Preparing for Pregnancy (part 4) : Be Careful with Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs, Substance Use before Pregnancy, Work and Pregnancy

Be Careful with Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs

Don’t self-medicate with large amounts or unusual combinations of vitamins, minerals or herbs. You can overdo it! Certain vitamins, such as vitamin A, can cause birth defects if used in excessive amounts. Some experts believe various herbs can temporarily reduce fertility in men and women, so you and your partner should not take St. John’s wort, echinacea and gingko biloba.

Stop all extra supplements at least 3 months before pregnancy. Eat a well-balanced diet and take a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin. Most healthcare providers are happy to prescribe prenatal vitamins if you’re planning a pregnancy.

Folic Acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin (B₉) that can contribute to a healthy pregnancy. Taking folic-acid for at least 1 year before pregnancy may help reduce your risk of certain birth defects and pregnancy problems. If you take 0.4mg (400 micrograms) of folic acid each day before pregnancy, it may help protect your baby against birth defects of the spine and brain, called neural-tube defects. Once pregnancy is confirmed, it may be too late to prevent these problems.

In 1998, the U.S. government ordered that some grain products, such as flour, breakfast cereals and pasta, be fortified with folic acid. It is now also found in many other foods. Eat a well-balanced, varied diet to help you reach your goal. Many foods that contain folate (the natural form of folic acid found in food) include asparagus, avocados, bananas, black beans, broccoli, citrus fruits and juices, egg yolks, green beans, leafy green vegetables, lentils, liver, peas, plantains, spinach, strawberries, tuna, wheat germ, yogurt and fortified breads and cereals.

Begin Good Eating Habits

A woman often carries her prepregnancy eating habits into pregnancy. Many women eat on the run and pay little attention to what they eat most of the day. Before pregnancy, you may be able to get away with this. However, because of the increased demands on you and the needs of your baby, it won’t work when you do become pregnant.

Eat a balanced diet. Going to extremes with vitamins or fad diets may be harmful.

If you have various problems, such as polycycstic ovarian syndrome, some foods may improve your chances of conceiving. Foods to consider adding to your diet include broccoli, spinach, cabbage, nuts, fruit, kelp, nori, beans and fish.

Before getting pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider if you have special dietary needs. This includes whether you are a vegetarian, how much exercise you do, whether you skip meals, your diet plan (are you trying to lose or gain weight?) and any special needs you might have. If you eat a special diet because of medical problems, discuss it with your healthcare provider.

While you’re trying to get pregnant, don’t eat more than 12 ounces of fish a week. Avoid fish not recommended during pregnancy. 

Exercise before Pregnancy

Exercise is good for you. Benefits may include weight control, a feeling of well-being and increased stamina or endurance, which will become important later in pregnancy.

Begin exercising regularly before you get pregnant. Make adjustments in your life so you can include regular exercise. It will help you now and make it easier to stay in shape during pregnancy.

But don’t exercise to an extreme; it may cause problems. Avoid intense training. Don’t increase your exercise program. Skip playing competitive sports that involve pushing yourself to the max.

Find exercise you like and will continue to do on a regular basis, in any kind of weather. Focus on improving strength in your lower back and abs to help during your pregnancy.

If you have concerns about exercise before or during pregnancy, talk to your healthcare provider. Exercise you can do easily before pregnancy may be more difficult for you during pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has proposed guidelines for exercise before and during pregnancy. Ask your healthcare provider for a copy.

Substance Use before Pregnancy

We know a lot about the effects of drugs and alcohol on pregnancy. We believe the safest approach to drug or alcohol use during pregnancy is no use at all.

Tell your healthcare provider about substance abuse, and deal with problems now. Your baby goes through some of its most important developmental stages in the first 13 weeks of your pregnancy. Stop using any substance you don’t need at least 3 months before trying to conceive!

There is help for those who use drugs—if you need to, seek help before

you get pregnant. Preparing for pregnancy may be a good reason for you and your partner to change your lifestyle.

Smoking can damage your eggs and ovaries. If you stop smoking for at least 1 year before trying to get pregnant, you increase your chances of conceiving. You also reduce your odds of having a miscarriage.

Smoking cigarettes and exposure to second hand smoke deplete folic acid from your body. Mothers who smoke during pregnancy may have low-birthweight babies or babies with other problems. Ask for help to stop smoking before you become pregnant.

Most experts agree there is no safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy. Alcohol crosses the placenta and directly affects your baby. Heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol exposure (FAE); both are discussed in Weeks 1 & 2. Stop drinking now.

If you use cocaine during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, you run a higher risk of problems than if you don’t use cocaine. Women who use cocaine throughout pregnancy also have a higher rate of problems. Stop using cocaine before you stop using birth control. Damage to a baby can occur as early as 3 days after conception!

Marijuana can cross the placenta, enter a baby’s system and have long-lasting effects. If your partner smokes marijuana, encourage him to stop. One study showed the risk of SIDS was twice the average for children if their father smoked marijuana.