Illustration: Nica Patricio
For every woman who gets pregnant after a night of one too many drinks, there?s another who meticulously plans out every detail of impending motherhood?sometimes years in advance. The majority of us fall somewhere in between: Some might give up smoking but not their beloved coffee, while others will take up yoga as a form of stress relief but get only five hours of sleep each night. With so much information out there (Eat organic! Get acupuncture! Take your vitamins!), it?s easy to feel overwhelmed. The burning question, though, is how exactly do you get your body ready for pregnancy. Here?s how to get into optimal shape before bidding farewell to birth control.
What vitamins should I take before trying to get pregnant"
Research shows that taking a daily multivitamin with folic acid dramatically lowers the risk of neural tube defect (NTD), a birth defect of the spine or brain, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, that affects between two and four of every 1,000 babies born in Canada, according to Motherisk, a clinical, research and teaching program. Run out of The Hospital for Sick Children, Motherisk promotes healthy development of the fetus and infants and is a helpful resource for everything from questions about prenatal vitamins to whether it?s safe to take cold medicine while pregnant.
Folic acid, also called folate, is a type of B vitamin that helps the body produce healthy new cells. It?s found in foods such as whole wheat grains an...