Women and Women’s Body before Getting Pregnant

Know about you and your body before getting pregnant

Pregnancy is a very important and one of the happiest moments in the life of each and every woman. Every woman feels themselves incomplete without pregnancy and without having a baby in their life whether it is a baby boy or baby girl. A baby is of great importance in their mother’s life as he/she brings lots of happiness and amazing moments which cannot be imagined by anyone before getting blessed with pregnancy.

On the other hand, being pregnant is not a normal phenomenon and it needs lots of planning and precautions. Pregnancy is not a simple process which anybody cannot get anytime. It needs couples (who decided to be parents of a unique baby) to be responsible in every aspects such as handle, support, care and so many in order to welcome the third one in their life. Pregnancy brings lots of responsibility together with the happiness thus pregnancy should be planned carefully after the meeting of both person (mother and father) before getting pregnant in hurry or without reason.

I have mentioned below some points which let you know about you and your body in order to confirm that what you should follow for getting pregnant:

Health and Genetic Counselling

• You and your partner should discuss preconception planning in order to boost the chances of getting healthy pregnancy.
• Get a preconception appointment under any best gynaecologist to get clear idea about health, necessary requirements and remove all the confusion.
• Prepare yourself from both aspects emotionally and physically to get prepared to have a baby. Sometimes you might be prepared emotionally for getting pregnancy but it’s your body which is still not ready for pregnancy to bear all the changes come to the way during pregnancy.
• You must sort out your all the health problems and get proper treatment for that before welcoming the new one in your life so that you may provide your baby full time attention.
• It needs little changes in the lifestyle such as eating balanced diet full of vitamins, minerals, proteins, healthy fat and exercises.
• You must know your GP means gravidity (means how many times you have been pregnant) and parity (how many times you gone for successful delivery after full term) in order to be sure about high risk pregnancies (medical conditions including diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension, asthma ad so many).
• It matters your pregnancy if you are already on any treatment thus you should wait till you get complete relief from the problem as some medications affect pregnancy severely.
• Confirm that your body has healthy weight under normal BMI (body mass index) and BMR (means basal metabolic rate which is required to be calculated in order to get daily calorie requirement of the body).
• Discuss your doctor about your diet, life style, weight, exercise, unhealthy habits like drinking, smoking, unusual sleeping pattern, taking drugs, emotional disturbance and so many.
• You should follow multivitamins intake recommended by your doctor to fulfil the body needs as well as support baby body after getting pregnant.
• You must go for the pelvic bone examinations to get confirmed that you have normal pelvic outlet so that you may pass your baby normally during delivery.
• Pap smear test may also be performed for confirming the some serious sexually transmitted diseases which creates risk to you and your baby.
• The process of getting pregnant requires intake of sufficient amount of folic acid and vitamin A few months before you conceive and during first trimester. It helps you lot and save your baby from neural-tube defects like spina bifida and other birth defects as well.
• It needs little changes in you and your partner’s bad life style such as give up to your smoking, drinking, drug use, tobacco use, unusual sleeping pattern, eating habits and etc as these habits may lead to miscarriage, premature baby birth, low birth weight baby, baby with birth defects and many more.
• Tobacco use affects your fertility level and lowers down the number and quality of sperm in your partner which reduces your chances of getting pregnant or you may get syndrome baby (having serious health disorders).
• It needs start stocking your refrigerator with healthy foods, fruits, vegetables to boost your body nutrients requirement and chances of healthy pregnancy.
• Reduce your intake of tea, coffee, beverages and other harmful drinks as it enhances the risk of miscarriage.
• Make your mind to receive healthy weight, however not overweight, if you really want to be pregnant.
• Seriously take care of the fish you eat as some may contain mercury which can be harmful however eating fish during pregnancy is good as it provides omega-3 fatty acids (good for brain and eye development in baby), vitamin D, protein and other healthy nutrients.
• Discuss your doctor about your fitness plan (for at least 30 mins a day of moderate exercise like walking, cycling, yoga) on the spot and start following to get fit and healthy pregnancy.
• Taking care of the oral health is very necessary as some hormonal changes during pregnancy may cause gum diseases, bacteria in plaque, gum swelling, redness, tender gums, bleeding gums, yellowness of teeth and etc.
• Make yourself financially healthy and strong to make your pregnancy, parenthood, child care and all over responsibilities related to your baby healthy and strong as financial problems may harm you, your baby and family life balance.
• Contact your health insurance company to get sure if there is any prenatal coverage plan.
• Go for counselling to get sure about your mental health whether you suffer any mental health issues like depression, anxiety, tension and etc.
• Take care of your private parts and maintain hygiene to avoid infections, miscarriage and stillbirth.
• Reduces your over exposure or daily exposure to the chemicals, radiations, heavy sunlight and etc to prevent chances of abnormal pregnancy.
• Make sure about your ovulation date (fertile days of month) using ovulation calculator to get sure and healthy pregnancy.
• If you are already using any birth control measure then contact your doctor to get free of that.
• It is very good for you if you and your partner arrange few meetings with some experts or real moms as it greatly helps to both of you to really understand the parenthood.
• You have to reduce your outgoing like partying and other bad life style activities to concentrate on your pregnancy and enter to the good parenthood.
• Ensure that where you live is good place with healthy environment for you and your baby.
• If you are working woman then get sure about your job policies and pregnancy leaves.
• During pregnancy you get some extra weight so you need to stop buying new and tight fit clothes as they may be useless. Also stop wearing high heel sandals or shoes as they affects body anatomy during pregnancy.
• If you are overweight or underweight, it greatly affects your pregnancy and parenthood.
• You need to go through the blood tests (to get sure about anaemia or other major health disorders like HIV, AIDS, hepatitis B) and screening tests for sexually transmitted infections (like Chlamydia, syphilis and genito-urinary tract infections) and cervical smear test.

Past History

Let your doctor know completely about your past history such as whether you have gone through terminations, miscarriages, high risk pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy or etc to increase your chances of healthy pregnancy this time. Also discuss your doctor if you have suffered in your past life with problems like asthma, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, thrombo-embolism, renal disease, thalassaemia, sickle cell disease, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, premature delivery, intrauterine growth restriction, bipolar disorder, miscarriage and stillbirth, placental problems and so many.

Present History

If you have decided to get a baby, discuss with your doctor in detail about your present health problems you are suffering from such as anemia, anxiety, tension, dizziness, sleeping problem, loss of appetite, drinking or smoking habits, unhealthy diet, leg cramping, headache, backache and so many so that you can be a well being woman first before going through your pregnancy.

Family History

• You should discuss with your doctor about your family medical history to be confirmed about any genetic health disorders in order to prevent your baby from inheritable diseases.
• Going though the genetic carrier screening under the supervision of any gynaecologist is very necessary to get sure about your ethnic background and family history to prevent the passage of serious inheritable illnesses to your baby like sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and many more. If both partner are carrying genes of inheritable disease then your child (1 in 4) have chance to get that disease.

Also know about your body anatomy both internally and externally so that you can get proper idea about pregnancy and your body organs participation:

External Female Anatomy of Reproductive Organs

Female body external genital organs are consequently mons pubis, vulva, labia majora, labia minora, Bartholin glands, urethral meatus, vestibule, clitoris. External genital organs support sperm to enter inside the body and reach his destination in the ampulla. It also provides protection to the internal genital organs from infectious agents.

Mons pubis involves in enhancing sexual attraction as it contains various sebaceous glands releasing pheromones. Labia majora also contains some sweat and sebaceous glands secreting lubricating agents. Perineum exists between vaginal opening and anal opening. Vaginal opening is called introitus a passage way for male sex organ during intercourse, passageway of menstrual blood monthly during menstruation and one and only natural way for baby passage during birth.

Internal Female Anatomy of Reproductive Organs

Internal female reproductive organs include vagina, cervix, uterus, two uterine tubes (also called as oviducts or fallopian tubes) and two ovaries. Before intercourse, vaginal opening is closed with a soft mucous membrane called hymen which may tear during first attempt of intercourse.

Vagina unites external genital organ to the internal genital organ, uterus and makes a long way for sperm entrance to meet the egg in the fallopian tubes at ampulla. It is the same way through which woman bleeds during menstruation and give birth to a baby.

Cervix exists between vagina and uterus (pear-shaped structure). Uterus bears baby and provides all the required nourishment till birth. Ovary releases ova or egg which meets with sperm during fusion in the ampulla (a special place in the fallopian tube).