STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Luv2Shop · Kate Spade

Moms and moms to be

Elle · Hermes

Honestly, I'd just try to eat a healthy diet and get some exercise right now. If you don't take a multivitamin already, you can start those as well as folic acid supplements. Then just let it all sink in

!

rar210 · Marc Jacobs

We just decided to start trying. We've been planning for awhile and like you we go crazy when we see babies! It's best to meet with your Dr. and listen to his/her opinions. Start taking prenatal vitamins now.

alb · Marc Jacobs

I was going to suggest taking folic acid or a good multi with folic acid, like elle suggested. You could always go to your local drugstore and ask the pharmicist what he/she recommends. The only other thing I can think of is to get a lot of exercise (I found it easier to conceive when I lost weight actually) and make an appt to see your ob/gyno (again, as elle pointeed out).

Luv2Shop · Kate Spade

Well, I knew I should start taking prenatal vitamins, but what is the floic acid for? Is it silly that I don't know?

Elle · Hermes

Folic acid helps prevent certain birth defects (mostly neural tube defects, methinks). It's something most people don't get enough of in their daily diets anyhow, so it keeps you from going into a pregnancy deficient. The recommended dose varies, so I'd do some research and ask your doctor what they recommend.

ETA: Target brand prenatals are identical to prescription prenatals and are also easy on the stomach, if you want to take those instead of regular multis . They're also much less expensive than the prescription version.

-- Edited by Elle at 13:03, 2006-04-17

NCshopper · Hermes

I stumbled across a great article the other day about preparing for pregnancy on msn.com. (I'm not preparing right now, by the way, for anyone curious. ) Here it is: http://health.msn.com/pregnancykids/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100066223

There seems to be a lot of other good information in the MSN.com Health and Fitness section and the Lifestyles section.

HTH!

alb · Marc Jacobs

Elle's explanation of folic acid is good but just to further clear things up in case you are still confused--prenatal vitamins contain all the recommended doses of folic acid (among other things). So if you get a good prenatal vitamin, you don't need to worry about folic acid, b/c it will be in there. I think some ppl (like me) use the terms interchangably. hth!

Elle · Hermes

Good point, Alb . Regular multi + folic acid OR Prenatal would work. Recommended folic acid dose is 400-800 mcg per day (which is what prenatals contain), unless you have specific risk factors. They make them with and without iron too, because some people are sensitive to it (constipation, upset stomach, etc).

-- Edited by Elle at 13:47, 2006-04-19

alb · Marc Jacobs

Wow, Elle, I'm impressed with your knowledge of this stuff. I had a baby almost a yr ago and I've already forgotten the recommended dosages, etc. Are you in the health care profession? Sorry, just being nosy!

eta--didn't mean to hijack your post, luv2shop!

-- Edited by alb at 20:04, 2006-04-18

Elle · Hermes

alb wrote:

Wow, Elle, I'm impressed with your knowledge of this stuff. I had a baby almost a yr ago and I've already forgotten the recommended dosages, etc. Are you in the health care profession? Sorry, just being nosy! eta--didn't mean to hijack your post, luv2shop!

Nope, it's just my (premature, useless-for-now) research obsession of choice

.

alb · Marc Jacobs

Elle wrote:

alb wrote: Wow, Elle, I'm impressed with your knowledge of this stuff. I had a baby almost a yr ago and I've already forgotten the recommended dosages, etc. Are you in the health care profession? Sorry, just being nosy! eta--didn't mean to hijack your post, luv2shop! Nope, it's just my (premature, useless-for-now) research obsession of choice .

Hehe, good for you! It's definitely a worthwhile topic to research IMO.

Luv2Shop · Kate Spade

Thanks for the advice! Were there any books or good magazines anyone read that has good information about getting ready for pregnancy?

Elle · Hermes

That really depends. If you're just looking for general information on the topic or if you're looking for something that will help you be 'active' in the getting ready process (like through charting).

Maybe Baby is good, but it's a collection of essays and the like on the whole experience, rather than a book about doing X, Y, and Z to 'get ready'. This one is a 90-day pre-conception guide, mostly nutritional, for both partners.

In most cases there really isn't anything to do per se, unless you have a chronic condition of some kind or are on medication. Get a pap if you haven't recently, get any dental work out of the way, make sure you're up on your vaccines (some aren't pregnancy compatible). Once you're pregnant, the baby is going to take what it needs from your body/diet and your body will be what suffers if there's not enough to go around, not the baby. Try to establish some moderate diet and exercise habits now if you haven't already. Some people find that being more fit can make labor easier and the body tends to 'bounce back' more easily after birth. Maybe start to cut back on the caffeine if you tend to consume alot.

That's really all I can think of - was there something in particular you've been wondering about? There really isn't alot ... until you actually start trying that is, which is a whole other bucket o' worms!

-- Edited by Elle at 13:43, 2006-04-19

ayo · Coach

hmmm planning a baby..

what a novel concept!!! I will now go and find out how that whole thing works

hehe

sorry just making fun of my situation...I couldn't resist.

Luv2Shop · Kate Spade

I know... that's kind of how I am feeling. Like "Am I just ABLE to HAVE a baby, shouldn't I have to take a course or something?? After all I did have to take 4 years of college to get my job!!"
And I have to do all the work and my DH is just like "yea, let's have a baby, we don't have to do anything till it gets here in 9 months" UMMMMMM We are only thinking about it and I have to start preparing NOW!!! (He never actually said those words, but I know that's how he feels about it because he doesn't have to CARRY it or prepare HIS body for it, you know??? I guess I am just one of those people who likes to have ALL the information before I do something, I am afraid I will miss some tid-bit of information and someone will be like "you can't do that when you're trying to get pregnant!!" I just want my future baby to have a happy home in me!!!

valenciana · Dooney & Bourke

not that i know much about this subject...but one thing not mentioned is to watch your fish consumption since high mercury levels in your body can be harmful to a baby.

here's a link from the FDA (but there's lots of info out there) - http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg.html

and good luck in your preparation!

Sibeski · Dooney & Bourke

Whew! I think everything has been covered in the previous posts! I would just like to add: RELAX! I have found out that there is never a perfect time to get pregnant, even when you plan it. My boy is now close to 6 months and he turned my life upside down, but I couldn't live without him. I would like to add a few websites that I lived by with my pregnancy.

http://www.pregnancyguideonline.com/

http://www.babyfit.com/

Both are free and have great information. Oh, and good luck! Babies ROCK!

luckyclover · Dooney & Bourke

Luv2Shop wrote:

But.... I am SCARED!!!!! Each time we talk about it I get really excited/nervous! Like, are we grown up enough to have a baby???

That's how I was at first but after 6 months of trying I just want it to happen lol.

Of course my friend that already has 2 kids has another one on the way. I was like "yay that's so exciting!" and she said "hmm I guess".