A lot of couples end up pregnant accidentally but that definitely wasn’t us! After our wedding last year, Ben and I decided it was time to start a family. While of course you can never be ‘truly’ ready, we’d always wanted a family and figured that it was the best time as any to embrace the next stage of our lives. But before we actually started trying, there were a few things we did to prepare first (because we’re planners y’know). Here are some of the things I did BEFORE trying to get pregnant to prepare my body (and mind)!
5 things I did to prepare for pregnancy:
Went to the doctor
A few months before we were ready to start trying, I booked in for a checkup at the doctor. I was due for a pap smear anyway but we also chatted about my health, how to prepare my body and also ran some blood tests. It turned out that I passed with flying colours and everything looked great. I wasn’t deficient in anything, I had immunity to the diseases that can cause issues in pregnancy and my Rh factor wasn’t an issue.
Did pre-pregnancy genetic carrier screening
Another thing that was very important for me to do before trying to get pregnant was to do carrier screening. This pre-pregnancy genetic test is not offered routinely to couples in Australia and so the vast majority of people don’t do it. Since I had a family history of Cystic Fibrosis (a recessive genetic disease), I knew that there was quite a high chance I could be a carrier of the gene even if I didn’t have the disease myself.
After requesting the test through my doctor, it turned out that I DID have the gene. Yikes! Since an estimated 1 in 25 Australians carry the gene (most completely unaware), we got Ben tested too. If he was also a carrier, it would mean that our baby had a 1 in 4 chance of being born with the disease. This was information we most definitely wanted to know in advance. Luckily, Ben wasn’t a carrier so Cystic Fibrosis isn’t something we need to worry about.
I also requested testing for two other diseases: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Fragile X syndrome. There are a high number of carriers of these diseases too and the conditions are devastating. Thankfully, I tested negative to both of these so there was no need for further screening.
Started taking prenatal vitamins
My doctor recommended that I start taking prenatal vitamins a few months before trying to conceive. Since the egg starts to mature about three months before it’s released, it was important to make sure I was getting all the right nutrients during this time. It can take a little while for the body to build up stores of things like folic acid, calcium and iron, which are all crucial for a healthy pregnancy.
Cut down the coffees
I’m a self-confessed coffee addict because when you live in Melbourne, how can you not be? It was quite normal for me to be downing three coffees a day. I knew though that I’d thank myself later if I gradually reduced my caffeine intake in the lead up to getting pregnant. While pregnant women can still safely have 200mg of caffeine per day, I knew that I was having more than that. Caffeine withdrawals are the absolute worst and so I figured that if I reduced my intake gradually, I wouldn’t suffer as much. Also, high levels are of caffeine aren’t great for fertility either so it was a bit of a no-brainer to cut back!
Bought ALL the books
You guys know that I’m a bit of a bookworm so OF COURSE I bought a stack of pregnancy books before I actually got pregnant. The whole process amazed me and to think that I was about to embark on that journey myself meant that I wanted to feel prepared. Not that you can ever be really prepared, can you? But anyway, I ordered a bunch online and when they came I felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety and excitement. I also started trawling YouTube for pregnancy videos and downloaded pregnancy podcasts. I wanted to immerse myself in it all because (hopefully) it was happening to ME soon. Woah.
Fast-forward a few months and it did but sadly, ended in miscarriage. That’s not the end of the story though. Are you up to date?
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Tell me I’m not alone! What are some things you did to prepare for pregnancy?
Even though I’m not planning a pregnancy any time soon, I absolutely love reading your posts about it. I feel like I am learning so much, and it’s amazing to see you go through this amazing journey. I actually got the book “How To Grow a Baby” to a friend a couple of months ago after discovering she was expecting. Still haven’t had the chance to actually see it though… Did you find it useful?
I’m so glad you’re finding it interesting, Maria! It’s all so fascinating and there are new changes almost daily! That’s a sweet gift. It’s a great resource – succinct and to the point (not like some of the other books – they’re so overwhelming!)
The coffee thing is sooo real. I went cold turkey while I was pregnant and probably will with the next one but it’s not easy. That was smart of you to gradually decrease your coffee intake.
That would have been so hard (especially in the first trimester)! I love it too much to cut back completely and am so glad they say that one a day is completely safe!
You are preparing so well girl! I bought my friend this book “Brave new mama” from Vicki Rivard, there are poems in there for new moms. She just had her baby last Monday and it will be in her post box this week - and I hope she loves it. As I won’t see her for another month, I figured a book with poems is something so beautiful, no guides or anything because mamas read about that anyway on their own and no clothes as everyone gives clothes… and I probably will do so too once I see her. It’s amazing to follow your journey here, Rachel and I am so happy for you two!
Ohh I just googled this book – it looks fab! Poems for new mamas are perfect. She can read them in little bursts. Thank you SO MUCH Mel. I’m feeling so grateful and happy and I’m loving sharing every step of the journey! x