Trying to conceive? Here are five lifestyle changes you need to make now for a healthy pregnancy

It’s been three years since Joey and Vinit are married, and they are already getting  ‘when-can-we-get-the-good-news’ kind of questions from well-meaning family members and friends. Both being busy working professionals, Joey and Vinit opted for a pre-conception consultation. During the discussions, the couple found that they needed to tweak their lifestyle a bit for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Like Joey and Vinit, many young couples do not realize that lifestyle plays a huge role when one is trying to conceive.

What you eat, your daily exercise routine and other habits could increase, or decrease, your chances of having a baby.

We reached out to Dr Shelly Singh, senior gynecologist, Rosewalk Hospital to know in detail about the lifestyle changes couples need to make when planning a pregnancy.

Here are the five lifestyle changes you need to make to conceive a healthy baby naturally and for a healthy pregnancy later:

1. Eat good food: If you are someone who scrunches her nose at the sight of fruits and vegetables, you need to rethink about your diet before you consider motherhood. However, there is no need to completely change your food habits as just little tweaks would do. Start by introducing healthy alternatives. Half the battle with pregnancy complications is won if you could eat right before and during pregnancy.

Here are a few pointers to eat right:

• Eat fruits and green leafy vegetables regularly to get all the benefits of minerals and vitamins.
• Carbs are an important source of energy but choose healthy options.  Try and introduce whole grains such as millets, brown rice, oats, quinoa, or barley.
• Stay away from too many processed and sugary foods such as cakes, cookies, pastries, white bread, etc.
• Protein is essential for the growth and development of the fetus. Before you are pregnant, apart from meat, check out other good sources of protein such as nuts, beans, and lentils. So, if you are a vegetarian you don't have to worry about not getting enough protein. Keep in mind that there are other sources of protein apart from the usual animal sources.
• Your gut health needs to be in top shape for a smooth pregnancy later. For that, include fiber in your diet.

2. Move your body and rest well: You don't need to be in top shape to be pregnant. However, being agile and fit could increase your chances of getting pregnant sooner. And if you start your pregnancy with a fit body, the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby are more. It is easier to get back to shape after delivery if your body is ready for it. You don't have to go to a gym to keep fit, just 30 to 40 minutes of regular exercise — be it walking, swimming, jogging, Zumba, aerobics, or practicing yoga — would do the trick.

Just like exercise, adequate sleep is another important factor to look for. Resting properly is equally important for a healthy lifestyle. Once you plan to start a family, better to keep binge-watch nights or night outs to a minimum. A good night’s sleep can do wonders for your health.

3. Control your weight: It's important that you start your pregnancy at a healthy weight. Maintaining an ideal weight for your height before and during the pregnancy is crucial to having a smoother pregnancy. Uncontrolled weight during pregnancy could lead to many complications later.

Being underweight is also not good news if you are planning a pregnancy. Having an ideal weight at the beginning of conception could cut down many pregnancy-related challenges.  
4. Avoid smoking, alcohol, drugs: It is always better to conceive with a clean slate when it comes to drinking, smoking, or any kind of drug use. If you have these habits, it is the right time to leave them as, during pregnancy, your body needs to nurture another life. Habits are hard to change, so instead of trying to quit after you are pregnant, it's always a good idea to try and leave these bad habits behind before you enter a new phase of your life.

5. Reduce stress: Do you know that stress could adversely affect your chances of having a baby? It’s not easy to erase stress completely from our lives, however, once you are in the mood to be a mommy, work actively to reduce stress from your day-to-day life. Plan your day in advance and prioritize your to-do list. Being in a happy state of mind helps you conceive easily.

These little lifestyle changes will prepare you are to embrace the beautiful phase of pregnancy and motherhood. Happy parenting!