Help For Parents And Parents To Be!

Pregnancy Planning Checklist- Get Ready to Have a Baby

Here is a pregnancy planning check list to help you get ready to have a baby! Generally, you do prepare for the major happenings in your life such as school, college or even retirement. In the same way, pregnancy planning is a must before you decide to have a baby. A baby can change your life to a great extent. There is a lot of planning - physical, emotional and financial, which needs to be done for a smooth future for your baby and you.

The Decision To Become A Parent

This is perhaps the most important decision of a lifetime. So take advice from your physician, talk to friends and family about it and read a lot of books and magazines that will give you good advice on planning for a healthy pregnancy.

A Preconception Visit to Your Physician

As a part of your pregnancy planning check list, a visit to your physician is a must. He will do a thorough medical checkup and check if there is any family history of illnesses. He will check you for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI). He may advice you to stop taking any over-the-counter medication. If it’s been over a year since you’ve been trying to get a baby, he may advice you to take a fertility test. There is no cause for worry and there is every chance that you might conceive. He will also give you vaccinations to immunize you against tetanus, hepatitis B and German measles.

Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals- If you or your partner have been exposed to hazardous chemicals, dry cleaning fluids, heavy metals, radiation or chemical fumes at work, this can be dangerous for the baby. You must take the physician’s advice on whether you should continue to work in the same place or take up a new job.

Smoking Drugs and Alcohol- Say NO Today

Smoking, drugs and alcohol can harm your baby. Your baby may be born under-weight or be a preemie. He may also develop complications and birth defects. Research says there is a 64% increase in the chances of birth defects in children whose parents are smokers.

A Healthy Diet-Nourishment for You and the Baby

A healthy pregnancy diet with supplements of folic acid is essential for a mother-to-be. Folic Acid prevents birth defects of the spine and brain. Eat your meals regularly. Your meals should contain foods rich in iron, calcium and green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and legumes. Fortified cereals are also good for you.

An Exercise Regimen- Eating Healthy is very good but you should also exercise regularly. Not very strenuous but exercises like walking, swimming or yoga can be of great help in bringing down your stress levels. Also needed are meditation and deep breathing exercises. These will help you stay calm and peaceful. Do what you enjoy doing, like reading or listening to music.

Family and Friends- This is the time to talk to family and friends to get their support. Sometimes a relationship may become too difficult to handle, especially when you get pregnant. You may be subjected to some form of abuse. Do not feel afraid to ask for help in such a situation from your local helpline or from friends.

Financial matters- It is important to be prepared financially for your baby. There will be an onslaught of bills once the baby is born. Go in for health insurance too. And save for the future-both yours and little one’s.

Now with this pregnancy planning checklist in hand, you can manage your pre pregnancy planning in a better way for a wonderful start.

About the Author

Prepare a pregnancy planning checklist for yourself and your partner and adhere to it. It is best to start at least three months before you conceive. Get a fertility test done if you are not getting pregnant soon enough. Make regular visits to the physician, eat a healthy diet with folic acid, multivitamins and calcium and get regular exercise. Start managing your financial matters to prepare for the multitude of changes. Even planning a pregnancy can be a wonderful experience.

	Feeding Baby Green: The Earth Friendly Program for Healthy, Safe Nutrition During Pregnancy, Childhood, and Beyond List Price: $16.95 Sale Price: $9.83 Used From: $9.28 Average Rating:
	The new "baby feeding bible" from the award-wining author of Raising Baby Green Called the "Al Gore of Parenting" by Parenting Magazine, Dr. Alan Greene has written the follow up to his best-selling book and offers parents a definitive guide for making nutritionally-sound decisions for their children...

	Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy List Price: $21.99 Sale Price: $8.46 Used From: $3.00 Average Rating:
	This new Mayo Clinic book on pregnancy provides you with practical information and reassurance on pregnancy and childbirth. Compiled by Mayo Clinic experts in obstetrics, it offers a clear, thorough and reliable reference for this exciting and sometimes unpredictable journey...

	Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth List Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $4.40 Used From: $3.99 Average Rating:
	Brimming with the author's signature frankness and humor, a no-holds-barred account of what you can really expect when you're expecting. Oh, the joys of pregnancy! There's the gasiness, constipation, queasiness, and exhaustion; the forgetfulness, crankiness, and the constant worry...

	Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today's Mothers-to-Be List Price: $16.95 Sale Price: $9.80 Used From: $9.41 Average Rating:
	Winner of Mom’s Choice Award in Pregnancy/Childbirth Category Every pregnant woman understands that what she eats and drinks affects the baby developing within her. Yet as a mother-to-be, you’re likely juggling so much that you simply don’t have the time—or energy!—to ensure that you’re always eating right...

	40 Weeks +: The Essential Pregnancy Organizer (The Essential Organizers) List Price: $19.95 Sale Price: $15.97 Used From: $14.29 Average Rating:
	Finally! A well designed, well researched, easy-to-use organizer for every stage of pregnancy. Forget ducks and bunny rabbits--this clean, sophisticated organizer is designed for modern parents-to-be.An essential addition to your pregnancy library, this handy tool simplifies the process of preparing for a baby...

	The Pregnancy Countdown Book: Nine Months of Practical Tips, Useful Advice, and Uncensored Truths List Price: $14.95 Sale Price: $7.99 Used From: $5.55 Average Rating:
	The average pregnancy lasts 280 days and the suspense can be excruciating! The Pregnancy Countdown Book starts on Day 280 and counts down the biggest milestones every step of the way with one page of helpful information for each day of your pregnancy...

	Ingrid & Isabel Women's Maternity Everyday BellaBand, Black, Size One List Price: $26.00 Sale Price: $26.00 Average Rating:
	Specifically designed for expectant mothers. Ultra-soft, stretch nylon. Holds up loose fitting pants, skirts or shorts. Disguises bulky unfastened buttons and zippers. Conceals excess fabric and smooths out panels...

	What to Expect When You're Expecting: Fourth Edition List Price: $24.95 Sale Price: $15.56 Used From: $15.50 Average Rating:
	Announcing a brand new, cover-to-cover revision of America's pregnancy bible. What to Expect When You're Expecting is a perennial New York Times bestseller and one of USA Today's 25 most influential books of the past 25 years...

The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be, Second Edition List Price: $11.95 Sale Price: $3.10 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

An information-packed guide to all the emotional, financial and physical changes the father-to-be may experience during the course of his partner's pregnancy. Incorporating the wisdom of top experts in the field, from obstetricians and birth-class instructors to psychologists and sociologists, this book is filled with sound advice and practical tips for men, as well as New Yorker-style cartoons that will keep anxious fathers-to-be chuckling.

	The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy List Price: $15.00 Sale Price: $6.53 Used From: $4.31 Average Rating:
	Beginning with the "10 Greatest Lies About Pregnancy" (number 10: Lamaze works), and ending with postpartum dementia, Vicki Iovine's Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy has fast become the laywoman's mouthpiece for the American pregnancy experience...

The Perfect Pregnancy Workout vol. 1 List Price: $24.99 Sale Price: $17.99 Used From: $15.67 Average Rating:

You've got nine months to prepare for the challenge of your life. Use every minute! The Perfect Pregnancy Workout will: -improve your mood -reduce lower back pain -develop mental discipline to control labor pain -tone your lower body to handle the demands of labor and birth -make it easier to lose weight after your baby is born -strengthen your upper body to lift and hold your baby -help eliminate or avoid incontinence and hemorroids Karyne Steben, a world-class acrobat formerly with Cirque du Soleil, leads us through the sculpting workout, combining strength moves with graceful flexibility...