When Do Ovarian Cysts Require Medical Intervention?
Ovarian cysts don’t always cause symptoms, and they don’t always require treatment. Here’s how to know whether a women’s health specialist should assess your ovarian cysts.
8 Essential Steps to Help Get Your Body Ready for Pregnancy
Becoming a mother is one of the most exciting and transformative experiences a woman can have. But the experience comes with mental and physical challenges.
For many women in New York City, Gabriela Olaru, MD, and the team at V Care OB/GYN are an invaluable resource when preparing for all that motherhood brings.
Dr. Olaru provides expert obstetric care, no matter how simple or complex your route to parenthood might be. We’re here today to discuss what you can do before trying to conceive to help prepare your body for pregnancy.
1. Stay active
Getting plenty of exercise is a great way to prepare your body for the changes pregnancy brings. If you already have exercises you love, keep making time for them. If you aren’t as active as you’d like, search for new ways to stay moving, such as yoga, jogging, or cycling.
2. Assess your nutrition
As you prepare to nurture a developing baby, nutrition has never been more important. Take a close look at your diet and add more vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, grains, and healthy fats where you can.
3. Reduce alcohol
No amount of alcohol is healthy during a pregnancy. If you drink, the months before conceiving are the right time to cut back, with the goal of eliminating alcohol altogether before pregnancy. Any amount of maternal drinking can seriously impair fetal development.
4. Get enough folic acid
Folic acid helps prevent defects in the brain, spine, or skull of a developing fetus. Women need 400 milligrams of folic acid per day during pregnancy, and they should achieve that at least a month before conceiving.
Choose grains and other foods high in folic acid or that have added folic acid, or reach your folic acid goals through supplementation.
5. Reduce the risk of infection
Maternal infections can negatively impact a developing fetus. Take precautions now so those habits are in place at conception. Avoid eating raw eggs and undercooked meat, and don’t make contact with animal feces and cat litter. Wash your hands thoroughly throughout the day.
6. Quit smoking
If you smoke, even only occasionally, now is the time to quit the habit for good. Smoking can cause a wide range of health issues for mother and child. It’s also important to avoid secondhand smoke; make a plan to stay safe if someone close to you smokes.
7. Explore your family health history
Many health conditions have a genetic component. As you plan for pregnancy, talk to your loved ones about your family health history and keep notes for your own medical record. It also helps to know more about your partner’s health history.
8. Come in for a pre-pregnancy visit
One of the best things you can do to get ready for motherhood is to find an obstetrician you feel comfortable with. Be ready to talk about your health history and share the details of any conditions you’re being treated for and any medications and supplements you take.
This is also an opportunity to ask questions about your circumstances and how you can prepare for pregnancy.
Guidance and support on your path to motherhood
If you’re starting to plan for pregnancy, we’re excited to welcome you to V Care OB/GYN on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Call our office or schedule your visit online today.
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