How to Prepare for a Healthy Pregnancy?

Quitting smoking can improve fertility in both men and women. Smoking in either parent increases the risk of miscarriage and birth defects. It is never too late to quit smoking, and its damaging effects can be reversed within three months. If you and your partner both smoke, quit with your support. This can save you even more money. Alcohol can also affect fertility. Even drinking two glasses of alcohol can reduce fertility in both men and women and increase the risk of miscarriage.

Pregnancy Weight

Being overweight or underweight can affect a person’s fertility. For optimal fertility, a woman with an average build who is not an athlete should have a BMI (body mass index) of less than 25. A BMI below 19.8 indicates underweight, and a BMI above 29 indicates obesity. The ideal BMI range for these individuals is 19.8-26.
Avoid chemicals that are harmful to the fetus
Every person’s body contains 300 to 500 synthetic chemicals derived from substances such as pesticides. The most harmful of these are polychlorinated chemicals such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) – now banned in the United States – and dioxins. These chemicals, which act like estrogen in the body, dissolve in body fat and reach the baby through the placenta or breast milk. Because the liver cannot break down these substances, the body has difficulty excreting them. Although PCBs can be absorbed through the skin and lungs, they enter the body primarily through the consumption of fatty fish and readily cross the placenta and breast milk. Therefore, pregnant and lactating women and women of childbearing age should avoid eating fish from waters contaminated with PCBs.