When To Stop Contraception

If you've been using straight for ward barrier methods, such as the condom or diaphragm, you can safely conceive as soon as you stop using them. How ever, most doctors recommend at least one normal period after ceasing other forms of contraception, before you try to conceive.

The pill it's best to stop the pill three months before hand, but a month would do, as long as you have one normal period before conceiving. Intrauterine device (IUD). The same time frame would apply to an IUD, so have it removed three months before you intend to get pregnant. Have at least one normal period before stopping all contraception use a barrier method in the meantime.

How Fitness Helps You Both

As a prospective mother, your body undergoes a great deal of physical change. The fitter you are the more easily your body will cope. But fitness and life style may also change a man's ability to father a child, by affecting sperm production. Think about your health and life style at least three months before you plan to stop contraception. As well as improving your fitness, it will increase your chances of conceiving with out delay and of having a healthy baby.

A Healthy Diet

Adjusting your diet shouldn't require uncomfortable changes. Your staple diet should include good quality carbohydrates, such as whole wheat bread, rice, and potatoes. Keep your animal fat in take down by changing to skim milk and low fat cheeses, and use olive or sun flower oil for cooking. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables every day. Don't skip meals, avoid processed foods, outlaw the liquid lunch, and eat a hearty break fast, though not a fried one.

Getting Exercise

Exercise makes a contribution to becoming a healthy potential parent, so if you don't already do so, start a gentle exercise program together, such as jogging, swimming, or gym sessions. Try for 20 minutes exercise that increases your heart rate at least three times a week. However, bear in mind that very strenuous training or dieting may reduce fertility.

Father

Your partner's fitness and life style obviously has a bearing on her ability to conceive, but your own fitness is also a crucial factor. If you aren't healthy, you may not donate the best genetic material to your child in your sperm.

Why your life style matters

Male fertility not only depends on the number of sperm produced, but also on the health of that sperm. This is affected by all sorts of life style factors, such as smoking, alcohol, and drugs, and also stress. Try to reorder your life if it's stressful, and look at your diet and fitness.

Genetic Counseling

Seek advice and have tests in advance if a genetic disorder, such as cystic fibrosis, thalassemia, muscular dystrophy, or hemophilia, runs in your family.

What happens in counseling

The counselor explains the condition and your family background and shows you the pattern of inheritance through past generations. Not all carriers of a defective gene get the condition. If it's recessive it can be masked by a healthy version, where as a dominant gene will always show up. With a dominant gene, the chances of your baby being affected are one in two with a recessive gene they are one in four.

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