It is said that the best things in life are free. Well, this could be the best free advice you would get before deciding to have a baby. Giving birth is definitely not something that happens every other day. It is therefore, critically important to have everything prepared for the big day. Your body should be at the top of this preparation, as well as medical and financial considerations.
Get a Head Start on Your Health
Since your body will be the natural ‘incubator’ of life, every effort has to be taken to become fit and healthy. This has to start much earlier than the expected pregnancy.
Because of the numerous health risks related with overweight and underweight conditions, you should strive to achieve a good body weight. Anyone who has ever tried to cut down on body weight would know that it is never an overnight achievement. This means that any plans to cut down on body weight must begin months in advance of any planned pregnancy.
Seek out a good exercise program that has been well-designed by a qualified fitness instructor. The last thing you would want to happen is getting injured by a poorly planned exercise program. That will surely interrupt your plan to have a baby.
A well-balanced diet must also be part of the exercise program. This will prepare your body for the oncoming months. Nutrients such as calcium will help to strengthen the bones so as to avoid weakening of such vital body structures during the pregnancy period. Developing a routine of healthy eating complemented with regular exercise will make it much easier to do the same even during pregnancy.
A Preconception Visit is a Must
Any plans for a pregnancy must necessarily include an advance visit to your doctor. There are many factors that need to be assessed in the early stages. Such factors include the medical history of your family as well as your personal medical history. This is important in ruling out any hereditary factors that may affect the baby.
A doctor is also a key consultant for any exercise program that you wish to undertake. The medical practitioner can give relevant advice on the most appropriate foods to take. This will involve prescriptions for certain vital multivitamins. All these will ensure healthy growth and development of the baby.
An assessment of any form of medication that you may be taking is also necessary. This is because certain types of medicines can prove detrimental to conception. Various types of treatment may have to be discontinued or alternatives given since the constituent components can linger within the body.
You can also check through your personal family history to identify likely chromosomal or genetic disorders. Such disorders as sickle cell anaemia and down syndrome might turn up in the baby. Having prior knowledge of such likely cases will better prepare you to deal with the outcome. This may also necessitate further medical attention on the child, which would mean more financial expenses.
Consider the Financial Costs
Having good health insurance is of great importance. It will help in covering the high cost involved in prenatal care, delivery and antenatal care. However, these are not the only costs involved in pregnancy. Following delivery, taking care of a child would mean continuous expenses that are bound to increase as the child grows older.
In order to avoid any rude surprises from unexpected costs, you should try to save up some money for a planned pregnancy. This needs to be done many months in advance. The decision to have a baby might also have to be postponed in case there are significant debts that require payment.
In the cases where genetic and chromosomal defects occur in the baby, the costs of extra medical attention would inevitably arise. Such costs can be catered for early in the preparations if a good family-medical-history assessment is done.
Having a baby is a major decision which needs to be well planned. With a good foundation of a healthy and medically fit body, as well as a solid financial backing, the pregnancy is likely to be an enjoyable period. A well-planned pregnancy will also give you peace of mind and enough time to care for the little bundle of joy.
