin is better and you have less stretch marks, i would start using it now and use it all through your pregnancy and after. i do not know how well it works in helping with stretch marks but some people swear by it and others say it does nothing.
also stop smoking if you don't smoke don't start.
and again eat healthy cut back on pop try adding more juice and lots of water.
hope you have great luck with the start of you family and a good pregnancy

Answer 7

When my husband and I decided to start our family our Dr. told us to have sex once a day EVERY OTHER day. NOT every day...it will lower the sperm count.

Start Pre-Natal vitamins as soon as you can, you can even get them over the counter. The longer you take them before pregnancy the better.

Stay away from caffeine, alcohol. drugs, and eat healthy...you'll feel better.

Exercise as much as you're Dr. will allow before and during pregnancy...it really helps. Even if you just walk everyday for 30 minutes.

Don't go crazy reading how-to books and what to expect books...they just stress you out

Most important...do not stress...it will take longer to get pregnant. Everything Will work out. I hope you have success in starting your family soon!! Good luck!


I LOVED these books...they are hilariously funny, you must read them:
Belly Laughs
Baby Laughs
Both are by Jenny McCarthy

Answer 8

Yes. In this time you have, go to parenting classes. It is not as crazy as many think. I have two grown children and still wish, to this day, that parenting classes were available back in the 60's for my wife and I.

As an employer over the last 30 yrs or so, I've seen many excellent parents, and many poor and very poor parents. To the poor parent (they have to constantly take off days to deal with child problems) I offer to pay for Parenting classes. If they refuse or fail to complete the training, I fire them. My business is not a welfare agency. I must make a profit to continue to grow and provide for my productive employees.

Over the years I have inspected many Parenting courses and find they are very helpful and informative. What I've learned is too late for my children to benifit, but my grandkids benifit from it.


Since you have just come off the Shots, pregancy can happen within a short period of time. This happened to my wife and several of my employees. I hate to say this, but pregancies that happen early after stopping birth control can result in miscarriage and birth defects. Find a good OB/GYN as soon as possible and let her help guide you to a healthy pregancy and healthy child.

By asking this question, I'm convinced you are going to be a wonderful and caring mother. Good luck and I know God will be with you.

Answer 9

taking folic acid is the first thing to do, then the best time to have sex is just before and after your period, the more you have sex the more likely you are too get pregnant quicker, stop smoking if you do and cut down on alcohol, tell your hubby to where loose underwear and not to have hot baths, if you don't get pregnant straight away don't worry, it takes the average couple six months.
i was lucky with my last baby(my third girl) i got caught straight away, the best position is from behind because the sperm doesn't leak out as fast,
good luck and let us know how you get on x

Answer 10

Just start a good program of walking eating healthier and taking vitamins you can actually take prenatal vitamins, because they have all of what you need for a healthy baby including folic acid.