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Preconception Planning

Starting a family may seem an intimidating task, but a short amount of preparation before a lifetime of fun is the best way to start off on the right foot! Monitoring fertility of both parents, and tracking ovulation, are great ways to understand the best times for conception, with even booking an appointment with a doctor a possibility. Crucially, taking time to analyse your lifestyle and family history will help ease and avoid stress during conception and birth.

Meeting with your doctor to discuss fertility, and pregnancy as a whole, is just as useful as your own research. There are many ways in which you can track your fertility – the easiest way to help improve your odds of contraception. Simply tracking your period and marking it in on a calendar is effective but is often unreliable and inaccurate. Examining your cervical mucus and watching out for differences in consistency, while perhaps off-putting to some, as well as measuring your basal temperature, are alternative more natural ways to predict ovulation, but of course spark similar problems to do with accuracy.

For those of you how are searching for simplicity through technology, there are many popular apps on smart phones that provide a more precise method of tracking. Whilst definitively more effective than just plotting your period- already unhelpful for those with irregular menstruation cycles- another great alternative is a fertility device, such as ovulation monitors. However, fertility problems unfortunately arise, it is significant to meet with a doctor to discuss options and the cause of such. There are many reasons, ranging from stress, a more unknown cause, to underlying health conditions such as Polycystic Ovary syndrome.

Whilst preparation through monitoring menstruation cycles or ovulation is important, taking a step back and looking at your lifestyle is just as essential. Maintaining a good diet is perfect not only for conception, but your general well-being. Similarly, getting enough exercise is really recommended. There are endless possibilities for exercise, such as merely going for a jog in the park, partaking in a specific sport, or simply aiming for 10,000 steps a day. Quitting smoking, stopping drinking alcohol and stopping substance abuse overall is absolutely vital for pregnancy as removes any birth defects or problems during conception through consumption of these products. Knowing your family’s health history is a great way to help prepare effectively. This also helps understand the possibilities for any issues during pregnancy or birth, and so planning and preparing in this way will undeniably help alleviate any tensions. Although pregnancy may indeed sound daunting, the end result is undoubtedly worth it, with the journey to conception a wild but exciting time!

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