Start planning before you get pregnant The best time to start worrying about the health of your baby is before you even conceive, says this article from the Deseret News . Chronic medical conditions need to be brought under control, and a woman planning to get pregnant needs to change bad habits before conception to ensure a healthy baby. High blood pressure, seizure disorders, thyroid disease and diabetes can all have an enormous impact on pregnancy, so anyone with these conditions must get pre-conception counseling, says the article. These woman may need to change their prescriptions because some drugs are harmful to a developing fetus. Two products that are particularly harmful are alcoholic drinks and cigarettes.
Good nutrition is also important.
Pregnant women need to eat a varied diet and be particularly aware of their calcium intake, reports this article from the U.K.'s BabyCentre . Women should also try to get to a healthy weight before conceiving, and make sure they're taking a multi-vitamin approved by their doctor.