When a couple wishes to start a family, they must be prepared in all aspects of life. Planned pregnancies are much better regarding physical, emotional, and financial bearings. Innumerable factors contribute to a healthy pregnancy, and if you are in a hurry, below is a month-wise breakup of what to do in case you want to get pregnant in 3 months.
The best place to start is by making a physical appointment with a fertility specialist by both the male and female partners.
3 months before pregnancy
Preconception Checkup
In this preconception checkup, expert fertility specialists like ZIVA fertility clinic will advise you on things like stopping birth control, determining what medications are safe, and managing any health conditions. Both partners must be honest with their health histories, their gynaecological history, and past pregnancy experiences. All these details are essential in helping them plan healthy pregnancies.
Safe medication
Suppose you are using medicines for headaches, allergies, or constipation, and perhaps a variety of herbal products, too. So check these products, as they may contain ingredients that could affect fertility or harm your foetus. So, during the pre-pregnancy consultation, ask a healthcare provider about what’s safe once you start trying to conceive.
Stop the birth control
If the couple is under barrier birth control method, such as condoms or a diaphragm, use it until the day you officially start “trying.” Instead, if you are using a birth control pill or other hormonal forms, please switch to a barrier method of contraception now. Some women start ovulating immediately after stopping oral contraceptives. But if there are any implants, please visit the doctor to remove them.
Manage work environment
Male fertility is greatly affected by exposure to harmful chemicals and radioactive materials, wearing tight boxers, placing laptops too close to the scrotum, and too much stress in life. So try to change your work environment and reduce exposure to excess heat.
Manage chronic health conditions
If either one of the partners is suffering from high blood pressure, thyroid disease, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, or lupus, you’ll need to manage them before and during pregnancy carefully. Before planning a pregnancy, control your blood sugar to improve the chances of a healthy conception. Not only physical illnesses but any depression, anxiety, or mood disorders should also get special attention.
2 Months Before Pregnancy
After analysing your health profile, please evaluate your nutritional intake and activity level to ensure you are in the healthiest place to start a pregnancy.
Check your vitamin and mineral intake
The couple should consume balanced meals of vegetables, fruits, grains, and proteins. So check your daily food habits and adjust to include more food groups you might lack. If the food’s nutrition is insufficient, some healthcare providers recommend taking prenatal vitamins when you start trying to conceive.
Folate or folic acid is a must; take the dosage per the recommendations. Folic acid is essential to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida in babies
Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight increases complications such as high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea. So, maintain a healthy weight to reduce these pregnancy-related risk factors.
At the same time, being underweight comes with risk, too, as they are more likely to experience fertility problems, go into preterm labour, and have a low-birth-weight baby. Improve your nutrition and physical activity and maintain a holistic goal rather than just focusing on weight.
1 Month Before the conception
You are almost closer to taking the most significant step toward realising your dream of becoming a parent. This is the time to let go of less-than-healthy habits like smoking and drinking and cut back on caffeine consumption.
Why cut down on smoking for pregnancy?
Many fertility specialists say that, out of all the things that you can change to maximise your chances of having a healthy baby, smoking is one sure change.
American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that smoking carries:-
- Pregnancy-Related Risks
- Fertility Problems
- Foetal Growth Restriction
- Preterm Delivery
- Foetal Lung And Brain Damage
- Abnormal Bleeding During Pregnancy And Birth
- Certain Congenital Disorders
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Secondary smoking from your partner is equally dangerous, so tell them it’s time to quit. A 2021 study on secondhand smoke found that foetal risk factors were similar to gestational parent smoking. If the mother was exposed to secondhand smoke, the baby in utero is likely to be born with low birth weight or low birth length.
No Alcohol consumption
There is no scientific determination of a safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. So, the best thing is that you stop drinking once you start trying to conceive and during pregnancy. Drinking during pregnancy causes:
- Increased Risk Of Premature Birth
- Foetal Brain Damage
- Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (Fasd)
- Miscarriage
- Stillbirth
- Low Birth Weight.
It’s better if both partners quit alcohol. Too much alcohol consumption also affects male fertility.
One should also monitor their ovulation and menstrual cycles. Men should avoid tight briefs and switch to boxers. Make sure you are having timed intercourse. It is always advisable to discuss with your fertility specialist about the best times to have intercourse.
Apart from regular fertility services, we also offer counselling services to both men and women. For more information, please visit our website https://zivafertility.com/ or contact us at +91-9100002737, +91-9392834024 or info@zivafertility.com
