First, I would like to say how sorry I am for the lack of posting I have done over the last two months. I promise that it is for a good reason. My husband and I learned that we are expecting our first baby. We are very excited and feel beyond blessed. Only days after we found out, a bad case of morning sickness and fatigue took the place of my creative mind leaving me captive to the bathroom and the bed. Now that I feel the worst pregnancy symptoms are behind me, I am excited once again to place my fingers on the keyboard and deliver words of encouragement, advice, information and entertainment to my readers. With that said, it feels good to be back.
This post is one that I started before we learned of our pregnancy. It is a list of to-do’s that we followed while preparing to start our family. While we felt scared and excited to take on the adventure of starting our own family, we were determined to take the appropriate steps for a smooth transition from couple to family.
Why Make a Pre-Pregnancy Checklist?
Not long ago, I shared our pre-family checklist: Family Planning Checklist – What Couples Must Do Before Getting Pregnant. I hope it was helpful and entertaining. Now that you feel it is time to start making babies, there is much to do before looking forward to seeing the two pink lines on the stick. You must plan for a healthy pregnancy and a desirable lifestyle for your soon-to-be growing family.
My husband and I have spent much time researching pre-baby dos and don’ts, family preparedness, what to expect and what steps we can take to experience a healthy pregnancy. I’m glad we did. While much of the information we found is common sense, some is very important to understand. Below, you will find my pre-baby checklist with valuable information as to the steps to take prior to starting your family.
Pre-Pregnancy Health
Regular exercise of at least 30 minutes is important. I like to fit in a 30 minute to an hour exercise routine at least 5 days each week, which will not only lead to a healthier pregnancy and birth, but a faster recovery.
Of course, maintain a healthy diet. I know this is easier said than done, but it is important for you, your spouse and the baby. Make sure your diet consists of foods rich with protein, iron, calcium and folic acid. Take in less fried and baked foods and eliminate caffeine and alcoholic beverages. Eliminating coffee from my diet was challenging, but I started by switching to decaf and drinking only one eight ounce cup each day. Eventually, I didn’t crave my morning coffee and looked forward to a small glass of orange juice to kick off my day. My husband helped me with the transition by switching to decaf with me and decreased his coffee consumption as well. A spouse that is willing to make transitions with you makes the process much easier.
Begin taking a prenatal vitamin each day. Begin taking the prenatal vitamin months before trying to get pregnant. Doing so will help your body prepare for a healthy pregnancy. Also, it would be a great idea to take an additional 400 mg of folic acid each day, which will help prevent serious birth defects that could happen prior to knowing your pregnant.
Also, maintain your optimal weight. Women that are below their optimal weight may find it challenging to get pregnant while women that are too heavy may have problems during the pregnancy; problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, longer labor, etc. Search for a BMI chart or ask your doctor what your ideal weight is.
Pre-Pregnancy Doctor Visit
Schedule a preconception visit with your doctor. Before meeting with your doctor, make a list of questions and concerns you may have. Also, familiarize yourself with your family health history. During your visit, request tests or vaccines you need and ask your doctor for prenatal vitamins if you aren’t taking them already. If you have health conditions make sure to ask your doctor what you should do to control such conditions.
List of my questions:
What medication should I stay away from before and during pregnancy?
Can I maintain my workout regiment?
How should I change my workout regiment once pregnant?
What foods should I avoid once pregnant?
How to keep our baby and me healthy?
What can my husband do to help?
What is my overall health condition?
What changes do I need to make to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
Revisit Your Healthcare Plan and Life Insurance Plans
You are about to take on a life changing responsibility that requires much preparation. Revisit your healthcare plan to ensure that it is right for your growing family. My husband and I took a hard look at our medical plan and made some changes based on the expecting expenses and increased need of medical coverage. Prior to planning our family, we rarely scheduled doctors visits let alone discussed the need to see a doctor since our 30 year old bodies are in strong shape. However, deciding to grow our family created a great need for doctor visits. Thank goodness we changed our plan to supplement the change. Be prepared to see your doctor for checkups at least once each month. Also consider the amount of doctor visits you may have once the baby arrives.
Choose a Delivery Location
You can take this step during your pregnancy or during the pre-baby planning. Invest time in research of the surrounding facilities. Call the facilities you like and schedule a tour of the birthing rooms. Choose a facility that makes you feel comfortable. After all, this is a once in a lifetime experience that you want to trust will end comfortably and positively. Also, discuss with your spouse if you prefer a doctor or midwife to care for you during the pregnancy and deliver your baby. Also discuss delivery methods.
Pre-Pregnancy Dentist Visit
Your whole body is a temple for the baby to come. Even your oral care is important to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Of course, brush your teeth after every meal and chew sugarless gum for those times that brushing is not available. Make a habit of flossing daily. Pregnancy will raise your chances of gum disease, which could increase your chances of an early labor. So, practice excellent oral care and visit your doctor for a check-up and cleaning. Some dentists will recommend two visits during the term of your pregnancy.
STOP SMOKING and ELIMINATE ALCOHOL
While this step is common sense, I’m sure quitting this habit is hard. As a non-smoker, I know little about breaking this habit. Failing to quit can make it harder to get pregnant. Smoking during pregnancy can increase your chances of experiencing a premature birth, low birth weight and miscarriage. Smoking during the pregnancy can also put your baby at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). If your partner or relative living with you smokes, ask them to take this opportunity to quit since secondhand smoke will also interfere with your pregnancy. To add, it harms male fertility.
Eliminating alcohol is also common sense, but I have heard too many stories of women who continue to drink during their pregnancy – deciding to take chances. I enjoy my wine with a nice pasta dinner, but my husband and I no longer have alcohol in the house. It was actually a very easy transition since we are looking forward to being parents and want nothing more than a healthy baby. Alcohol can make it harder to conceive and drinking during pregnancy raises the chances for birth defects and deficiencies. If you experienced an unplanned pregnancy, and found out about two months after conception and have had a drink or two. Thats okay, just do yourself and your fetus a favor and eliminate the alcohol from this point on.
Establish a Baby Budget
Babies are expensive. Children are expensive. The average household in the United States will spend about $250,000 or more on each child before they reach the age of 18. Don’t freak out! Just think about the expenses you will have over the next year or two. On average, babies use about 8,000 diapers before they are potty-trained. Add clothing, a stroller, a crib, a car seat, formula and much more. Be realistic. Research the prices of the items you want to purchase for your baby and the items you need to purchase for your baby. Also, consider the possibility that you will have more than one child on the way.
Determine if you or your husband will quit their job when the baby arrives or will you invest in day care or ask a family member to help. If you’re on a strict budget, think about purchasing used baby clothes or purchasing products in bulk. Ask one another if your current home is sufficient for a growing family. Is the home safe and in a desirable location.
Ask your employer questions
Re-evaluate your job. Do you love your job? Are you where you want to be in your career? Do you desire to be a stay at home mom or dad? Are you making your desired salary? Will your employer cooperate with your pregnancy needs and later your parental responsibilities? Do they offer maternity leave? If so, how much? Once pregnant, talk to your employer right away and keep him/her in the know during the course of your pregnancy.
Take a Pre-Pregnancy Trip
Take one last trip before you start your family. Go to a place that you would never take a baby and enjoy yourself. My husband and I love to travel and experience new things and in the year before we decided to get pregnant, we went on a few trips and enjoyed ourselves. Of the trips, our favorite was a two week vacation on a Disney Cruise Line through the Panama Canal. You can read all about our trip by clicking on The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of Visiting Cartagena, Columbia and What to Expect When Traveling Through the Panama Canal – Disney Wonder Cruise. We extended the trip with some time in Orlando, Florida where we acted like kids at Disney World and fulfilled a childhood dream of mine to tour NASA. Sure, we plan to take our future children on some amazing trips around the world, but we understand that our love for travel will come to a temporary halt while the children are young. Please, take a trip with your hunny, stay out late and sip on some wine over a candlelight dinner. Enjoy this time with your spouse before getting pregnant.
Prepare Your Pet Pre-Pregnancy
Many have a pet of some sort. Now that you are ready to grow your family, it is time to prepare your pet for the change. Surround your home with baby supplies, diapers and lotions. Let your pet get used to the smells. If you haven’t done so already, train your animal to follow rules you may want to enforce once the baby arrives; such as staying off furniture, no jumping on others, refrain from hissing or scratching others, etc. My husband and I have a cat. In effort to prepare for a baby, my husband has taken over litter box duty and we had our cat declawed for the safety of the baby, which turned her into a cuddle bug. We don’t want our little kitty getting sassy with the baby.
Are You and Your Spouse on the Same Page?
Starting a family is a life changing step. Couples that are not on the same page will most likely turn a magical time into a unhappy and stressful time. Have the talks. Ask each other the challenging questions to ensure that your minds are in sync during the pregnancy and when the baby comes. Discuss pregnancy challenges, baby names, parenting responsibilities, the budget, childcare, etc. Don’t leave anything out.
This is an exciting time. Enjoy every minute. Take the appropriate steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby.
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