Even if you’re not trying to get pregnant now, it’s good to know ways to prepare for a healthy pregnancy so you can conceive babies in the future! Here are five ways to prepare your body to get pregnant…
First, a quip about pregnancy from actress Kate Winslet:
“I did a lot of walking during the pregnancy and I had a wonderful, much longed-for natural delivery,” says Winselt. “I was in labor 24 hours and he came out completely beautifully. It was a triumphant birth and it laid a lot of ghosts to rest for me. It was incredible to experience being able to do it totally naturally.”
Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your body ready to conceive and deliver babies. To learn more about a healthy pregnancy, click on the book Before Your Pregnancy: A 90 Day Guide for Couples on How to Prepare for a Healthy Conception by Amy Ogle and Lisa Mazzullo.
5 Ways to Prepare Your Body for a Healthy Pregnancy
1. Eat foods that increase your fertility levels. Eating a balanced, nutritious diet isn’t just good for your waistline and brain cells – it affects your eggs, menstrual cycle, and ovulation surges. Healthy unsaturated fats such as nuts, olive oil, and avocados, can prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy.
2. Take care of your health problems. Diabetes, thyroid disease, ovarian syndromes, and endometriosis can all affect your chances of conceiving a baby. Explore natural treatments for your health issues, if possible, and always ask your doctor if the medications he or she is prescribing will affect your current or future chances of getting pregnant.
3. Stress less. According to Women’s Health magazine (June 2008), “stress interferes with the brain’s bulletins that tell your ovaries to do their monthly job of rolling out an egg.” Chronic stress can interfere with your menstrual cycle, egg hatching, and ovulation phases – and it can even cause bodily changes that make you think you’re ovulating, when you’re not. To prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy, practice healthy stress reduction techniques — and read How Stress Leads to Infertility.
4. Stop smoking. “Smoking constricts blood vessels, including those that feed the ovaries, which accelerates the loss of eggs,” says Dr Sherman Silber of the Infertilty Center of St. Louis (he also wrote How to Get Pregnant). “Sure, women who smoke can get pregnant – when they’re young. But smoking can cause you to become infertile earlier than you would as a nonsmoker.” (Again, this is from Women’s Health magazine.)
5. Deal with STDs. Sexually transmitted diseases can block fallopian tubes because of possible scarring…so if you’re actively intimate with different people, make sure you’re tested regularly. The sooner you treat STDs, the less likely they’ll decrease your chances of getting pregnant.
To improve your chances of conceiving a baby, consider the fertility supplements, herbs, and prenatal vitamins at Early Pregnancy Tests.com.
And if you have any questions or other ways to prepare for a healthy pregnancy, please comment below!
~ Resources for Getting Pregnant & Fertility ~
If you're trying to conceive a baby, learn about getting pregnant easily and naturally.
Are you or your partner coping with low fertility levels? Try FertilAid for Women or FertilAid for Men.
And don't forget about vitamins and minerals, which are essential to a healthy pregnancy! Make sure you're taking the right Pregnancy Plus Prenatal Vitamins.
i am 18 years old and i have had 2 misscarrages. i was woundering is my body not ready? and i was wanting to know what age can i get pregnant?
Hi Jodie,
I’m so sorry for your miscarriages – it sounds like you want to get pregnant! Whether or not your body is ready to conceive a baby depends on why you miscarried. Did you talk to your doctor about why it happened? I do know that if you think you’re miscarrying or have miscarried a baby, you should take whatever comes out of you to the hospital in a baggie or container. It sounds gross, but the doctors or nurses can analyze it for clues as to whether your body is ready.
Women – and girls – can get pregnant as soon as they begin their period. That can be 11 or 12 years old for some girls, or even younger. This is FAR too young to be a mother, but it is biologically possible.
Maybe your body needs to recuperate from these lost babies. Maybe if you give yourself some time, your body will be ready in a few months. And — do talk to your doctor about the best time in your life to get pregnant.
Let me know what you think!
Take care,
Laurie
can wrestling affect me in a way that i cannot get pregnant?
Hi Jodie,
I don’t think wrestling can prevent you from getting pregnant. That’s another good question for your doctor, but I haven’t heard about any links between the two.
You sound totally motivated get pregnant! Is your partner as determined as you?
Laurie
two months ago i’ve been diagnoise with block tubes, adhesions & scar tissue however i do have regular periods. Does that mean the egg do passes through a tube into the my uterus? Desperate
Hi Francis,
I’m sorry about your blocked tubes and scar tissue — that can make it hard to get pregnant!
From what I’ve read, you can have regular periods, but not be releasing an egg. Or, the egg may not be mature or ready to accept the sperm.
The only way to tell if you are releasing a mature egg and can get pregnant is to see a fertility doctor — or a regular doctor may be able to tell, as well. It depends on the doctor! Some family doctors refer you to fertility specialists right away, while others can help you through the first steps.
If you do need help getting pregnant, you may want to start the process as soon as possible….it can take months to get it going! I thought I’d be starting IVF (in vitro fertilization) this month, but have to wait until next month because my blood work isn’t in yet.
So, I suggest going to the doctor and finding out if you’re releasing healthy eggs with your period!
Good luck — and let me know how you are –
Laurie
Im 18.My husband and i were trying to concieve earlier this year. We tried for 6 months, and the only thing that happend was that my period got more painful, and i had a much heavier flow! it was fustrating. And i have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome…. low blood pressure. Could that have anything to do with y we haven’t been able to get pregnant?
Hi Jessily,
I’m sorry to hear it’s taking so long to conceive a baby, and especially sorry to hear about your painful and heavy periods. Have you talked to a doctor? That’d be a good first step.
And, low blood pressure will not stop you from getting pregnant. Here’s what one doctor says about it:
“Low blood pressure is generally regarded as very healthy provided you’re not experiencing symptoms such as feeling faint or light-headed. The lowest blood pressures are often seen in slim young women and levels of 90/50 are not unusual, whereas the normal level is around 130/90. By contrast, high blood pressure is potentially harmful, which is why thousands of people take medication to prevent heart disease and strokes. You can elevate your blood pressure by exercising and drinking more fluids, and stress always puts it up because of the release of adrenaline-like hormones. But you don’t need to do this if you’re generally fit and well. Healthy low blood pressure will not affect your fertility whatsoever – if anything I would say it enhances it.”
- Source: Dr Hilary Jones, a general practictioner and medical writer. Will Low Blood Pressure Stop Me From Getting Pregnant?
I hope this helps, and wish you all the best in getting pregnant.
Laurie
Im 30 yrs old and my boyfriend and I have decided to get pregnant. I have had irregular periods from the time I have started puberty. I have been to doctor’s done tons of tests from ultrasounds to blood tests and everything is “normal”. However, I am overweight and my periods when they do come they are long and sometimes heavy. Since I want to concieve I have started taking a prenatal multivitamin, in addition to some vit C and B complex vitamins. Any advice to give me to help me concieve naturally? I guess what I want to know is am I able to get pregnant?
Hi Abigail,
That’s the million dollar question that so many women ask — can I get pregnant? I’m afraid I can’t answer that, but there are definitely things you can do to improve your chances.
First, I think most doctors recommend losing weight. Get your body mass index in a healthy range.
And yes, taking a prenatal vitamin is great. I also encourage you to get a couple books about pregnancy, either from the library or your local bookstore. There are some incredibly popular ones, such as “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” and “The Fertility Diet” — the book covers are on this page, up a little and to the right.
And, track your ovulation. If you need info on ovulation timing and ovulation predictor kits, just do a search for “ovulation” in my search box at the top of this page. It’ll give you links to all sorts of articles about knowing when the best time to conceive is.
I hope this helps, and that you get pregnant soon!
Laurie
I am in so much turmoil because i want a baby!!!! and i need help i am overweight, a diabetic, and i have irregular periods but i am dying to hsve a baby. I have been trying now for 2 years and i think i want to try clomid is this a wise choice if not just throw out suggestions and not just lose weight cause i have heard it so many times and i did that part but now im getting aggrivated more and more cause i want a baby.
Hi Rasheda,
I feel for you; I know how frustrating and disappointing it is to keep trying to get pregnant, and keep getting your period! Two years is a long time.
From your comment, I can’t tell if you’ve seen a fertility doctor. If you haven’t, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. He or she can help you make the right decision about clomid to increase your fertility.
You need to figure out the cause of your inability to get pregnant. Is it because you’re overweight? I don’t know…but coincidentally, I just posted an article about a woman who couldn’t get pregnant and who was overweight. She had polycystic ovarian syndrome for 10 years, and didn’t know it. That disorder causes weight gain and can prevent women from getting pregnant. And, it’s often overlooked by doctors.
Here’s the link to my article about polycystic ovarian syndrome:
Can I Get Pregnant If I Have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)?
I don’t know what (if any) your health issues are, but I encourage you to listen to your doctor’s advice. Maybe it’s just a matter of losing weight…which is difficult, but you can do it! And, maybe it’s a matter of asking about PCOS and seeing what your doctor says…
I wish you all the best, and hope you come back and let me know how things are going.
Blessings,
Laurie