Planning Pregnancy

From LoveToKnow Pregnancy

Planning pregnancy can be a wonderful, hopeful, and exciting experience! But there are some challenges you should prepare for.

Planning Pregnancy

How Long Will it Take to Get Pregnant?

It varies from person to person. Many people get pregnant without even trying. However, for most people, it does take a couple of months. You can figure out when you ovulate (when your eggs are ready for fertilization). If you’re not sure when you ovulate, there are signs of ovulation that you should look for. Remember to have fun when you’re trying to get pregnant--some people say it’s the best part of having children.

If after a year of trying, you’re still not pregnant, you should contact your care provider. You should also contact your care provider if you miscarry.

Health Insurance and Pregnancy

Planning pregnancy means planning to face financial challenges. One very important step is to make sure you have adequate health insurance before becoming pregnant. There are many medical expenses that go into being pregnant. You will have nine months of doctor visits and tests to pay for. Additionally, the cost of a vaginal birth can run up to $10,000. Your birth will cost even more with complications such as a cesarean birth. There will be additional costs if your baby has to spend any time in a neonatal facility (intensive care for newborns).

Even with health insurance, there will be costs such as deductibles and coinsurance fees. You should check to make sure you can afford these before planning your pregnancy.

Planning Pregnancy with Your Partner

You and your partner will need good communication if you're going to start a family. Here are some things to talk about:

  • Does your current home have what you want for a family? Do you want a backyard? A park within walking distance? Do you want the baby to have their own room? How big? Do you have enough room for all the baby stuff you might need for the baby?
  • You should talk about you and your partner’s professional obligations when planning a pregnancy. Is your partner going to take time off of work after the baby’s born? How long? Is your partner going to have to use up vacation/sick time or take an unpaid leave of absence after the baby’s born? What about your job? Are you going to continue to work after the baby’s born? Is it going to be full-time or part-time?
    • If you’re planning to continue to work, what are you going to do about childcare? Are you going to find a family member to watch your baby, hire a nanny or find a professional daycare facility?
  • You will have to talk about money before you become pregnant. Do you have enough room in your budget for diapers, clothing and other baby paraphernalia? What about health insurance? If you’re planning on continuing to work, you will have to pay for childcare. Will you continue to make enough money to pay for living expenses and childcare? Do you have enough in savings if you need to leave work early and take an unpaid leave of absence?
  • You should talk about what you and your partner expect from being a parent when you’re planning a pregnancy. Does your partner expect that you will do all the childcare? What about the household chores? Will your partner take care of the laundry, cleaning, cooking and errand running while you take care of the baby? Do you plan on sharing all the duties? Does your partner plan on helping out with feedings, diapering etc? What about discipline when the baby gets older? Who will discipline and what technique will you use?

Should I try to Find a Care Provider for my Pregnancy and Birth?

Yes, if you have the time. Planning pregnancy includes planning for the birth. You should start thinking about the kind of birth you want and the kind of care provider you want. If you want to give birth in a hospital, you will need to find an ob-gyn. If you want a home birth you should start researching midwives.

How Should I Prepare my Body for Pregnancy?

You'll need to take good care of yourself if you're planning a pregnancy.

  • Remove alcohol, cigarettes and recreational drugs (including marijuana) from your life. This can be difficult, but a great deal of a baby’s development happens before you even know you’re pregnant. It’s better for you and your baby if you cut these from your life the minute you start planning your pregnancy
  • Cut back on vices such as sweets, fast food, junk food and caffeine. You don't have to completely remove these things from your diet, though you should come pretty close (especially caffeine). But you should start learning how to go without them.
  • Replace sweets and other junk food with fruits and vegetables when planning a pregnancy. Have some vegetables with your sandwich rather than a bag of chips. Order a salad rather than fries with your burgers. Or don’t order a burger at all; order a turkey sandwich and a cup of soup. Replace a sweet, sugar filled desert with fruit. And rather than eating ice cream, eat frozen yogurt.
  • Start an exercise regime. You don’t have to prepare to run a marathon, but you should be trying to exercise half an hour a few times a week. This will make your pregnancy and childbirth a little easier.
  • Start taking a prenatal vitamin--especially one high in folic acid. Folic acid in early pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
  • Start to learn how to live without ibuprofen and aspirin. Either switch to Tylenol or investigate why you need pain killers. Try alternative therapies such as aromatherapy or acupressure for headaches.

 


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