1. Conception
Once the decision to become a parent is made, lifestyle changes need to happen.

2. Lifestyle Changes
Weight- Overweight women tend to have more complications during pregnancy and have very large babies which can cause problems at birth.
Underweight women may have small babies who can have very serious complications.

3. Lifestyle Changes (cont.)
Nutrition- People who eat a lot of junk foods, need to change their habits. They should eat fresh fruits and vegetables and high protein foods.
They should stay away from empty calories found in candy bars, fast foods, and caffeine drinks.

4. Lifestyle Changes (cont.)
Prenatal Vitamins- These contain specific nutrients, such as folic acid, that are important in preventing birth defects.
They should be taken for three months prior to conception.

5. Lifestyle Changes (cont.)
Exercise- People should start taking walks if they haven’t been exercising at all.
If doing strenuous exercise, it should be limited to minute segments and rest in between.
Raising the body temperature above 101F may damage a developing fetus.

6. Lifestyle Changes (cont.)
Smoking and passive smoke- Women who smoke during pregnancy risk having very small and very sick preterm babies.
Smoke-filled rooms should be avoided as well.
A person should stop smoking before becoming pregnant.

7. Lifestyle Changes (cont.)
Drugs- can damage sperm or eggs and can have devastating effects on a growing fetus.
If either partner uses drugs, it must be stopped before conceiving.

8. Lifestyle Changes (cont.)
Alcohol- Alcohol acts like a poison that can damage both egg and sperm before conception.
It can cause slowed growth, mental retardation, and life-long damage to the brain and nervous system of the growing fetus.

9. Lifestyle Changes (cont.)
Reduce stress in your life.
Avoid any activity that rapidly elevates your temperature. For example, hot tubs or saunas.