Over 35 and Want to Have a Baby? Try These Three Fertility-Boosting Tips
If you’re over 35 and want to become pregnant, there are obstacles, but it’s not impossible. We have three fertility-boosting tips for you for a happy, healthy pregnancy.
Why Prenatal Care Is So Important
Until your baby is born, it’s entirely dependent on you to survive, develop, and thrive. That’s why prenatal care, the medical care you get while you’re pregnant, is so important. Every time you come into the office, your doctor checks both your health and the health of your fetus.
With early and regular prenatal care, you’re more likely to have a low-risk pregnancy and carry your baby full term — the time the fetus needs to grow and develop fully so it can survive in the outside world.
Board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Hany H Ahmed provides comprehensive prenatal care at his office in Houston, Texas. He specializes in normal and high-risk pregnancies and can provide you and your baby with the resources and attention you need during your pregnancy journey.
Why you need prenatal care
The primary function of prenatal care is to ensure that both mother and child remain healthy during and after the pregnancy.
When he sees you regularly during pregnancy, Dr. Ahmed can identify health problems early on, allowing him to treat and cure many issues and prevent others from occurring. He also talks with you about what you can do to give your baby a healthy start to life.
At each prenatal visit, Dr. Ahmed checks on your health and makes sure the baby is growing as expected by:
- Checking your blood pressure
- Measuring your weight gain
- Measuring your abdomen to check baby's growth
- Checking your baby's heart rate
He also runs routine tests (e.g., bloodwork, urinalysis, ultrasound) based on your medical history and risk factors.
Babies born to mothers who don’t get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than babies born to mothers who do get prenatal care.
Prenatal care timeline
Comprehensive prenatal care starts with your own health, because if you’re not healthy, you won’t be able to provide well for your child’s development.
You need to discuss any underlying medical conditions and risk factors with Dr. Ahmed so he can determine how they might affect your pregnancy, your delivery, and your baby’s health. From that, he can draw up a detailed plan of how to accommodate every developmental stage.
You need to see Dr. Ahmed many times during pregnancy for prenatal care:
- Once per month during weeks 4-28
- Semi-monthly during weeks 28-36
- Every week for week 36-birth
If your pregnancy is classified as high-risk, Dr. Ahmed may want to see you more often. High-risk conditions include:
- Age over 35
- Carrying multiple babies
- Previous preterm labor and/or delivery
- Recurrent miscarriage
- Thyroid abnormality
- High blood pressure
- Development of gestational diabetes or preeclampsia
Dr. Ahmed advises you of the modified schedule, as well as what you can expect each step of the way. The more he knows, the better he can help you through the nine months and beyond.
Prenatal care begins at home
To get the full benefits of prenatal care, you need to understand the lifestyle requirements that benefit you and the baby the most. Common recommendations include:
Diet
Eating a variety of healthy foods ensures you and your baby have enough nutrition. Make sure to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium-rich foods, and foods low in saturated fat. Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating to eliminate any toxins.
Be careful, though, not to eat uncooked or undercooked meat (parasite risk) and don't eat fish that contains high levels of mercury (e.g., swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel). Drink plenty of fluids, particularly plain water.
Dr. Ahmed might also suggest you gain a healthy amount of weight.
Vitamins and minerals
To get all the nutrients you need, especially enough folic acid, you may need a prenatal vitamin to replace your generic multivitamin. Iron is especially important because it prevents anemia, a condition linked to preterm birth and low birth weight.
Other lifestyle factors
It’s important to get plenty of sleep, find ways to control stress, and try to get at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week.
Of course, smoking, drinking, and doing illicit drugs are no-gos. You also need to alert Dr. Ahmed to any prescription medications you’re taking, as they can affect the fetus.
The more you learn about having a healthy, full-term pregnancy, the better, so think about incorporating childbirth education classes for you and your partner.
If you’re pregnant or want to get pregnant, comprehensive prenatal care is the best thing you can do for your and your baby’s health. Give Dr. Ahmed’s office a call at 713-489-3348 to schedule a prenatal care consultation, or book online with us today.
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