Pregnancy is a new experience in every couple’s life, and one should understand a few things to ensure that the nine months are smooth and stress-free. Simply being prepared for pregnancy and looking forward to the joy of parenthood is not all there’s to childbirth. As a couple, you must understand, review, and adjust your lifestyle. Expecting mothers become their child’s nurturers and supporters from day one, but the expecting fathers, close relatives, and friends must also understand the key roles they will play right up to the due date.

Here are a few simple family and pregnancy guide points to help you and your folks get started:

Staying healthy
Physical and mental wellbeing is extremely crucial for the expecting mother to ensure both her and the baby’s health. Diet plays a crucial role in this process, as the mother is now providing nutrition for the developing fetus as well as herself. As a family, you can take turns to ensure that the to-be mother is staying physically active, eating healthy and regularly, and not cultivating any bad habits. More importantly, family and loved ones should be prepared for the changes to come in the upcoming trimesters.

Coping with changes – what to expect
Morning sickness in the first trimester is quite common and can put a woman’s body under tremendous stress. Nausea and vomiting may also cause headaches, but medications cannot always be taken, as they may affect the baby’s health. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause extreme mood swings, so everyone around must be prepared to deal with this. Maintaining a healthy relationship with one’s partner and responding to their needs is crucial to ensure a healthy pregnancy, especially after the first trimester, when the baby starts developing quickly.

Counseling
One of the more crucial aspects of family and pregnancy planning is prenatal counseling. It is quite normal for new and young couples to worry about the struggles associated with pregnancy. Prenatal counseling prepares both the to-be mother and father for the changes in their personal and professional lives. Adjustments and changes become part and parcel of life for expecting parents, and proper counseling can help them prepare for these changes. Women may also have to deal with body image issues as the baby bump grows and they gain weight, and coping with the stress of expectations after the baby is born may also take a toll. Prenatal screening for anxiety and depression will help prepare everyone for the changes and let the mother make certain lifestyle changes for her wellbeing.

Family and pregnancy planning begins in the early stages of a couple’s life, even before getting the good news at times. It also includes later consulting a primary medical care provider, mapping out the nine months of the pregnancy to be as smooth as possible, and following their instructions to the letter.