12 Steps to Follow Before Getting Pregnant

8. Begin reducing your intake of caffeine. You don’t have to eliminate it altogether, but the March of Dimes recommends limiting coffee to no more than one 12-ouce cup a day. Cut back on other sources of caffeine, too, including soft drinks, medications and foods containing caffeine.

9. Stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, and stop taking any illegal drugs (dads, too). All of these can hamper attempts to get pregnant. During pregnancy, a woman who drinks, smokes or takes drugs puts her unborn baby at serious risk of low birth weight and dangerous health complications. (See Alcohol and Pregnancy a Dangerous Cocktail)

10. Use proper safety precautions around worksite agents, chemicals, lead and other potential hazards (dad, too). Avoid hazardous cleaning supplies, pesticides, chemicals and paint. If your water pipes are old, consider having them tested for lead.

11. Avoid potential infections. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water after using the bathroom, blowing your nose or handling soil. Avoid raw meat, raw fish and unpasteurized milk products. The future mom also should not handle cat litter; let someone else change the box from now on.

12. Establish a reasonable, regular exercise routine. Your level of fitness prior to pregnancy is what will determine how active you can be once pregnant. Just 30 minutes of exercise every day or most days of the week is enough to help maintain or lose weight, improve fitness and reduce stress. Good exercise choices during pregnancy, by the way, include walking, swimming and yoga, according to the March of Dimes. (see more resources on Exercising during Pregnancy.)

 

 

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