Who Needs an STI Test and How Often?
If you’ve had a new sexual partner in the past year, it may be time for an STI screening. Our team can help you determine the right tests to protect your health and your partner(s).
5 Tips to Prepare Your Body for Getting Pregnant
Having a baby is a seismic change in any woman’s life. The changes can even start before pregnancy when having a child is a planned event.
The obstetrics team at ThriveOB and Women's Wellness in Barrington, Illinois, can help you prepare your body for getting pregnant. We’ve prepared this month’s blog to share five tips to get you started.
Learn more in consultation with our physician, Jennifer Moreira, MD, FACOG, to start motherhood off on the right foot.
Achieve and maintain an optimal weight
Being overweight or underweight can each add complications to your pregnancy. The ideal way to approach conception is at an ideal body weight for your nonpregnant body. It assures that your body has the resilience and resources for the journey ahead.
Use the body mass index (BMI) method to determine your ideal target weight, and achieve your goal through a combination of diet and exercise.
Streamline your diet
While healthy adults can handle moderate amounts of things like caffeine and processed foods with little impact, a developing fetus may be more sensitive to their more harmful effects. Now is the time to adapt your diet for your future pregnancy.
Focus on an eating plan rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins (except for certain fish species that tend to be high in mercury). Alcohol, smoking, and recreational drug use can each interfere with your ability to conceive, so it’s also time to take a break from these, ideally a permanent break.
Supplement your diet
Folic acid is a crucial nutrient that combats birth defects while contributing to tissue development. It protects the growth of your baby’s central nervous system. Also known as vitamin B9, folic acid is found in dark leafy greens, fortified grains, legumes, and fruits such as bananas, berries, and citrus.
Folic acid is water-soluble, so your body excretes the excess in your urine. A folic acid supplement protects you in case you’re not getting enough through the foods you eat.
Stay active
There’s no need to join a gym or start a complex training program. Maintaining 30 minutes of moderate low-impact activities like biking, swimming, and walking, five times a week, promotes healthy benefits like cardiac health and reduced stress.
Building this level of activity into your daily lifestyle produces lifelong positive wellness rewards, long after you give birth.
A preconception check-up
The previous tips are excellent advice for any woman trying to get pregnant. Your body is, however, unique, so general advice goes only so far.
Contact ThriveOB and Women's Wellness to schedule a preconception check-up tailored to your specific needs and circumstances. You can reach our Barrington office by calling 847-868-2908 to book your visit today.
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