If you’re reading this, chances are you’re ready to have a baby. Well, maybe not quite ready, but good news! The Cradle Boss Baby is the #1 resource for new and current parents. Let’s prepare for your best possible pregnancy in four easy steps!

Step 1: Catch Up with Your OBGYN.

You’ve arrived at your OBGYN office. You walk up to the receptionist desk and say, “Hi, I’m here for my preconception visit”. Bingo, you are already on the right track. It is highly recommended that you notify your OBGYN of your plans to have a baby. You want to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy for you and your expected child. Normally, you want to seek preconception counseling 60 to 90 days prior to trying to conceive. In a preconception visit, discuss the following with your OBGYN:

Step 2: Stop Birth Control and Other Medications.

When it comes to stopping birth control, every woman is different. Some women become immediately fertile, while for others, it may take months to begin ovulating again. You will need to have had a few regular periods before you prepare for pregnancy. According to the CDC, 9 in 10 women report taking some type of medicine during pregnancy. 7 in 10 women report taking one prescription medicine. Vitamins like folic acid may be beneficial, but some medications may not. Misuse of medications can cause birth defects and pregnancy loss. Therefore, it is especially important to discuss the starting or stopping of medications with your healthcare provider.

Step 3: Get Tested.

Both you and your partner should continue with your routine checkups. These include your annual physical and dental cleaning. Certain infections, such as gingivitis can directly correlate with pregnancy problems later on. These include preterm birth, reproductive delays, and low birth weight. Women should update their vaccinations, pap smear and/or mammogram if needed. For men, andropause (low testosterone levels) is quite common. Poor sperm motility, in which the sperm cannot move fast enough, can occur as well. Early testing is a must to give you and your partner your best chance.

Step 4: Change Your Lifestyle Habits.

Have you heard? Housing a human inside a human is hard work! If we want to build a beautiful home for your baby, think of it like this. Your house walls are your food choices and your hardwood floors are your exercise. Did you know that you can experience pregnancy complications by being underweight or overweight? Poor food choices, alcohol consumption and smoking can negatively impact your fertility. Don’t worry, they invented non-alcoholic wines for a reason! If you are not already exercising, your OBGYN may encourage you to start doing so. Research indicates that by regularly exercising before pregnancy, expected mothers can reduce overall risk. These complications include gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and even cesarean delivery. Yoga, Pilates, and Barre are the three most common exercises when trying to get pregnant. They focus on building strength, stamina and muscle tone.

Carrying a child is easily one of the coolest human experiences one can ever have. You are making a literal person. Although pregnancy has its fair share of obstacles, it can be plenty of fun too! Having your new friends at The Cradle Boss Baby will make it easy to prepare for pregnancy. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” Series coming out soon!