Preparing your Body For Pregnancy the Best Ways

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If you are thinking about becoming pregnant in the near future, preparing your body for pregnancy is of the utmost importance. There are lots of things you can do before even conceiving that can lead to a healthier pregnancy and easier postpartum recovery.

**This post contains affiliate links to items that I own and love and think will immensely benefit you. Please read the full boring disclosure here if you’d like.**

Preparing Your Body and Mind for Pregnancy

If you are planning a pregnancy or even thinking about conceiving any time in the near future you probably are thinking that you want to achieve the most healthy, easiest pregnancy possible.

Whether this is your first baby or your third, this list of what to do in the time before pregnancy to prepare your body will be a huge help.

By preparing your body for pregnancy beforehand you are more likely to:

• have a healthier pregnancy
• conceive more easily
• minimize possible complications while pregnant
• recover quicker postpartum
• give your new baby the best chance possible to be healthy
• relieve anxiety with pregnancy

We all want a healthy baby.

Whether you are hoping to conceive a boy or girl or whether you are ready to conceive now or 3 months from now, we all just really strive to have a healthy baby.

As well as learning how to have an easy and uncomplicated labor and delivery.

While there’s nothing you can do to guarantee these things, there are MANY steps that you can take now to maximize the chances of them occurring.

There are many steps to take before conception that can increase the chances of quick conception, healthy pregnancy, and easier recovery.

Preparing for Pregnancy Checklist

Begin Taking a High Quality Prenatal Vitamin

Did you know you should ideally begin taking a prenatal vitamin at least 28 days prior to conception?

If you are planning on becoming pregnant any time soon, you should already be taking prenatal vitamins. The first month is very important for neural tube developement of the fetus and those nutrients ideally should already be stored in your body for at least 28 days before pregnancy.

The BEST affordable high quality prenatal vitamin I’ve found are called Essential Prenatal. They:

• are extensively researched and tested
• contain clean critical nutrients for mama and baby
• contain the right form of folic acid that can actually be absorbed by the body (almost all prenatals do not)
• have vitamin D3, directly associated with a healthy birth weight
• contain Omega 3s and easily absorbed DHA

There are so many prenatal vitamins on the market. Ranging from cheap brands from Walmart to high-priced brands from the health food stores.

What does a prenatal vitamin need to contain?

FOLIC ACID AND IRON: Folic acid protects the brain and spinal cord and also protect against neural tube defects.

Unfortunately, the form of folic acid in most prenatals can’t even be readily absorbed by almost half of women! Sad, but true.

Essential Prenatals contains a special form of folic acid called MTHF folic acid. That your body can absorb and actually use to preserve those precious and important parts of baby in those vital first 28 days.

DHA: During pregnancy you also need 200mg of DHA to help with babies’ brain and eye development.

Many prenatals do not contain DHA so I love that Essential Prenatals includes that in one price and one high quality pill to support your baby with the best growth possible!

Eat Well

It is important to eat as clean and healthy as possible when preparing for pregnancy. You want to fill you body with nutrient dense and delicious foods.

Begin avoiding foods known to contain added chemicals.

• It is a good idea to eat organic when possible. That can get expensive quickly, so if all organic is not in your budget, at least replace the dirty dozen with organic vegetables to avoid the highest levels of pesticide contamination.
• Avoid foods known to have high levels of BPAs such as acidic foods in cans. (Think tomato sauce and fruits as well as reusable water bottles.)
• Eat fish lower in mercury content such as salmon and canned light tuna. Fish such as swordfish, fresh tuna, king mackerel, and shark are known to have high levels of mercury. It is suggested to limit consumption of mercury laden fish while pregnant, so it’s a good idea to limit your intake now while you are trying to conceive.

The best diet plan to follow is The Perfect Pregnancy Plan. This detailed plan comes with tons of delicious recipes that leave you feeling satiated and not deprived. The nutrition plan breaks down all the nutrients your baby needs for the best development and how to source them.

After all we now know that what you eat while baby is in utero directly affects how their genes are expressed and their propensity toward diseases and disorders. Pick up the Perfect Pregnancy Plan now so your baby will have the best chance at a long and healthy life.

Limit Exposure to Toxins

In a typical day your body is inundated with toxins. Many toxins are readily absorbed through the skin in a typical daily beauty routine. Most household cleaners contain and array of toxic chemicals. Plus we consume toxins daily through our foods.

While entirely eliminating toxins may be impossible, it is pretty easy to limit your exposure to them. Toxins can build up in your system, so you want to remove them from your routine as much as possible when you are preparing for pregnancy.

Become aware of all the chemicals in your daily beauty routine. Some fast and easy switches to make are:

All Natural Shampoo and Conditioner Set

Puracy Shampoo and Conditioner are Amazon’s top choice and the most affordable shampoos and conditioners with no harsh chemicals, perfumes, or dyes AND a 100% satisfaction guarantee!

All Natural Soap

Bali all natural soap is another of Amazon’s top choice products! They have no added chemicals and another 100% satisfaction guarantee. Because I want you to be happy with these healthy choices you’re making to prepare for pregnancy. In case the scents above aren’t to your liking, Bali has another fragrance set available at the same price as well.

You can also create your own household cleaners with vinegar and water, baking soda, and essential oils. My favorite recipe that I use for cleaning almost everything in my house is:

Toxin Free All Purpose Cleaner

• 1 part water
• 1 part vinegar (kills bacteria and viruses)
• 10 drops of Tea Tree essential oil (kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi)
• 10 drops lavender essential oil (kills bacteria and fungi)

Add all ingredients to a large spray bottle and shake well before each use to incorporate the oils. No more toxins, germs, bacteria, viruses, or fungi!

RELATED: Sign up for an online prenatal class to help alleviate pregnancy fears!

Get in the Best Shape Possible

Pregnancy is extremely challenging on your body. If you are preparing for pregnancy before conception, it is the perfect time to get in the best physical shape that you can!

Strengthen your body for the incredibly difficult but amazing journey it is about to endure. Pregnancy loosens all your ligaments so joints can quickly begin to ache as your size and weight increase during pregnancy.

Focus on strengthening you entire body, but pay special attention to your back and hips. These body parts will be put through the most strain during your pregnancy.

I have an extremely effective 3 week exercise program available for free! When you sign up to unlock my entire library of free healthy resources (including a breast milk boosting recipe book, ingredient replacement guide, and healthy snack checklist), you will be sent the entire fitness series the next day for free!

I am a  certified personal fitness trainer and crafted this program myself. The 3 weeks are targeted at

• legs
• booty
• abs
• arms

It is the perfect fitness routine to fit in just before you plan on trying to conceive to strengthen your entire body!

Then you can continue working out all through your pregnancy safely to enhance your baby’s lifelong health by following the Perfect Pregnancy Fitness Plan!

Get to a Healthy Weight

You can prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy by reaching a healthy weight now. You will inevitably put on approximately 35 pounds during the course of your pregnancy.

By reaching a healthy weight now you have to best chance to remain the most comfortable throughout your pregnancy.

Being at a healthy weight can also increase your energy levels, and improve your chances of conception. The key to weight loss is diet and exercise. Simple and boring as it may sound.

1. Begin following the Perfect Pregnancy Nutrition Plan. This program is loaded with delicious and satisfying healthy recipes loaded with the exact nutrients that will lower your baby’s chances of contracting diabetes, heart disease, ADHD, autism, and more!
2. Combine a healthy diet with frequent exercise. It is recommended to exercise for at least 1 1/2 hours per week to maintain health and physical fitness. Increase this number or the intensity of your workouts for weight loss.
3. HIIT routines are an amazingly effective way to increase metabolism and lose weight when you don’t have much time to spend working out. Check out this 1 week HIIT cardio challenge to lost weight in as little as 14 minutes a day!
4. Or sign up to receive my free 3 week workout series e-book straight to your inbox!

Get Good Sleep

Once you are pregnant, sleeping may quickly become difficult. Your hormones are raging, your body is growing and changing rapidly, and insomnia is common.

Practice getting as much good quality sleep as you can NOW! Good sleep is important to your overall health and weight loss goals.

If you are anything like me, sleep may not naturally come easy. Some tips to try for better sleep are:

• Guided meditation (scroll to the end of the post)
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation (scroll to the end of the post)
• Yoga
• lavender Essential Oil (Sprinkle on your pillow st night or put into an essential oil diffuser.)

Stop Using Birth Control

Some birth controls take a while to fully get out of your system. Birth control works by stopping your ovulation.

Ovulation returns in varying times for the many different forms of birth control. For many woman, fertility will resurface in as little as 1-3 weeks. For others it may take up to 3 months for fertility to return. In extreme cases (like myself) even longer.

So since you are planning on becoming pregnant within the next 3 months, it’s a good idea to stop using your birth control now.

Stop Smoking

We all know that smoking has numerous negative effects on your health, many being fatal. However many people still smoke. If you do, try to stop now. Easier said than done, I know.

It is proven that smoking through pregnancy can have many negative health effects on your baby. Quiting smoking may take you longer than you expect, so start now!

See the Dentist

While preparing for pregnancy you should see the dentist. X-rays need to be avoided during pregnancy, and many dental procedures should be avoided as well. It is your best bet to get all of your dental work needed out-of-the-way now so that you don’t need to have any done during your pregnancy.

Pregnancy can also inflame your gums causing mild to severe (though often temporary) pregnancy gingivitis. Where your gums become red, swollen, or bleed easily. By preparing your teeth and gums by being in optimal health before conception, your gums will be more comfortable during pregnancy.

Wrapping Up

By getting into shape, eating healthy, and sleeping well: you are well on your way to preparing for a healthy pregnancy. With these 9 step preparing for pregnancy checklist you are already preparing to having the most healthy conception and pregnancy possible.

 Sign up for an online prenatal class you can take on your own time with the hubs in your pjs to help alleviate pregnancy fears!

Best of luck with your future baby!

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