Health Pregnancy
Planning for pregnancy
If you’re trying for a baby, here are some of the things that may improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy
According to Sexwise, the advice website run by the sexual health charity FPA, your chances of becoming pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy and baby are better if you and your partner are as fit and healthy as possible. Your local Careway pharmacist,
doctor, nurse or midwife can plan your pre-pregnancy and pregnancy healthcare. In the meantime, here are some of the things you may want to consider:
Eating healthily Making sure your diet is as nutritious as possible will help you get all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your body needs to prepare for pregnancy. Try to make sure you eat a healthy
balanced diet, with at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, plenty of starchy foods such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, bread, pasta, rice and cereals, some protein such as lean meat, fish or vegetarian alternatives such as beans, nuts and pulses, and low-fat dairy foods such as milk, yoghurt and cheese (or non- dairy alternatives). You should, however, avoid eating
liver and products containing liver because they may contain a lot of vitamin A, too much of which can harm an unborn baby. Your pharmacist, doctor, nurse or midwife can tell you which foods you should avoid once you’re pregnant.
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Stop smoking Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to several health problems including premature birth, low birthweight and miscarriage, so if you’re a smoker ask your pharmacist for advice on giving up. If your partner smokes you may want them to consider giving up too, since smoke from other people’s cigarettes can damage your baby. For more information on the best
ways to stop smoking, visit the Smokefree website at
www.nhs.uk/smokefree.
Avoid alcohol If you’re pregnant or planning to get pregnant it’s advisable to avoid alcohol altogether, since drinking in pregnancy can harm your baby. If you need help with cutting down on drinking, ask your pharmacist for tips, such as having lower-strength drinks or getting drinks in smaller glasses.
Essential supplement
It’s recommended that all women should take a 400 microgram folic acid supplement every day while trying to get pregnant and up until they’re 12 weeks pregnant. This can help reduce the risk of their baby developing a neural tube defect such as spina bifida. If you’d like to take a multivitamin there are also pregnancy nutritional
supplements available at your local pharmacy – ask your pharmacist to recommend one that would be suitable, and check whether it contains folic acid before you take it (if it contains 400 micrograms of folic acid you don’t need to take a separate folic acid tablet).
Keep your weight healthy According to the NHS you may find it easier to get pregnant if your weight is in a healthy range. Eating a balanced diet can help, but it’s also important to stay active – aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or brisk walking every week and try to be active on a daily basis. If you need support with losing
weight, why not ask your local Careway pharmacist for advice? They can give you lots of diet and exercise tips, and may also recommend over-the-counter products that could help you achieve your weight-loss goals. Your pharmacist can also help by
providing you with a pregnancy test, so you can find out you’re pregnant as early as possible (most tests can be done from the first day of a missed period).
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