Wellness and Nutrition at Week One: Preconception
You can take action right now to make pregnancy easier for your body and best for your baby in the months to come. During preconception, you can:
- Supplement your balanced diet with daily multivitamins or prenatal vitamins that include folic acid and other essential minerals and vitamins needed for pregnancy. Folic acid, which is found naturally in lentils, dried beans, peas, and whole-grain breads, has been shown to help prevent early pregnancy birth defects. Talk with your ob-gyn about prenatal vitamins if you haven't already.
- Establish healthy habits in nutrition and exercise.
- Address any medical conditions. If you're taking prescription medications, you may want to consult your doctor.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol, and limit caffeine to about one tall coffee a day.
Your First Doctor Visit
Many women make a preconception appointment with their family doctor or OB/GYN. This can help you make sure your body is ready for pregnancy. It's also a great opportunity to ask questions or talk about any special concerns you might have.
Nutrition at Its Best
- Be sure to eat balanced breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners.
- Not sure if you're eating a balanced diet? Try writing down your meals and snacks for a week. Then, compare what you're eating to what's recommended on the USDA Food Pyramid.
- The best source of vitamins and minerals is in the balanced food choices you make, but during pregnancy you need additional folic acid, iron, and calcium. Speak with your doctor about prenatal vitamins to supplement your vitamin intake every day.
Exercising Now for a Great Start Later
Pregnancy puts extra physical demands on your body. So being physically fit beforehand can help get you and your baby off to a good start.
When you're 1 week pregnant, a balanced exercise program might be as important as a balanced diet. Try to work all of these into your workout:
- Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise
- Muscular endurance
- Muscular strength or resistance training
- Flexibility exercises
When you're modifying your exercise routine (or just getting started), remember that:
- Exercises that focus on muscles in your lower back and stomach are particularly good in preparing for pregnancy.
- If you are able to exercise a minimum of 20 minutes a day three to four days a week, you probably will notice significant health benefits.
- Many women are concerned about weight gain during pregnancy. Remember that gaining weight is a natural, normal part of being pregnant. Your doctor probably will suggest a weight gain that is best for you. See the weight-gain chart for an example.