Stop drinking, smoking, and unhealthy habits before pregnancy

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Lifestyle and Habits
Do you have any habits or lifestyle activities that are unhealthy?
Out with the old unhealthy habits, in with the new. If you or your spouse have unhealthy habits, this is the time to clean yourselves up. Now, while you and he are the only ones affected by those habits. Drinking, smoking, drugs, poor diet, and risky activities have no place in the life of a baby, even a microscopic baby. Clean up your act now so that you and baby have a clean start. Give yourself a few months of healthy living before trying to conceive. It'll be easier to get pregnant and you'll have a better pregnancy. And seeing that happy, healthy baby will be your reward.

Do you drink alcohol?
The US Surgeon General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services recommend that you give up all alcohol when planning for pregnancy, at conception, and during pregnancy.

Do you smoke?
Approximately 20 to 30 percent of pregnant women smoke. Big mistake. Low birth weights spontaneous abortion, premature delivery and other serious pregnancy complications have been linked to tobacco us. If you smoke, you've just been given the best reason in the world to quit.

Have you ever used cocaine, heroin or other illicit drugs?
Cocaine is tied to premature birth, low birth weights and even seizures after baby is born. If you use coke, sadly your unborn child does, too.

Babies exposed to heroin and other opiates are susceptible to low birth weight, premature birth and heroin addiction. If you use these drugs and can't quit, please don't get pregnant. Period.

How much coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drinks to you consume each day?
A little bit goes a long way, here. If you need a boost in the morning, allow yourself one small cup of high-octane coffee to get you started. However, if you can do without it, do without it.

Caffeine should be avoided throughout pregnancy. It's been tied to an increased risk of miscarriage and to some birth defects. How about a nice cup of decaf?

Are you on any special diet?
A woman's nutritional status should be reviewed to optimize the health of mother and baby. Pregnancy-related dietary changes should begin prior to conception, with appropriate modifications across the pregnancy and during lactation.

Most of us know the drill.

Eat three healthy meals a day. Each meal should include foods from the different food groups: meat and fish, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and dairy.

The nutrients you need to keep yourself healthy throughout pregnancy:

• Protein: Used to build muscle and repair the body, enjoy some low fat fish or meat.

• Carbohydrates: Forget the lo- or no carb diets. You need carbs for energy and for overall fitness and good health. Have some whole-wheat pasta.

• Vitamins: A, B-Complex, C, D, E, K, etc. These nutrients support the immune system among other things.

• Minerals: Zinc, iron, manganese, copper - a healthy body needs these in trace amounts and they must be replaced since the body doesn't store any excess copper you ate today. Fruits and/or veggies at every meal.

• Fats and Oils: Not often considered a nutrient, the body needs a certain amount of fats and oils. Go with olive oil. It's actually good for you in small amounts.

Managing Those Snack Attacks
Pretty common during pregnancy. Learn to substitute your old favorites with healthier snack choices.

Forget the chips and pork rinds. Go with pretzels. They're baked, not fried.

Instead of a candy bar, go for some dried fruit. Chewy and sweet.

Instead of ice cream, try ice milk on your midnight fridge run.

Make your own oatmeal raisin cookies. They'll taste better, you can control the amount of fat you use and they're delicious right out of the freezer. Really! Eat mini-meals throughout the day. Some women prefer to eat five or six smaller meals rather than the usual breakfast, lunch and dinner. Carry fresh fruit, unsalted nuts, gorp or other energy foods and snack throughout the day if that works for you.

Your Starting Weight
If you're underweight, you may have a harder time conceiving and your chances for delivering a low-birth weight baby are higher. Low birth-weight babies have a higher risk of complications.

So, if you're underweight, now's the time to build yourself up. Put weight on in healthy ways, by eating healthy foods and by building muscle through strength training.

If you're overweight, you're at higher risk for elevated blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems. These risks are heightened during pregnancy. Carrying and delivering baby can be more difficult for you. You won't be able to diet once you are pregnant because you may deprive baby of necessary nutrients. The better shape you're in, the better you'll feel when pregnant and during delivery. Work to eat right, lose weight and strengthen your body now; you'll be glad you did.

A healthy metabolism and weight will help you during pregnancy, delivery and once baby is born. So eat right now and begin or continue a healthy exercise plan. Then continue once baby is born. Do it for yourself and for your baby. The benefits will last a lifetime, for both of you.

Do you use any herbal, dietary or vitamin supplements?
Excessive amounts of vitamin A (more than 10,000 IU a day) should be avoided before and during pregnancy.

An increase in folic acid is recommended. Folic acid is very helpful in preventing some defects of the brain and spinal cord, as well as cleft palette and congenital heart disease in developing babies.

Herbal cures and remedies - everything from ginseng to herbal teas - should be avoided, not because they're unhealthy, but there's just not enough documentation to take the chance. So, put aside the ginkgo biloba until after baby arrives.

Take a multi-vitamin daily. That and a healthy diet are all you need to maintain optimum health. Forget mega-doses. One vitamin pill a day does the trick for baby and for you.

Prenatal vitamins, vitamins specially formulated to meet the needs of pregnant women and their growing babies, will soon become part of your daily routine. Some doctors prescribe them for patients who are trying to become pregnant. Consult your doctor about whether or not you should take a pre-natal in place of an OTC multi-vitamin.

Do you exercise regularly?
Pregnant women should exercise and keep active during their pregnancies, assuming there's no medical reason not to. Doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise or vigorous activity daily. A walk around the block will do it for most women.

If you don't exercise regularly, start slowly and work your way up to that 30-minute a day level. And keep it up after baby comes. Exercise makes you healthy and happy. To learn more about exercising while pregnant, please see Chapter 11.

Do you have cats in the house?
If you have kitties, it's time to let dad take over the litter box chores. Toxoplasmosis is a serous disease that can be transmitted to an unborn baby if the mother becomes infected. It's spread through cat feces, so hand off the pooper-scooper to dad until baby arrives.

Is your workplace safe from toxins, chemicals, radiation and other potential pregnancy dangers?
If you don't know or aren't sure, talk to your supervisor or the people in human resources. The presence of toxic substances isn't always obvious. If you discover that you are exposed to dangerous substances or radiation during the work week, take steps to avoid these dangers.