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Fit For Parenthood
OurPregnant
A successful pregnancy and labor, and the birth of a healthy bafly, are the responsibilities of both parents to an equal degree. A bafly 's health depends to a large extent on the health of her parents at the moment of conception, and her well-being cap be put in jeopardy not only fly long-standing medical conditions or familial genetic defects, but also by her parents' lifestyle before conception.
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Many couples do not plan for pregnancy with the same care as other important life events, yet it is one of the most important things parents can do. Starting a family is a time of reassessment because becoming a parent will fundamentally change your life.
Lifestyle considerations
Many things that we take for granted - who we are and what we do will affect or be affected by a baby.
Time Most people's lives are extremely busy, and many new parents assume that a new baby will somehow fit in. They don't. Babies and children need time, and mothers and fathers will always have less time than they did before - for themselves, for each other, and for other people.
Costs The average experience is that you will spend 15-25 percent of your income, regardless of how much you earn or the size of your family, on child-related expenses such as clothing and equipment. But there are also hidden costs, such as heating, transportation, and what you may give up for your children meals out, vacations, and, perhaps, some of your ambitions.
Relationships It is not only your relationship with your partner that changes when you have a baby. Your relationship with your parents will alter, and you may find that you grow away from our childless friends and seek new friendships with other parents who are going through the same experiences as you.
Smoking This is one of the most damaging factors to the health of your unborn baby and the major cause of avoidable health problems. The associated risks include miscarriage and stillbirth,
damage to the placenta, a low-birthweight baby who fails to thrive, and an increased chance o of fetal abnormalities. Smoking is also one of the factors that can lead to a low sperm count, and a man who continues to smoke while his partner is pregnant can risk damaging health.
Alcohol This is a drug that may damage the sperm and ovum before conception, as well as the developing embryo. The main risks to the unborn baby are mental retardation, retarded growth, and damage to the brain and nervous system well documented as fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol can also cause stillbirth.
Drugs Over-the-counter medicines should only be taken when necessary, and social drugs definitely should be cut out long before you conceive. Marijuana interferes with the normal production of male sperm, and the effects take three to nine months to wear off. Hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and morphine can damage the chromosomes in the sperm and ovum, leading to abnormalities.
Diet and exercise Both are vital to your health and the health of our baby. You should have a balanced diet thatis low in fat content, particularly animal fat, with high intakes of raw fruit and vegetables. Good eating habits must be coupled with moderate forms of exercise. During pregnancy, all the ligaments and cartilages slacken up so that the pelvis can expand more easily.
Age Many women are delaying pregnancy until their 30s, and even early 40s, and this is usually no more hazardous than being in your 20s as long as you are fit and healthy. Whatever your age, you are likely to have a normal pregnancy and birth, although some problems such as infertility and chromosomal defects, for example, Down's syndrome, do become more frequent with the increasing age of both parents.
Hazards Be aware of your environment, both in and out of the home, and avoid anything that is potentially hazardous. What we eat, where we work, the places we travel to, and sometimes even the people we meet may be risky for a pregnant woma
Read more!
Many couples do not plan for pregnancy with the same care as other important life events, yet it is one of the most important things parents can do. Starting a family is a time of reassessment because becoming a parent will fundamentally change your life.
Lifestyle considerations
Many things that we take for granted - who we are and what we do will affect or be affected by a baby.
Time Most people's lives are extremely busy, and many new parents assume that a new baby will somehow fit in. They don't. Babies and children need time, and mothers and fathers will always have less time than they did before - for themselves, for each other, and for other people.
Costs The average experience is that you will spend 15-25 percent of your income, regardless of how much you earn or the size of your family, on child-related expenses such as clothing and equipment. But there are also hidden costs, such as heating, transportation, and what you may give up for your children meals out, vacations, and, perhaps, some of your ambitions.
Relationships It is not only your relationship with your partner that changes when you have a baby. Your relationship with your parents will alter, and you may find that you grow away from our childless friends and seek new friendships with other parents who are going through the same experiences as you.
Smoking This is one of the most damaging factors to the health of your unborn baby and the major cause of avoidable health problems. The associated risks include miscarriage and stillbirth,
damage to the placenta, a low-birthweight baby who fails to thrive, and an increased chance o of fetal abnormalities. Smoking is also one of the factors that can lead to a low sperm count, and a man who continues to smoke while his partner is pregnant can risk damaging health.
Alcohol This is a drug that may damage the sperm and ovum before conception, as well as the developing embryo. The main risks to the unborn baby are mental retardation, retarded growth, and damage to the brain and nervous system well documented as fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol can also cause stillbirth.
Drugs Over-the-counter medicines should only be taken when necessary, and social drugs definitely should be cut out long before you conceive. Marijuana interferes with the normal production of male sperm, and the effects take three to nine months to wear off. Hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and morphine can damage the chromosomes in the sperm and ovum, leading to abnormalities.
Diet and exercise Both are vital to your health and the health of our baby. You should have a balanced diet thatis low in fat content, particularly animal fat, with high intakes of raw fruit and vegetables. Good eating habits must be coupled with moderate forms of exercise. During pregnancy, all the ligaments and cartilages slacken up so that the pelvis can expand more easily.
Age Many women are delaying pregnancy until their 30s, and even early 40s, and this is usually no more hazardous than being in your 20s as long as you are fit and healthy. Whatever your age, you are likely to have a normal pregnancy and birth, although some problems such as infertility and chromosomal defects, for example, Down's syndrome, do become more frequent with the increasing age of both parents.
Hazards Be aware of your environment, both in and out of the home, and avoid anything that is potentially hazardous. What we eat, where we work, the places we travel to, and sometimes even the people we meet may be risky for a pregnant woma
Read more!
