Pregnancy is a life-changing moment. It can turn someone’s life 360 degrees! You’ve heard your parents say: since you were born, I stopped doing this and that. Or, your father might have said: I gave up my dreams to give you a good life, and so on. Pregnancy is not a decision that you can answer with a yes or no in an instant. It is a long process and a deliberate discussion with your partner.

Unwanted pregnancy is a common occurrence among young people who lack knowledge about pregnancy. They might think that bringing another life on earth is an easy task. Contrary to what they believe, pregnancy requires responsibility and dedication. It’s a life phase that needs you to prepare your mind, soul, and heart.

Pregnancy is a Big Decision

Otherwise, you can experience complications such as divarication of recti or diastasis recti, postpartum depression, miscarriage, and other health issues. And those complications might be the reason why you’re reading articles like this to avoid them.

Well, it means that you want to feel prepared before entering parenthood. So, to help you, use this article as a guide to prepare for your pregnancy journey. For husbands, it is better to know about postnatal care in Singapore to support your wife.

What-to-do-Before-You-Get-Pregnant

What to do Before You Get Pregnant

Pregnancy is a responsibility for both parents. Although women carry the baby, men also need to support their wives. So, as a couple, you should prepare together before getting pregnant. With preparation, you can give your baby better opportunities to become healthy and have a comfortable life. Plus, you can avoid complications in your mental health, recti muscles, or emotional change.

Here are the things you should do before getting pregnant.

What-to-do-Before-You-Get-Pregnant

1) Have Regular Doctor’s Appointments

Before getting pregnant,  schedule a regular doctor’s appointment to know about your medical background. You’ll learn if you have health complications like weak recti muscles, diabetes, or hypertension. After identifying them, you can take action to prepare your body for a better pregnancy experience.

Your doctor can also advise about things you should change in your daily routine, the foods you must avoid, and activities you should not do.  Keep in mind that body preparations are essential for pregnancy.

2) Change Your Diet

As a childless person, you may eat whatever you want! But, before you decide to get pregnant, you should change your diet to healthier foods. Stack food rich in protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy.

This way, you can nourish your body before carrying life inside you. Of course, there are also foods to avoid such as, junk foods, pastries, sugary juices, and seafood. If you’re a seafood lover, limit your fish intake because it may cause birth complications.

Also, remember to eat a healthy diet during and after the postnatal care of your pregnancy. In doing so, you can ensure that your body can sustain the changes.

3) Avoid Bad Habits (Smoking, Drinking)

Young people want to feel free and reckless! So, if you have this lifestyle, you should be more responsible about your actions when you plan to get pregnant. As a young couple, you may go to parties with your husband to smoke or drink. If this was your typical Friday night out, make sure you change it once preparing for pregnancy.

Smoking and drinking can increase your risk of miscarriages. Hence, stop doing it on the day you decide to get pregnant immediately. If you can’t, seek professional help to control your smoking or drinking habits. For this reason, you can practice being a responsible parent before pregnancy, during the postnatal care period and for the rest of your lifetime.

4) Maintain Healthy Weight

If planning to get pregnant, avoid getting underweight or overweight because it may hinder your healthy pregnancy. So, before planning to have a baby with your husband, be more conscious about your body. In doing so, you’ll give your baby a chance to develop a healthy body.

On top of this, your healthy body weight can avoid physical complications like recti muscles separations.  Being a parent is also about preparing for pregnancy. Keep in mind that giving birth to your baby is a long process. So, prepare your body as early as now.

1) Stay Active

Regular exercise can help your body prepare for the changes during pregnancy. So, have at least 30 minutes of workout every day. You can do moderate exercise routines to prepare your body. Otherwise, you can experience complications in your recti muscles or diastasis recti. Diastasis recti complication is a common condition among pregnant women. So, here are the people who are susceptible to this condition:

  • Overweight individuals that put pressure on their abdomen
  • People with bad posture
  • Gain weight during pregnancy
  • Multiple pregnancies
  • Pregnant with more than one babies
  • Women over the age of 35

Hence, if you qualify in the qualifications above, you might need to build a proper exercise routine to avoid divarication of recti. Better yet, you can hire a professional trainer to prepare ahead of your pregnancy journey.

2) Relax and De-stress

It’s normal to feel anxious and nervous about getting pregnant. You may think about all the possible scenarios that can happen. But, stay calm because, with proper preparation, you can avoid pregnancy complications like the divarication of recti. Practice some calming activities with your husband before getting pregnant.

You can go to a psychiatrist to let go of emotional baggage. You can travel to relax your mind. Or do some activities like yoga, watching movies or reading a book. Better yet, you can seek emotional support from your friends and family.

Nonetheless, Preparing for pregnancy also needs your soul and mind to be ready for the life changes during and after pregnancy. The Parenthood journey is not easy, but you should cherish every moment because you carry the gift of life.

Pregnancy: A New Beginning

Giving life is a privilege. So, protect it with the Orchard Clinic in Singapore that can help you prepare for your pregnancy. They can also help you with postnatal care to avoid divarication of recti. Book an appointment to talk with a doctor.