[article]The creation of life is one of the most magical moments that anyone can witness in the whole universe. The pre- and post-pregnancy phase comes with few complications that can affect most women's health. You can eliminate all those worries by making a few changes to your daily routine. There must be an ocean of encyclopedias for pregnancy care, female problems, or even postpartum issues. What about the preparations and precautions that come before entering into this phase? In this blog, we will focus on diet and lifestyle changes that can ensure a healthy pregnancy.   

Basic preparations:

Before prepping to welcome a new member, there are a few basic steps that every would-be parent should follow:                            

1. Regular check-up: It is always convenient to consult a gynecologist and go through a thorough check-up and test. In this phase, you can analyze your immunity and ability to bear a baby. If needed, you can opt for some of the best pregnancy supplements. For example, andMe Ovaboost is enriched with Ayurvedic Herbs. This immunity booster for women increases the quality and quantity of eggs and aids your body in pregnancy. 

2. Chronic disease check: If one of the partners has high or low blood pressure, thyroid, diabetes, Thalassemia, or any heart problems, it is advised to undergo proper medication and check-up before you start planning your pregnancy.  

3. Regular exercises: Let us unitedly burst the myth bubble that exercise is gonna harm any would-be parents. Before, during, and even after childbirth, regular exercise and yoga are mandatory to keep your body healthy and active. Barre, Yogam Pilates is the ideal exercise because it builds strength, balance, endurance. 

4. Changes in Medications: Like every other person, you also might carry basic medicines for headaches, fever, cough, and cold. Some of these medicines can affect your egg quality and sperm count. Speak to your doctor and if necessary, switch medications. Now these are some checks to go by before conceiving but apart from this, there are also some diet and lifestyle changes which one needs to make in order to give yourself the best shot at parenthood.

Diet Changes:

1. Include grains: Try to incorporate grains, for example, whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal into your daily diet for weight loss. They not only fill your hunger but also help you maintain healthy body weight. 

2. Full-fat dairy: This might sound a little odd to you, but it's seen that women who consume full-fat dairy at least once a day has decreased the risk of ovulatory infertility by 27%. High calcium dairy products will strengthen your bones to carry the fetus. 

3. Consume healthy fats and iron: Vegetables like spinach, legumes, beans are good sources of iron. Try to consume lean meats like chicken or fish. For healthy fats, you can have nuts, seeds, or ghee. 

4. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables of all colors should be included as mentioned in the famous theory “more color in your food means more nutrition”. You can consume the vegetables in fresh form, just steamed, boiled or grilled. Make sure to avoid heavily salted, processed or canned veggies. Fruits can be consumed in whole forms or 100% fruit juice form. Incase of fruit you can opt for frozen, canned, purred etc. forms as well.

Lifestyle changes: 

Diet is one of the aspects of pregnancy preparation. There are a few lifestyle changes that ensure high chances of pregnancy: 

1. Curb caffeine intake. More than three cups of coffee can affect your fertility and also sleep cycle.  

2. Excessive smoking and drinking can lead to miscarriages or even less sperm count. 

3. Folic acid and Vitamin D are highly beneficial for women who are trying to get pregnant. But before taking any medicine, we suggest you consult with your doctor.  

4. Overweight and underweight women both carry risks during pregnancy. Try to exercise for at least for 30minutes. Pilates, Yogas, swimming, indoor cycling increases the endurance of your body so that it can bear the weight of your child.   

To help you prepare for pregnancy, andMe has launched their very own andMe OvaBoost Drink. It is plant-based drink with prenatal vitamins that help to conceive. It is made with the goodness of CoQ10, DHA, Shatavari, Zinc, Chasteberry, Vitamin B9 and Inositol that helps with egg quality and egg health, fertilization, aids in preparing the body for pregnancy, helps to prepare the uterus lining.

Best part? No added preservatives. No harmful chemicals.

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