Preconception Top 10

Tips for a Healthy Conception

By Kelly Burgess

Jennifer Fielder of Gibsonia, Pa., wanted to time her pregnancy just right. As a fifth grade teacher, she didn't want to miss any class time, because she knows how hard it can be on younger children to have that disruption to their routine. After reading all she could on healthy preconception and planning for pregnancy, she started her conception journey with a chart. "I decided to chart for several months to get a pretty good idea of when I ovulated and my average cycle," she says. "My goal was to get pregnant in late September or early October, so I'd give birth in late June, a couple of weeks after school got out."

For the nine months she charted, Fielder also focused on a healthy diet, started on folic acid supplements and a multivitamin and tweaked her exercise plan to make it more pregnancy friendly. She gave birth to her son, Justin, on June 20 and was ready to resume teaching when classes started again two and a half months later.

Not every plan will go as perfectly as Fielder's, but having a plan will optimize the chances of a healthy pregnancy. Here are some top tips to achieve the kind of ideal outcome that Fielder had:

Folic acid is an important supplement to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. The dose you need depends upon your family history, says Dr. Shayne Plosker, associate professor at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. If there is no family history of neural tube defects, a prenatal vitamin or multivitamin with a folic acid supplement should be sufficient. If there is a family history of neural tube defects, a specific folic acid supplement should be taken.

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