What to expect when you're expecting Read Online Free PDF Page B

hairdressing and cosmetology, dry cleaning, and some factory work). Contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the latest information on job safety and pregnancy; also see page 194 . In some cases, it may be wise to ask for a transfer to another position, change jobs, or take special precautions, if possible, before trying to conceive.
    Because elevated lead levels when you conceive could pose problems for your baby, get tested if you have been exposed to lead in the workplace or elsewhere, such as in your water supply or your home (see page 81 ). Avoid, too, excessive exposure to other household toxins.
    Get fiscally fit. Having a baby can be pricey. So, together with your spouse, reevaluate your budget and begin creating a sound financial plan. As part of your plan, find out if your health insurance pays for the cost of prenatal care, birth, and well-baby care. If coverage will not start until a certain date, consider delaying your pregnancy until then. Or if you plan to switch policies, do so before you become pregnant, since some policies consider pregnancy a preexisting condition. And if you don’t have a will yet, now is the time to draw one up.
    Work out those work issues. Find out everything you can about your work rights when pregnant (see page 187 ). If you’re planning a job switch, you might want to consider finding that perfect family-friendly job now so you won’t have to interview with a belly.
    Start keeping track. Become familiar with your monthly cycle and learn the signs of ovulation so you can time intercourse right (see box, page 8 ). Keeping track of when you have sex will also help you pinpoint conception later on, which will make calculating an estimated date of delivery easier.
    Give it time. Keep in mind that it takes an average of six months for a normal, healthy 25-year-old woman to conceive, and longer for women who are older. It may also take longer if your partner is older. So don’t stress if baby magic doesn’t happen right away. Just keep on having fun trying, and give yourselves at least six months before consulting your practitioner and, if needed, a fertility specialist. If you’re over 35, you may want to check in with your practitioner after three months of trying.
    Relax. This is perhaps the most important step of all. Of course, you’re excited about getting pregnant—and, more than likely, at least a little stressed about it, too. But getting tense and uptight about conception could prevent you from conceiving. Learn to do relaxation exercises, to meditate, and to cut down as much as possible on stress in your daily life.
Preconception Prep for Dads

    As a dad-to-be, you won’t be providing immediate room and board for your future offspring—but you will be making a vital contribution to the baby-making process (mom can’t do it without you). These preconception steps can help you make conception as healthy as possible.
    See your doctor. Though you won’t be the one carrying the baby—at least not until after delivery—you’ll still need a checkup of your own before you begin baby making. After all, making a healthy baby takes the participation of two healthy bodies. A thorough physical can detect any medical conditions (such as undescended testicles or testicular cysts or tumors) that might interfere with conception or a healthy pregnancy for your partner, as well as ensure that any chronic conditions, such as depression, that might interfere with fertility are under control. While you’re at the doctor’s office, ask about the sexual side effects of any prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal drugs you are taking. Some can cause erectile dysfunction and lower sperm counts—two things you definitely don’t want going on when you’re in baby-making mode.
    Get a genetic screening, if needed . If your spouse is going in for genetic testing, consider tagging along, especially if you have a family history of a genetic problem or other