It is every prospective parent 's dream to have a child who is happy, bright,engaging,and healthy enough to experience life to its fullest. Whether you are thinking of trying to conceive for the first time or have been down this road before,we would like to help you improve your chances of making this dream come true,just as we have for countless men and women under similar circumstances. In fact,it was nearly a decade ago that the idea for Before Your Pregnancy came into being.At the time,Amy,a registered dietitian,exercise physiolo- gist,and personal trainer,was working with patients and private clients who were pregnant --with or without complications --or within a year or two of having a child.She was impressed by their motivation and surprised by the number of times she heard the remark "If only I knew then what I know now,I 'd have taken better care of myself before I got pregnant."It got her thinking about why there wasn 't more emphasis from the medical com- munity on health during the months before conception.After all,the scien- tific literature was brimming with new information on ways women and men could prepare their body for conception and improve the baby 's health,actions that often only made a difference if begun one to three months before trying.Unfortunately,virtually none of this information was widely available to the general public. Determined to get the word out,Amy wrote and produced a video and accompanying booklet entitled Before Your Pregnancy that provided precon- ception nutritional and exercise advice.(Coincidentally,she became preg- nant while making the video,giving her a chance to practice what she preached!)One of the professionals who vetted the text,Dr.Lisa Mazzullo, a board-certified ob/gyn and assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecol- ogy at Northwestern University Medical Center,happened to teach "Maybe Baby "classes at her hospital,covering the same topic from a medical and psychological point of view.The response to the video and preconception classes was so great that we ultimately decided to pool our expertise and create the book you hold in your hands,a complete resource for couples considering having a baby. Most preconception discussions between patients and doctors --if they occur at all --are limited to "Begin taking your folic acid,and have fun!" The fact of the matter is,however,that there are many things you can do to improve your physical health and psychological readiness in the critical ninety-day period before conception.In this book we 'll help you to thor- oughly assess your emotional,financial,environmental,gynecologic,ge- netic,nutritional,and physical preparedness and provide detailed advice on how to improve in each area.If you follow our preconception guidelines, you will also improve your odds of *Conceiving more easily *Conceiving a healthier baby *Having a healthier pregnancy *Recovering more easily in the postpartum period *Decreasing your child 's risk for certain adult health problems You may be wondering why certain baby-friendly actions must be im- plemented in the months prior to conception.After all,until fertilization oc- curs,there isn 't even a baby in the picture.Well,the egg and sperm that will eventually become that baby go through crucial genetic preparations in the weeks before conception,and you want these to occur under the best circumstances.Because genetic defects do not all occur randomly,the pros- pect of having some control over this risk is immensely empowering.Also, consider that most birth defects --many preventable --occur between sev- enteen and fifty-six days after conception,often before a woman becomes aware that she is pregnant.Preconceptional readiness primes the woman 's body so the baby can Excerpted from Before Your Pregnancy: A 90-Day Guide for Couples on How to Prepare for a Healthy Conception by Lisa Mazzullo, Amy Ogle All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
