Planning Your First Pregnancy: Tips to Remember

By priyanka - Updated: August 19, 2019

I would like to share my pregnancy experience with you. It’s been a roller coaster ride throughout the pregnancy – happiness, pain, butterflies, and kicks. You will go through every emotion you can think of.

My husband and I were planning for almost a year, but we weren’t successful. I had irregular periods which was the cause. I was diagnosed with PCOS and thyroid which made my life more difficult as I had heard of many people who were trying for 6-7 years without any success. But after consulting with a good gynaecologist I took regular medication for thyroid and PCOS and lost about 5 kg to conceive, which really helped. That coupled with positivity resulted in my getting pregnant in May 2018. Today, I’m blessed with a baby boy who is almost 6 months old!

I would like you to consider a few things before planning, especially if you are struggling to get a positive result after months of trying:

Visit a gynaecologist and they will recommend a few tests if you are trying for more than 6 months with no results. They may prescribe tests like thyroid profile, PCOS, blood pressure and blood sugar. They may also ask for hormone tests for you and semen analysis tests for your husband. You will also be asked to get your vitamin D and calcium levels checked. You will be asked to take folic acid regularly.

You will need to be very particular about what you eat. You will need to eat a healthy diet that includes fresh fruits, green vegetables, and whole grains. This will take care of any deficiency you may have.

You will have to regularly walk and exercise if you are overweight. A healthy and fit pregnancy will ensure you don’t have any complications. If you have both thyroid and PCOS, you will need to reduce your weight by 7-8% at the least to conceive; otherwise, you may have more complications. In my case, I was 73 kg when I had PCOS and thyroid, and the doctor recommended that I reduce weight. I would go walking daily for at least 45 minutes and reduced my weight to 68 kg. Within 3-4 months I conceived my child.

You will need to have positive thoughts. It helps by leaps and bounds before and during pregnancy.

You will have to stop eating food that isn’t fresh or made with bad fats as that may affect your foetus – you will also need to avoid that to maintain your thyroid levels. Many pregnant women get thyroid and sugar spikes during pregnancy.

Your visits to the gynaecologist will have to be regular. If you see unusual spotting or bleeding, visit your doctor immediately.

You will need to have sexual intercourse at the time ovulation, which is ideal on the 14th day of your menstrual cycle. Women whose cycles are irregular may face issues with knowing the exact day of ovulation, but they can analyse it using a basal temperature thermometer.

For working women, you will have to try reducing stress levels. Be comfortable and travel safe.

I hope my experience will prove beneficial to you. Enjoy the process of pregnancy and parenting!

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