Planning a Pregnancy
Pre-pregnancy Health
Healthy Parents
A girl or woman’s lifestyle affects the health of her baby, even before the baby is conceived. You will have a much better chance of having a healthy baby if you start making healthy choices now.
If you are trying to get pregnant, here are some ideas about what you can do to help your baby be as healthy as possible when you become pregnant:
For moms to be
I will:- eat a balanced diet of healthy foods
- be physically active on a regular basis
- have a health care provider I trust and can talk to about my needs
- have people to help and support me
- see my dentist early in pregnancy for routine dental care, will floss and brush every day
- avoid second-hand smoke
- smoke
- use illegal drugs or share needles
- drink alcohol
- drink more than 2 cups or 1 1/2 mugs of coffee a day
For dads to be
I will:- eat healthy foods
- exercise with my partner
- be supportive to my partner
- avoid second-hand smoke
- smoke
- use illegal drugs or share needles
Drinking Water Safety
If you get your drinking water from a private well or other non-regulated source such as a creek or lake, get the water tested by a laboratory to ensure the drinking water is safe. It is best to get your water tested before you become pregnant. Harmful bacteria and chemicals can be found in untreated water. For example, high levels of nitrates have been found in wells throughout the province. High levels of nitrates can be dangerous for babies. Nitrates interfere with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. In severe cases, this can cause death.
For more information about getting your well water tested, see the HealthLink BC file Should I Get My Well Water Tested?. For more information about the dangers of nitrates in well water, see the HealthLink BC file Nitrate Contamination in Well Water.
If you get your drinking water from a creek, river, or lake, you should also boil it before drinking it. Boiling kills bacteria but does not remove chemicals.
