Pregnancy planning carefully can limit or avoid the usual stresses that follow when you do conceive.

Once you have reached the decision to start your family, or even add to an existing one thats when the parents to be must begin to put the pregnancy planning preparations into consideration.

Start that pregnancy planning and preparation now before you conceive and benefit from a healthy pregnancy.

Everybodys ideas about pregnancy planning and becoming a parent vary so it is quite important to think about some key issues beforehand.

Are you to be a lone parent?

Or do you have a partner who will support you and help share the experience with you?

It is always good to share the pregnancy planning and work things out together, ironing out any conflicts that may arise before they happen.

Pregnancy Planning Issues

• Is the father of your baby is going to be involved during and after the pregnancy.
• Your views on the roles you will both play as parents.
• Your views on discipline.
• Whether or not the pregnancy will be a high risk.
• How you intend to provide your baby with a loving and stable environment.
• Previous experiences with a friend or families children often help.
• What you expect when your baby arrives.
• The demand that a baby will have on your lives.

When pregnancy planning and especially on conception you must take special care of yourself, surely you do not want to run the risk of health problems for you your unborn baby.

Remember that your baby will depend solely on you for his / her survival, so take it easy and enjoy a healthy pregnancy because the healthier you are the healthier your baby will be too. However, there may have to be some changes for you to experience this wonderful healthy new life.

Pregnancy Planning Advice

• Reduce the intake of Caffeine.
• Totally cut out alcohol and Tobacco.
• Be vaccinated against Measles, Mumps and Rubella (at least 3 months before conception ).
• Increase your level of Folic Acid (multivitamins can help).
• Eat a healthy and Well Balanced Diet.
• Have any dental treatment completed before conception.
• Take gentle exercises.

For most women who are pregnancy planning and trying to conceive, the menstrual cycle must be considered, it regulates naturally after around six months, although there is no defined time limit to conceiving.

Most couples on average take a few months of trying to finally become pregnant whereas other couples may be caught straight away or take a lot longer. The important part though is dealing with the pregnancy planning as soon as you become pregnant.

Try not to get agitated or upset if you are having trouble with conception, a lot of people when pregnancy planning find that changes in lifestyle help.

Pregnancy Planning Changes to your Lifestyle

• Check that your diet is healthy and good quality.
• Make sure you are taking Folic Acid ( up to 6 months before conception is advised).
• Use a Home Ovulation Kit to establish when you are ovulating.
• Make sure you have adequate Zinc levels in order to conceive.
• Check and plot your basal body temperature especially around ovulation time.
• Relax and avoid stressful situations.
• Read up on literature regarding conception and family planning.

Changes to your lifestyle when pregnant are inevitable, it is always best to plan what your expected changes are before you concieve and put them into good practise early thus giving you normality when you do concieve and become pregnant.

Most of the expected changes are minor really, but if you have not planned for them they can become major issues at stressful times during pregnancy.

Pregnancy Planning See your Gp if the following Applies

• Difficulty conceiving.
• Assisted conception.
• Repeated miscarriage in first trimester.
• Miscarriage/premature birth in second trimester.
• Severe vomiting in early pregnancy.
• Stillbirth.
• Abnormal baby.
• Two or more caesarean sections.
• Severe bleeding at any stage during pregnancy.
• Rhesus incompatibility.
• Postnatal depression.
• Hereditary health problems.

or

• If you have been on the pill for a period of 10 years or more.
• If you need to adjust any medications.
• If you suffer with chronic back problems.

Most women never encounter any major problems when they concieve, but it is worth knowing your medical history and finding out what the risks to yourself are before you become pregnant.

Your own Gp is the best person to advise you during your pregnancy and will have your full medical history on hand should there be any reason where you should have to consider whether the pregnancy produces a risk for you and your baby.

Pregnancy Planning Birth Plan

Once conception has occurred it may help to have a birth plan included in the pregnancy planning.

• How you would prefer to give birth.
• Where you would have your baby.
• What place you would choose a hospital birth, a home birth, a birthing centre or a water birth etc.
• Who will be present at the birth.
• What pain relief you would prefer.
• Whether you would consent to an assisted birth.
• Will the father of your baby help you to prepare the birth plan.
• Will the father of your baby be involved after the baby is born.

Both you and your partner need to discuss the birth plan, they are usually rewarding and provide something to look forward to as the pregnancy matures.

Give a lot of thought and consideration to the birth plan as this will be one of your memories from during your pregnancy and after your baby has arrived.

Make the correct decisions with help from friends anf family during your preparation of the birth plan and have a clear concience once your baby arrives.