Vitamins and immunizations aren't the only things that can help promote a healthy pregnancy. Things like diet, physical activity, medications, smoking, alcohol or drug use, and environmental factors can all affect pregnancy.

A healthy diet, weight level, and regular physical activity level can help to reduce problems for both mother and fetus during pregnancy. For this reason, many health care providers suggest that women who are thinking about getting pregnant take steps to improve or maintain their own level of health before they get pregnant. A healthy diet helps to ensure that the fetus has all the nutrients it needs to grow and develop normally. Maintaining a healthy weight, both before and during pregnancy, can help to reduce stress on the mother's body and lower the risk of certain disorders of pregnancy. Being active before and during pregnancy, if approved by a health care provider, can help women maintain their healthy weight and can improve the function of the circulatory, cardiovascular, and skeletal systems.

Just as important is keeping things that can be dangerous out of the mother's body. For instance, medications used to treat various diseases and conditions can affect the growth and development of the fetus. Certain herbal supplements and high amounts of vitamins can also make it harder for a woman to get pregnant, and can impact the fetus' health during pregnancy. Even being around certain materials, such as paint and pesticides can put the health of the fetus at risk. Women who are thinking about getting pregnant should discuss all of these factors with their health care providers. Some changes in medication or supplement use, or changes in environment may be recommended to prevent problems during pregnancy.

Research shows that smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs, even now and again or in small amounts during pregnancy can cause health problems for the fetus, some of them severe. Many of these problems can have life-long effects. Alcohol and drug use may also make it harder for some women to get pregnant.

To reduce the risk of problems during pregnancy, health care providers recommend that women stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol, and stop using drugs, completely, as early as possible before they start trying to get pregnant. They should maintain this tobacco-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free lifestyle throughout their pregnancies and after birth, as many of these substances can get into the baby's system through breast milk.

For more information, visit the Medem Website, and do a search for 'planning your Pregnancy' in the medical library.

If you are thinking about getting pregnant, talk to your health care provider about how best to promote a healthy pregnancy, in a way that takes your medical history and lifestyle into consideration.