5 Health Tips to Help When Trying to Conceive
When a woman decides that she is ready for a baby, it can be an exciting time. For some women, this can prove more challenging than others. Getting pregnant has a lot to do with timing and creating the right environment in your body. One of those most important steps for having a baby is for a woman to get to know her body. More specifically, women should get to know their menstrual cycle. In addition to this, they should also eat healthy, whole foods, drink a lot of water, and make sure they have all the vitamins they need. Here are five health tips to help when trying to conceive:
Get to Know Your Cycle
From the age when women go through puberty and begin their menstrual cycle, they get to know when their period is coming. This is mostly so they can plan outfits, beach days, and vacations accordingly. As a woman trying to conceive, it is important to know your cycle and to understand what days you are ovulating. Even if your period is irregular, meaning the length varies from month to month, track the first few days on a calendar. By tracking this information, a woman can better predict when your ovaries release an egg every month. The egg is only fertile for about 12 to 24 hours after it is released. Although sperm can survive in a woman’s body for up to five days, this knowledge can help to increase your odds.
Get a Preconception Checkup
Before trying to conceive, speak to your doctor about prenatal vitamins that include folic acid. This can help to prepare your body for growing a baby and protect against birth defects. Your doctor can help test to make sure your body is healthy and ready to begin the process. Especially during the early stages of pregnancy, you want to be sure your body has enough folic acid and nutrients for development.
Strive for a Healthy Body Weight
Being either too heavy or too thin can make it harder for a woman to conceive. Women with more body fat produce excess estrogen and this can interfere with ovulation. A woman that has too little body fat might not have regular periods and can stop ovulating altogether. Speak to your doctor about healthy body weight and body fat percentage for their body before trying to conceive.
Stop Smoking and Drinking
While everyone knows not to drink or smoke when they are pregnant, but kicking these habits before the conception process is just as important. Smoking can lead to fertility problems in both men and women. Chemicals like nicotine and carbon monoxide can speed up the loss rate of a woman’s egg. It is safest for a woman to stop drinking alcohol when trying to conceive as well. Drinking alcohol at moderate or heavy levels can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.
Talk to Your Doctor
Eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle is essential when trying to conceive. Reducing stress and avoiding strenuous works also help to keep your body as a perfect environment for a baby. At Hillandale Primary Care, we are here to help make sure you are healthy and starting the process out on the right foot! We are also here to advise for when it is time to seek further help, such as consulting with a fertility specialist. Our doctors can help you monitor your body and make sure you and your baby are getting all the nutrients they need. We are also here to help answer any questions you may have about the process.
For more information give us a call at 770-322-9660 or contact us today.
