Many couples see pregnancy as a good reason to get healthy. However for most the process only begins when the doctor has confirmed the pregnancy. This article looks at preparing your body for pregnancy and why getting healthy only once you are pregnant is not such a good idea.

Is this you?

‘I’ll quit smoking once I’m pregnant’

‘I’ll stop drinking alcohol once I’m pregnant’

‘I’ll stop eating junk food once I’m pregnant’

‘When I’m pregnant I’ll eat whatever I like’

‘I’ll cut down coffee or stop drinking it altogether once I’m pregnant’

It’s quite amazing how we love to prepare and get ready for a big trip, a sporting event we maybe participating in, moving house, moving jobs etc…Yet when it comes to preparing our body for pregnancy all our planning abilities and skills seem to fly out of the window.

For the majority of my patients and friends the path to pregnancy begins something like this:

“I’ll come off the pill the next month and we’ll just go for it until we get pregnant”. We’ll that’s all well and good but it would be advisable to wait for at least 4 -6 months after coming off the pill before you jump into baby making. Why?