5 Things to Keep in Mind while Planning a Baby

Planning a baby? Here’s some of the first few steps you need to take.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably decided to take the next big step in your life and grow your family of two. Congratulations! Before you begin this journey together, here are a few things you should ideally keep in mind and cross off your checklist first.

1. 1. Talk it out with your partner
   Having a baby is one of the most important decisions you’ll make and it’s important to know if you and your partner are on the same page before you start trying. Try discussing the larger issues like how you will split child care, your expectations from each other after the baby arrives and some of the big decisions like where you will live etc. Of course, you’re not going to agree on everything but the idea is to find common ground and understand each other before you embark on this journey.
2. 2. Plan a preconception visit to the doctor
   Visit a gynecologist for a preconception check-up at least three months before you start trying to conceive. At this time, you should also talk to your doctor and ask any important questions you need answered. This is one of the first and vital steps on your journey and should not be skipped.
3. 3. Begin popping those prenatal supplements
   You must start taking prenatal vitamins three months before you start trying to get pregnant. Your supplements should contain important nutrients like folic acid, iron and calcium. Research has shown that neural-tube defects [such as spina bifida] can happen in the first four to six weeks of pregnancy and taking the pre-natal vitamins can prevent that. As a lot of women do not instantly know when they are pregnant, this is extremely important for the healthy development of your baby.
4. 4. Make a few healthy changes to your lifestyle
   Lifestyle certainly plays an important role in ensuring your healthy pregnancy. Although your doctor will certainly discuss this with you, here are a few lifestyle changes we suggest: stop smoking, reducing your alcohol intake, exercise moderately, eat healthier, get enough sleep and stress less.
5. 5. Start a baby fund
   Even though it’s just a tiny little baby at first, you’d be surprised at the amount of costs you will have to incur as a new parent. It’s never too late to begin saving for your new family!

Did you follow all these steps when you were trying to conceive? Share your conception experiences with us.