Mother

Your due date will be calculated as 40 weeks from the first day of your last period, so you need to take that in to account when planning pre-pregnancy fitness.

Why fitness is important

There are a number of physical changes during pregnancy. Here are a few the womb increases in volume (muscle) 1,000 times; the womb increases in weight (protein) 30 times the work done by a mother's heart increases 50 percent; the volume of her blood increases by one third her kidneys filter 50 percent more blood.

Preventing anemia

If you're anemic, your heart is over worked, which can affect your baby. A blood test would reveal anemia, and it may be necessary to take iron supplements.

Avoiding birth defects

Folic acid reduces the risk of some birth defects like spina bifida. It's a good idea to start increasing folic acid in take three months before you stop contraception, and for three months after you conceive, Good food sources are green leafy vegetables, cereals, and bread, or you can take supplements.

If you have a medical problem

If you take regular drugs for a medical condition, let your doctor know before you try for a baby the dose may have to be changed once you're pregnant.

When you decide to become parents, it makes sense to prepare your selves in advance, To have a healthy baby, research shows that by far the most important factors are your own and your partner's fitness and nutrition.

Timing Of The Birth

If you're serious about starting a family, ideally you should begin to think about it at least a year before the time you'd like your baby to be born. It's a good idea to allow at least three months to get your bodies to peak pre-conception fitness. There are other issues you may want to take into account as well. If you're planning to move, or know that work commitments are going to take you away from home at a specific time of year, you'll want to avoid allowing these to clash with the possible arrival of your baby, Some parents may even want to rake account of whether their baby is born in winter or summer lost education systems involve a fall start to the academic year, and there is evidence to suggest that some children born in the summer, the youngest in their school year group, may not achieve as well academically as the older and more mature children who are born in the winter. This doesn't just affect the early years; it can some times last well in to the teens.

Delaying Parenthood

More women are now delaying child bearing into their thirties or even early forties, A pregnant woman over 35 will be monitored more closely, but women's general health and fitness have improved so much that the older pregnant mother is no longer likely to have the same risks of earlier generations. In addition, couples starting a family in their thirties are more likely to have planned the baby, be in a stable relationship, and be financially secure. But leaving conception until later does increase the time you might have to wait to conceive an average of six months when you're 35, as opposed to four months when you're 25.

When To Stop Contraception

If you've been using straight for ward barrier methods, such as the condom or diaphragm, you can safely conceive as soon as you stop using them. How ever, most doctors recommend at least one normal period after ceasing other forms of contraception, before you try to conceive.

The pill it's best to stop the pill three months before hand, but a month would do, as long as you have one normal period before conceiving. Intrauterine device (IUD). The same time frame would apply to an IUD, so have it removed three months before you intend to get pregnant. Have at least one normal period before stopping all contraception use a barrier method in the meantime.

How Fitness Helps You Both

As a prospective mother, your body undergoes a great deal of physical change. The fitter you are the more easily your body will cope. But fitness and life style may also change a man's ability to father a child, by affecting sperm production. Think about your health and life style at least three months before you plan to stop contraception. As well as improving your fitness, it will increase your chances of conceiving with out delay and of having a healthy baby.

A Healthy Diet

Adjusting your diet shouldn't require uncomfortable changes. Your staple diet should include good quality carbohydrates, such as whole wheat bread, rice, and potatoes. Keep your animal fat in take down by changing to skim milk and low fat cheeses, and use olive or sun flower oil for cooking. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Don't skip meals, avoid processed foods, outlaw the liquid lunch, and eat a hearty break fast, though not a fried one.

Getting Exercise

Exercise makes a contribution to becoming a healthy potential parent, so if you don't already do so, start a gentle exercise program together, such as jogging, swimming, or gym sessions. Try for 20 minutes exercise that increases your heart rate at least three times a week. However, bear in mind that very strenuous training or dieting may reduce fertility.

Father

Your partner's fitness and life style obviously has a bearing on her ability to conceive, but your own fitness is also a crucial factor. If you aren't healthy, you may not donate the best genetic material to your child in your sperm.

Why your life style matters

Male fertility not only depends on the number of sperm produced, but also on the health of that sperm. This is affected by all sorts of life style factors, such as smoking, alcohol, and drugs, and also stress. Try to reorder your life if it's stressful, and look at your diet and fitness.

Genetic Counseling

Seek advice and have tests in advance if a genetic disorder, such as cystic fibrosis, thalassemia, muscular dystrophy, or hemophilia, runs in your family.

What happens in counseling

The counselor explains the condition and your family background and shows you the pattern of inheritance through past generations. Not all carriers of a defective gene get the condition. If it's recessive it can be masked by a healthy version, where as a dominant gene will always show up. With a dominant gene, the chances of your baby being affected are one in two with a recessive gene they are one in four.