Disclaimer: Please note that this blog is for educational purposes only, it includes general information on health-related topics. Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton is giving medical advice to Patients Only. Follow this link to request an appointment with Dr. Ellman.

One of the most exciting experiences of your life is becoming pregnant. There’s nothing quite like feeling your baby growing inside of your stomach. Yet, like any new parent, you may worry about being prepared for pregnancy. What can you do to ensure your pregnancy is as healthy as possible? Here are a few ideas and suggestions you can utilize to prepare for your pregnancy. 

Prepare Your Finances

An often overlooked part of pregnancy is the expenses. One of the most important steps when it comes to how to prepare to have a baby is to ensure your finances are in order. You’re going to be traveling to the doctor a lot. Regular check-ups are needed to ensure that your baby is developing correctly. 

Besides that, you’ll also be spending money on prenatals, maternity clothes, and other things like cribs and bottles. Preparing your nursery is a full task in and of itself. 

Before you become pregnant, you’ll want to have a long look at your finances and decide if you are financially ready to bring a child into the world. How to prepare for pregnancy involves steps like setting up your savings account. If something happens and you can’t work for a bit, you need to make sure that you have enough money set aside to cover any pregnancy expenses you may face. 

If you’re sure your finances are ready to handle a pregnancy, then you can move on to the next step. This step is how to prepare to have a healthy pregnancy. 

Woman Holding a Piggy Bank

How to Prepare Your Body for Pregnancy

One of the most important aspects of pregnancy is your body’s health. There are a few things you can do to ensure your body is ready for pregnancy. Some of them include:

  • Exercise
  • Taking vitamins
  • Knowing your ovulation schedule
  • Canceling trips to areas that may put your unborn baby at risk
  • Visiting your doctor

Let’s look at these preparation steps in detail. 

  1. Exercise

Perhaps one of the most important methods for how to prepare body for pregnancy is exercise. Being obese or overweight can make becoming pregnant difficult. It can also make the pregnancy itself difficult. 

Women who are obese or overweight already have health problems. Blood may not move through their body as efficiently. Their cholesterol may be higher. When you become pregnant, your body’s chemistry changes drastically. Your cholesterol will spike due to pregnancy alone. For women already suffering from high cholesterol, the added spike could prove to be dangerous. 

Without proper blood flow, you may be unable to support your fetus.

If you want to have a healthy pregnancy, then you need to make sure that you’re at a healthy weight. While overweight and obese women have had successful pregnancies, they’re always riskier. Do your part in ensuring your body is ready by exercising and trimming your fat.

  1. Vitamins

Another great way to boost your health and the health of your fetus is by taking vitamins. In particular, you’ll want to take prenatal vitamins when your doctor suggests it. At Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton, we have the expertise you need to ensure you’re taking the right vitamins as well as the right amount.

Giving your body the extra boost it needs to fight off illnesses is vital to protecting your baby. 

  1. Understand Your Ovulation Schedule

If you’ve been trying to have a baby but haven’t had any luck, then part of the problem may be your ovulation schedule. Not everyone understands when the best time to become pregnant is. We can help you. Based on your menstrual cycle, we can give you the best window of opportunity to become pregnant. 

This can help you know how to prepare for pregnancy as it gives you a set schedule of when to engage in sexual intercourse.

  1. Staying Away From Illness

One of the biggest threats to pregnancy is the Zika virus. If you want to know how to prepare for a healthy pregnancy, then the first important lesson is putting your baby’s health first. Even though you may have been looking forward to a trip to a foreign country, it’s vital that you research viruses and other illnesses that are prevalent there. 

In particular, you need to avoid countries and areas that contain the Zika virus. You can protect yourself with mosquito spray, by covering up your skin, or by simply staying inside. To stay healthy, sometimes the best thing you can do is sit on the sofa at home. 

  1. Visit Your Doctor

The most important tip for how to prepare to have a baby is to regularly visit your doctor. We have the empathetic and expert care that you need. Keeping your health on track will help ensure that the baby grows healthily as well. We’ll also closely monitor the baby to ensure it is developing correctly and safely. 

How to Prepare for Pregnancy While Pregnant

If you are already pregnant, then there are still a few things you can do to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Perhaps one of the most important is continuing to exercise. Many women believe that once they’re pregnant, they have to stop being physical in order to protect their bodies.

This isn’t exactly the case. While you may not want to do anything too extreme, you can still engage in regular exercise. As the months pass, you’ll want to make your exercise lighter and lighter. Instead of lifting heavy weights, for example, you may opt for yoga. Instead of running, you may want to power walk. 

Exercise is vital for pregnant women because it keeps your weight healthy. While you should expect to gain some weight in order to support the baby, you don’t have to become obese while pregnant. Regularly exercising helps ensure your body’s chemistry is strong and healthy to support your baby. 

You may even find that it helps with the emotional and stressful aspects of pregnancy as well. 

Finally, you’ll need to keep eating well. Babies require a lot of nutrients in order to be healthy. You need your nutrients, too, in order to support the baby. Make sure your meals are filled with all of the vegetables and fruits that your body needs. It doesn’t hurt to eat an unhealthy snack now and then, though. 

How to Prepare to Have a Baby Mentally and Emotionally

Besides your health and body, there’s also the mental and emotional aspect of becoming pregnant. Once you become pregnant, your hormones will be overloaded. You may find yourself feeling more enthusiastic than you typically do. Perhaps your temper is even quicker to rise. This can be difficult to navigate. 

Before you become pregnant, you should prepare for pregnancy by having a deep and open conversation with your partner. Your partner is going to be the main source of support throughout your pregnancy. In that conversation, you should talk about the expectations that you have for each other during the experience.

Pregnant Woman Meditating

How much do you want your partner to help? What aspect of the pregnancy is he or she responsible for? If you know you’re going to need time when you’re on your own, then make sure that need is heard and respected. It can help to reassure your partner that it isn’t personal but rather something you need in order to stay healthy and energetic. 

For some couples, it may even be useful to have a child or couple’s psychologist on hand. Being pregnant can cause a lot of stress in a couple’s life. Having someone to talk to and help communication can be important. You don’t want your pregnancy to be fraught with conflict. 

Visit Us at Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton Today

Becoming pregnant is an exciting adventure. Yet if you want to make sure that you maintain excellent health for your baby, then you’re going to need a little help and guidance. Come experience the luxurious and unique care that we provide at Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton. We’ll give you expert care and advice on how to make your pregnancy successful and enjoyable. Visit us today.

Dr. Ellman is a Board Certified OBGYN who established his medical practice in South Florida over 25 years ago. His office, Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton, is located in Boca Raton, Florida at West Boca Medical Center. Dr. Ellman attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, where he received his medical degree. He went on to intern at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston- an affiliate of Harvard Medical School- and continued his residency at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York- an affiliate of Cornell Medical School.

Dr. Ellman has practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Boca Raton area since 1995. In addition to treating patients at West Boca Hospital, Dr. Ellman also treats patients through his own private practice, Women’s Healthcare of Boca Raton, located on the West Boca Medical Campus.

Published On: November 2nd, 2020