We are all aware that we should live healthfully at all times but unfortunately many of us decide to live rather unhealthy lives. But if you’re planning on falling pregnant it is best to get your body in good, working order a few months prior to conception. This includes the father too, because each parent contributes sex cells from which the child develops.

Visit your doctor and get your whole body checked out. Read up on pregnancy and ask your doctor or health worker for advice on how to improve your health. If you are on long term medication talk to your doctor about it and only take medicines that he prescribes for you. The doctors will most likely advice that you take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. There are vitamins that are specially formulated for pregnant women. It is best that you start taking supplements even before you fall pregnant, so that your body is in the best shape possible for the pregnancy.

Make sure your diet contains all the nutritional essentials. Include fruit and vegetables in your daily diet. Drink water and make sure you get plenty of rest. Water will help to avoid constipation.

Avoid alcohol and smoking. Studies have shown that both of these substances are very harmful to your unborn child. The average birth weight of children born to smoking mothers is significantly less that that of children born to non-smokers. Also, the incidence of premature births is about twice as great amongst smoking mothers. And the largest number of premature births occurs amongst mothers who smoke the most.

These figures alone should frighten you into not smoking whilst you are pregnant. Also avoid secondary smoking as you will inhale the smoke, thus harming your baby too.

It is the nicotine in the cigarettes that harms the baby. Also when you smoke the unborn child’s oxygen level is reduced. The foetus receives its oxygen level second-hand, so any significant reduction of the amount of oxygen in the mother’s blood (as is caused by carbon monoxide) will reduce the oxygen available to the body.

Experts feel it is best to avoid alcohol whilst you are pregnant. Alcohol is a poison and will affect the growth of your baby when you are pregnant and even after your baby is born.

Exercise daily and outside if you can. Take a brisk walk, climb those stairs instead of taking the lift. Exercising promotes the circulation of the blood and will help to keep your body in shape. Most experts believe that healthy pregnant women should be taking thirty minutes of moderate exercise every day. Another healthy pregnancy exercise is swimming. Swimming will give both the arms and legs a good workout whilst promoting cardiovascular health.

You can also enrol in an aerobics class. Many centers offer low impact aerobics classes for pregnant women. You could also join Yoga or Pilate’s class. Both of these classes will get you stretching and flexing your muscles.

Don’t overdo things. Keep everything in moderation and that includes exercising, diet and sleeping. Many pregnant women feel that they should ‘eat for two,’ but research has shown that women only need an extra 200-300 calories a day while pregnant.

It is important to avoid exposure to chemicals whilst you are pregnant. Don’t start painting the house or laying new carpets when you find out you are pregnant, especially in the early stages of pregnancy when the foetus is most at risk.