Healthy Lifestyle

A healthy diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle at any time but is especially vital if you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Eating healthily during pregnancy will help your baby to develop and grow. You do not need to go on a special diet, but it's important to eat a variety of different foods every day to get the right balance of nutrients that you and your baby need. It's best to get vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat, but when you're pregnant you need to take a folic acid supplement as well, to make sure you get everything you need.

Some of the most important things you can do when preparing for pregnancy are;

• Take a 400 microgram supplement of folic acid every day before you get pregnant, and every day afterwards, up until you're 12 weeks pregnant. This reduces the risk of some birth defects of the brain and spine, including spina bifida. All women need folic acid every day. You should discuss your folic acid needs with your Doctor, as you may require a higher dose depending on the circumstances.
• Quit smoking. If you are a smoker and planning to have a baby, the best thing you can do is stop before trying to get pregnant. Quitting smoking improves the lining of the womb. If you give up smoking, your chances of getting pregnant will increase. Women who smoke are twice as likely to be infertile as non-smokers. This applies to women trying to become pregnant for the first time and for women who have been pregnant before. Smoking can also affect the success rates of fertility treatment, such as IVF (In vitro fertilisation).
• Do not drink alcohol if you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and your baby having a low birthweight. It can also cause long term effects on your baby after they're born.
• Keep to a healthy weight. If you're overweight, you may have problems getting pregnant and fertility treatment is less likely to work. Being overweight (having a BMI over 25) or obese (having a BMI over 30) also raises the risk of some pregnancy problems, such as high blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis, miscarriage and gestational diabetes.
• Talk to your doctor about any over-the-counter and prescription medicines you are using. These include dietary or herbal supplements. Not all medicines are safe to take when you're pregnant or planning a pregnancy, whether they're on prescription or medicines you can buy in a pharmacy or shop.
• Keep up to date with all your vaccinations.

Below are some useful resources;