Choosing to start a family is an exciting and life-changing decision. Preparing your body for pregnancy and ensuring you have a safe pregnancy are critical whether you want to conceive naturally or with assisted reproductive technology. This article will go over the most important factors to consider while planning a pregnancy and beginning a family.
Getting Ready for a Pregnancy
It’s critical to prepare your body for pregnancy before attempting to conceive. These are some steps you can take to increase your chances of a safe pregnancy:
- Make an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss preconception care. Your doctor can evaluate your general health and make recommendations to help you have a healthy pregnancy.
- Start taking folic acid. Folic acid can help prevent brain and spine birth abnormalities, which can arise during the first few weeks of pregnancy when many women are unaware they’re pregnant. Folic acid is advised at 400-800 mcg per day.
- Quit smoking and abstain from alcohol and drugs. These chemicals can harm your baby and increase your chances of difficulties during pregnancy.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or underweight can increase the chance of problems during pregnancy.
- Eat a nutritious diet. A balanced diet can help ensure that you and your baby get the nutrients you need during pregnancy.
- Exercise on a regular basis. Exercise can help you to lose weight and enhance your health in general.
NIPS Testing
Noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) is a blood test that can detect the most common chromosomal abnormalities in a fetus, including Down syndrome. NIPS is a highly accurate genetic test that can be done as early as ten weeks into your pregnancy. While NIPS isn’t a diagnostic test, it can help identify fetuses that are more likely to have chromosomal abnormalities, which can then be validated with invasive testing such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
For more information on NIPS testing, check out Juno Diagnostics at non-invasive prenatal screening test (NIPS or NIPT).
Infertility Options
Couples who are having difficulty conceiving naturally may benefit from assisted reproductive technologies (ART). ART comes in a variety of forms, including:
- In vitro fertilization (IVF). This involves fertilizing eggs with sperm in a laboratory and then transferring the resulting embryos to a woman’s uterus.
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This entails inserting a single sperm into an egg.
- Donor sperm or eggs. When one person is infertile, donor eggs or sperm can be used.
While ART can be quite effective, treatment isn’t without its hazards and emotional obstacles. Before deciding to pursue these alternatives, it’s critical to discuss the potential dangers and advantages of ART with your healthcare professional and a counselor.
Problems Associated with Pregnancy
Pregnancy complications might develop even if you’ve taken all efforts to prepare your body for pregnancy. Some of the most frequent pregnancy concerns to be aware of are as follows:
- Diabetes during pregnancy: Diabetes that occurs during pregnancy is known as gestational diabetes. It can result in an abnormally large baby, preterm labor, and other issues.
- Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is a dangerous condition that can happen during pregnancy. It causes high blood pressure and organ damage.
- Miscarriage: A miscarriage is the premature termination of a pregnancy before the 20th week.
- Premature labor: Preterm labor is characterized as beginning before the 37th week of pregnancy.
- Stillbirth: Stillbirth occurs when a baby dies beyond 20 weeks of pregnancy.
