When people plan to have a child (or find out about a new pregnancy), it is not unusual for them to develop a renewed motivation to want to look after their bodies better. In this way, physical preparations for pregnancy usually entail considering a few choices concerning your lifestyle. These can include having a healthy,
nutritious diet, trying to keep up some regular
physical activity, looking at how you
manage your stress and possibly giving up (or at least cutting back), on some much-loved vices.
If both potential parents decide to make positive lifestyle changes before the pregnancy, they will generally improve their chances of a healthy conception, sooner. If the woman continues her healthy lifestyle during the pregnancy, she will assist her body to nurture her new baby, especially during those vulnerable first few weeks of the baby's rapid growth and development (even before the pregnancy test shows 'positive'). Continuing lifestyle changes while breastfeeding will protect your baby from many unwanted substances being passed to them through your breast milk.
NOTE: While reading about these lifestyle changes, bear in mind that we do not live in a perfect world, and up to 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. Therefore, remind yourself that there are many factors that can influence the conception of a baby, and the normal course of a pregnancy. The recommendations for most lifestyle changes are based on the fact that they are usually aspects of our lives that we have some control over, and can make conscious decisions to avoid. In reality, even with all the research at our fingertips, we still do not know everything about the causes of infertility, miscarriage and health disorders for unborn babies. (For example, up to 60% of abnormal conditions in babies are caused by unknown factors.)