728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Preparing for Pregnancy › Ready for a Baby This Year?

Ready for a Baby This Year?

Preconception Planning for a Healthy Pregnancy

By Lisa Hurt Kozarovich

Pages:  1  2  3  

As for alcohol, she says, "I have people who come to me worried because they had a few too many drinks on New Year's Eve before they realized they were pregnant. I tell them a small amount of alcohol in moderation is extremely unlikely to affect pregnancy early on. What we don't know is what the safe limits of alcohol use are later on in pregnancy, so at that point I suggest they abstain."

Exercise Pre-pregnancy
One common misconception women have regarding their preconception and pregnancy is that they should take it easy and not really exercise, Dr. Powell says. Actually, the opposite is true. "It helps relieve the stress for women who are trying to get pregnant, it helps prevent gestational diabetes in women once they become pregnant and it helps build their stamina for labor and delivery," she says.

Another recommendation, from the American Academy of Periodontology, is that women visit their dentist to have a periodontal evaluation during their preconception planning. "Evidence is mounting suggesting that having periodontal disease may make women seven times more likely to deliver a preterm or low birth weight baby. The likely culprit is a labor-inducing chemical found in dental plaque called prostaglandin," according to a press release issued by the academy.

In the meantime, do what you can to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby, Dr. Petrikovsky says, and then remember: "About 97 percent of all babies are healthy, so that's a good reason to relax."


Pages:  1  2  3  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.