Trying To Get Pregnant? More Things You Should Be Doing Now

Thinking of getting pregnant but not sure what steps you should be taking to prepare your bodyand your home? Maybe you’ve heard that switching to some organic foods is the way to go, but your not sure where to start or what else you should be doing. No worries, we’ve got some answers.

Up Your Nutrient Intake

Take a prenatal vitamin. Folic acid is especially important at this phase of life as it can help prevent neural tube defects even before you know you’re pregnant.

Eat More Whole Foods

Vitamins can only do so much, real food is crucial. Increase your whole foods intake overall, making sure to eat a varied diet, as if you’re training for the (baby) Olympics. Take care to eat organic food, especially when it comes to items highest on the food chain like meat. Hit the farmers’ markets, or get a share in a Community Supported Agriculture farm to benefit from all of the fruits and vegetables that will soon be in season.

Give Up Caffeine and Alcohol

Going cold turkey can be tough (trust me), especially with caffeine. Tea can help with the weaning; steep it weaker and weaker until you’re off.

Test Your Water

Drinking enough water is essential when pregnant, so have your water tested for contaminants now. (If you live in New York, call 311 to have free test kits sent to you). Filter accordingly, based on results. Install a showerhead filter, too. Much can be inhaled over the course of a shower.

Audit Your Kitchen for Toxic Products

Make sure what you’re drinking out of, cooking in, and storing your food in is safe. Materials like cast iron, stainless steel, glass and lead-free ceramic have stood the test of time and are known to be ok, health-wise. Plastics are less so. If using plastic, make sure it is one of the plastics considered to be safest (#2, #4, #5), and free of hormone disrupting chemicals. Don’t ever put plastic in the microwave.

Test for Radon, Lead and Other Contaminants

Test the rest of your home for contaminants — lead paint, radon and the like — and deal with whatever you run into in the most eco-friendly way possible. Also, if you don’t already have a carbon monoxide monitor, plug one in.

Replace Toxic Cosmetics, Personal Care Products and Other Suspect Products

Replace all products — from cosmetics to cleaning products — with versions that are safer for you and for the environment. There are chemicals in everything from window cleaner to caulk to pimple medication to nail polish remover that are known to be harmful to average adult, and are that much more so to a growing baby. Some of these substances may even interfere with fertility.

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