1) Develop a strong mental attitude
Pregnancy is mind boggling to me--how it works, how our bodies can do something so stinking amazing, and how extraordinarily hard it is to go through, especially for some women. Women have traditionally been known as the "weaker sex". If a man ever went through pregnancy, he would never, ever have said something like that. I've been thinking about this for a few weeks and I keep thinking about that clip from the movie Avatar where the Colonel is giving them their safety briefing.
My second pregnancy, which I miscarried at 11 weeks, wasn't planned. (Obviously we didn't do a great job of preventing it.) When I got that positive pregnancy test, I cried. I wasn't overjoyed that I was pregnant. It took a few days to get excited about it because I was not ready to go through pregnancy again.
Going into pregnancy sort of feels like going into war. Imagine the difference of going into a pregnancy with a strong mental attitude. An attitude of, this is going to be tough, but I'm a strong woman and I'm going to rock this pregnancy. I'm not going to complain to my family and friends constantly about my laundry list of symptoms (like I'm the only woman that's ever been pregnant or had pregnancy symptoms before.) I'm not going to let my pregnancy symptoms completely take over my life and health and happiness*. I'm going to be positive and strong.
*Obviously I'm not talking about women that have symptoms so severe they end up in the hospital to get rehydrated or put on bed rest to stop preterm labor or the like.
2) Have well established habits (the good ones)
When all those ca-razy pregnancy symptoms show up, including the big belly, it's going to challenge your will to exercise and eat nutritiously. Having well established habits of daily exercise and being disciplined about what you eat will make success much more likely.
It took me a while to figure out the best way for me to exercise was to wake up early enough to go out and run before my husband goes to work. I've been doing that consistently for about a year now and I love it. I'm used to getting up sometime between 5:00-6:00. I'm used to running in the cold and snow and rain and in the dark. I hope that when I get pregnant, my habit will be stronger than my symptoms.
I'm an Idaho girl, and I love my potatoes. When I get pregnant, I crave more than anything else, potatoes. Not the wholesome baked kind, but the fried and salted kind. During my last pregnancy, there were too many times I sent my husband out to get me fries (and a burger and shake) from the yummy burger grill down the street at 8:00 at night, after I had already had my dinner. Cravings and eating because you feel tired and yucky can kill your weight gain goals. I'd be a big fat liar if I said I have developed perfect eating discipline habits. But, hopefully, I've been doing better with it and I won't give in to temptation as often with my next pregnancy.
3) Aim for a healthy weight
This one is a by-product of doing #2-- being in the habbit of regular exercise and eating right. There's a two-fold purpose for this one. Number one, being under or overweight can affect your ovulation cycles and thus affect fertility. Infertility is a super complex (and heartbreaking) issue that can't be oversimplified and fixed by "be a healthy weight", but that is a place to start. The second reason is that women that are underweight or overweight or obese are much more likely to have pregnancy problems than women at a healthy weight, such as gestational diabetes.
4) Embrace the Folic Acid
Of course all nutrients are important, but folic acid is one that is of particular interest to all women. It is shown that taking a folic acid supplement in the weeks BEFORE CONCEPTION and the first three months of pregnancy can reduce as many as 75% of serious birth defects in the spine, nueral tube and brain (spina bifida, anencephaly) . The key here is that the defects can happen before you even know you're pregnant. Thus the importance that all women take folic acid supplements on a regular basis, just in case there are any surprise babies.
How much?
Look for a supplement that has 400 micrograms. Any general or women's multivitamin will have that amount. After you get pregnant, the recommended amount increases to 600 micrograms.
Do I have to take a pill?
I'd be the first to line up in the anti-supplement line, but this is one of those circumstances where a supplement is most likely needed. Most women just don't get enough. If you wonder if you are an exception to the rule, here are some foods that are high in folate or folic acid.
Folate (the natural form of folic acid) is found in dark green leafy vegetables:
1 cup raw broccoli = 63 micrograms
1 cup raw spinach (cut) = 58 micrograms
1 cup romaine lettuce (cut) = 76 micrograms
Nuts:
1 oz dry roasted peanuts (28 nuts) = 41 micrograms
2 Tbsp peanut butter = 24 micrograms
1 oz dry roasted almonds (22 nuts) = 9 micrograms
Legumes:
1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans = 80 micograms
1/2 cup peas (boiled) = 47 micrograms
1/2 cup refried beans = 14 micrograms
1/2 cup cooked lentils = 179 micrograms!!
By law, many grain foods are fortified with folic acid in varying amounts. The white flour sitting in your pantry has been fortified with folic acid. Breakfast cereals are often fortified with folic acid, sometimes as much as 100%, but usually 25%-50%.
Personally, I feel like the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects is scary enough (not sure how high the risk actually is) that taking the multivitamin doesn't seem like that big of a deal for the benefit. Another option would be to find a stand alone folic acid supplement, but CAUTION in taking too much folic acid--it can hide a serious health condition. Specifically taking 1000 micrograms or more of folic acid a day can mask the symptoms of pernicous anemia which comes from vitamin b-12 deficiency. So stick with the 400-600 micrograms!
This is the inexpensive multivitamin I grabbed a few months back--it has 400 micrograms of folic acid. I will need to get an actual prenatal vitamin once I get pregnant. (I'll talk about nutrient needs during pregnancy at that time.)
5) Talk to your doctor
I'm going to be a big fat hypocrite on this one--I've never gone to a doctor before any of my three pregnancies. The other day, I tried to schedule an appointment with my OB, but his next available appointment was in October...lame. If I had gone to my doctor, I would have had a discussion with him to ease my mind about miscarrying how much exercise I can do during pregnancy. I would have also asked him his opinions on my going to a midwife for my next pregnancy and if he had any recommendations.
Before you get pregnant is a better time to talk to a doctor about health concerns you have. You may have questions or concerns about previous pregnancies. Go to your doctor, be honest about symptoms you've been having, be honest about your lifestyle, and ask questions. If you don't understand something your doctor is saying, ask him to repeat it or explain it differently. Don't be scared to look dumb. It's dumber to not ask a dumb question. Get the most out of your money for that doctor's visit. This is a great time to see if you're meshing well with your doctor and perhaps it's time to look for another if they aren't attentive to your needs.
March of Dimes - Getting healthy before pregnancy
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