Pregnancy is a special and wonderful time! By taking a few things into consideration, nothing stands in the way of a smooth pregnancy. It is quite natural that some questions arise in this connection. We would like to answer a few questions and give you some helpful tips.

It is important to be well-prepared

Proper preparation for pregnancy is essential. Since ovulation occurs about two weeks before the start of menstruation, it can take three weeks before you know you are pregnant. The most critical period for your child is between the second and eighth week of pregnancy, when the face and organs such as the heart and kidneys are forming. All your lifestyle habits (diet, smoking, alcohol) can affect your child. Therefore, it is preferable to adopt healthy pregnant woman habits even before pregnancy is confirmed.

**Planning a pregnancy is not only about making joyful plans about the future child's successes. It is also a meticulous preparation at all levels, including the physical health of the future mother. To prepare for pregnancy, it is recommended to take a comprehensive set of tests and consult with specialists in several areas. The older the future mother, the higher the chance of encountering problems during the period of carrying a child. And preliminary medical examination will help to adequately assess the state of the body and carry out health procedures to reduce the risk.

f you are looking to undergo a comprehensive quality health examination, choose diagnostics abroad. Examination in Switzerland is consultations and examinations with professors of medicine and the best international specialists, the latest diagnostic methods, high-tech, digital equipment, and premium service level at all stages.

Healthy eating for pregnancy planners

For women:

The sooner you switch to a more balanced and nutritious diet, the better for you and your child. Here are some things you can do to get pregnant:

• Increase your intake of folic acid. Folic acid in early pregnancy (i.e. within the first four weeks) reduces neural tube defects by at least 50%. Many women don't even know they are pregnant in this critical period of prenatal development; therefore, it is best to start taking prenatal vitamins or vitamins for pregnant women before conception.
• Follow a balanced diet. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, bread, and whole-grain cereals, and increase your calcium intake.
• Avoid alcohol. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been linked to several serious health problems, including low birth weight, miscarriage, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Avoid artificial sweeteners and caffeine. This applies to chocolate, carbonated drinks, and coffee.

For men:

• Studies show that healthy eating also affects male fertility. It will be easier if the future mom and dad switch to a healthy and proper diet together in advance.
• Increase the amount of vitamin C in your diet to reduce the risk of sperm damage.
• Increase your zinc intake. Zinc is found in lean ground beef, dried beans, and dark chicken meat. Short-term zinc deficiency is associated with a decrease in sperm volume and testosterone levels.
• Take daily multivitamins. This can help promote healthy sperm production and viability.

Pregnancy planners' medicine cabinet

Do you take medication regularly?

Talk to your doctor about whether your medications can affect fertility (applies to both men and women).

This also applies to herbal remedies. Strong anti-inflammatory drugs can interfere with ovulation.

Dangerous habits!

Quit smoking as soon as possible if you want to have a child. It has been proven that smoking affects fertility. By the way, this also applies if your partner smokes, because passive smoking is harmful to health and fertility to an extent that has not yet been fully appreciated. Normal fertility is restored only one year after the last cigarette.

Compared to non-smokers, smoking men produce not only fewer sperm, but also fewer motile ones. Women who smoke are less likely and slower to get pregnant, and they enter menopause earlier.

It is even more important not to smoke cigarettes during pregnancy, because smoking harms the unborn child: it develops worse, its growth is delayed. Smoking also increases the risk of premature birth.

If you see that you cannot cope with nicotine addiction on your own, but you want to quit smoking before pregnancy, then you can undergo treatment in Switzerland. CorSwiss offers treatment for nicotine addiction in Switzerland, namely in one of the best rehabilitation centers in the world - Kusnacht Practice clinic.

If you are healthy before conception, your child will have the best start in life. In the past, doctors believed that only the health of the expectant mother and her planning before pregnancy affect the future child. However, studies show the importance of these factors for fathers as well.