Talk to the Doctor Before You Try

Most of the foetal brain cells divide before the mother even knows she is pregnant! In Eating Expectantly, it's not only the mother's and future babys nutritional needs Bridget worries about.  In her book, she recommends pre-pregnancy counselling for some of the reasons mentioned below. 

• It is easier to build up healthy habits before you are dealing with this life-changing event (and the wayward appetite and tummy troubles it can bring).
•  It gives your doctor a chance to pinpoint lifestyle choices that may affect the course of your pregnancy and, if not take corrective action, at least be prepared for all possible issues.
• It allows you to look into any chronic medical conditions - diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease or possible genetic risks you may have. It helps you get it under control before you conceive, which maximises your baby's health and minimises your own chances of developing dangerous health problems.

While genetic disorders in the family tree, your own health (which implies your age and weight, as well as previous childbirth history too) and lifestyle (including your profession, in terms of occupational stress and hazards such as exposure to radiation or certain chemicals) are all looked at during such prenatal counselling, good nutrition is at the forefront of doctors' concern - with good cause.

At some level, it's plain common sense, really. Charu Dua, a nutritionist with Max Healthcare explains, 'If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, the most important thing you can do for the health of your future child is to plan well ahead, getting your body in the best condition possible. The more fit you are before you become pregnant, the better the chances that your child will be born healthy. After all, while you are pregnant, your body provides nourishment to the foetus and a safe place for it to develop and grow.'

While no one is expecting you to change radically, there may be some adjustments that you and your partner can make 2-3 months before you try to conceive to ensure you are doing all you can to safeguard your health and that of your child says Dua.

So what are the nutrients and other checks you must consider?

Folic Acid/Folate

The US Institute of Medicine recommends that all women of childbearing age get 400 micrograms of this nutrient over and above what a healthy, balanced diet should provide! Talk to your doctor at once about how much supplementation you need and how soon you should start on it. Some women may require still higher doses, based on their own and family medical history. For most of us otherwise healthy females, it's recommended that you take a folic acid supplement (0.5mg) as soon as you start trying to get pregnant, notes Dua.
 
Blood Sugar

Check your blood sugar and take the result along when you go to your doctor. 'Women with pre-existing diabetes,' says Swinney, 'are several times more likely to have a baby with birth defects than non-diabetic women.' According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association this could have to do with how well glucose metabolism is controlled before conception and in the very early weeks of pregnancy.

Your Weight

Another study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism relates gestational diabetes  with children developing obesity or impaired glucose tolerance later. You can avoid this condition by starting pregnancy close to your ideal body weight and exercising regularly.

If you are overweight  (especially by more than 20 per cent your ideal weight), it is especially important you lose it well before attempting to conceive. An overweight mother is more likely to suddenly lose her baby in late pregnancy than a woman at a normal weight.

Also, less alarmingly but importantly for women in their mid to late 30s for whom the biological clock may be ticking faster, being overweight can affect fertility. Warning: DO NOT attempt crash diets and yo-yo diets  to lose weight while you try to conceive! As you diet, you might fall short of vital vitamins and minerals your baby needs in the first few weeks of her life.

What's ideal? 'Ideal weight is calculated according to your height,' explains Dua, so check with your physician. 'Women weighing less than 45 kg are prone to have small babies,' she warns, 'Tiny mothers, tiny babies - makes sense. In contrast, overweight women (20 percent more weight than desired ideal) have a lot of physical and medical problems during pregnancy and childbirth.'