With the implementation of the one-child policy, many families have begun to have two children. Do you also want to have a healthy and lively baby when various [parenting classics] [parent-child programs] are playing circularly on the Internet and TV?
You know, the process of preparing for pregnancy is not a woman’s business alone. A healthy baby comes from the wonderful combination of a healthy sperm and a healthy egg. Therefore, in addition to the preparations for future expectant mothers, what measures should future expectant fathers take to prepare for the birth of healthy babies?
Pre-pregnancy physical examination is indispensable.
Pre-pregnancy examination is the first hurdle to prevent birth defects of newborns. Although mandatory premarital examination has been abolished, it does not mean that pre-pregnancy examination can be ignored.
In 2009, a study investigated 570 men in Shanghai who were preparing for pregnancy, of which the detection rate of diseases was as high as 67.5%. The top diseases were reproductive system diseases (including semen abnormalities, redundant prepuce, varicocele), liver function abnormalities, overweight, etc.
Varicocele is a common disease causing male infertility. It will not only reduce the motility of sperm, But also can damage the testicular spermatogenic function. Varicocele’s typical feature is that you can see varicocele like earthworm-like blood vessels on the skin surface of the scrotum. If you have tried for half a year or a year without pregnancy, this time you should go to the hospital’s reproductive department or andrology clinic for examination to see if you have varicocele or other diseases.
Another common disease that affects semen quality is chronic prostatitis. If chronic prostatitis is accompanied by bacterial infection, it will affect semen components, causing non-liquefaction of semen, thus causing infertility.
Therefore, both husband and wife should have a comprehensive physical examination before pregnancy, including infectious disease screening, venereal disease examination, chronic disease examination, virus antibody examination, etc. These examinations can understand their current health status, and fully communicate their family genetic history and previous disease history with doctors to see if it will affect the birth of the baby.
Grasp the [golden time] of childbirth
If you want to give birth to a healthy and intelligent baby, it is best to conceive at the best reproductive age. Generally speaking, women are 25-29 years old and men are 25-35 years old. Because at this age, both men and women have the most vigorous reproductive capacity, the quality and vitality of sperm and eggs are the best, the success rate of pregnancy is high, and the deformity rate is low, which is beneficial to the health of the next generation.
In addition to choosing the best conception age, the time of conception is also a very important factor. So, should we choose the most advantageous time to conceive in what season?
At present, many scholars believe that choosing to conceive in late summer and early autumn, It is ideal to give birth at the end of spring and the beginning of summer in the following year. Women who became pregnant at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn gave birth to babies with relatively lower malformation rates. At this time, the temperature is suitable, fruits and vegetables are abundant, and the sun is shining, which is very beneficial to the physical and mental health of pregnant women and the development of the fetus. When entering the cold winter, the pregnancy has reached the middle stage, and the influence on the development of the fetus has been reduced. Term delivery is a mild climate at the end of spring, which is conducive to the newborn to adapt to the external environment and better growth and development.
Stay away from that bad habit of life
In order to have a healthy and lovely baby, future fathers-to-be should try their best to avoid the following unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits:
1. Smoking and drinking. The effects of nicotine and alcohol on the fetus are self-evident. Smoking increases the rate of sperm abnormalities and impairs men’s reproductive ability, while alcohol may increase the risk of unsound fetal development. Therefore, if you have planned to have a baby, please try to quit smoking and alcohol during pregnancy preparation.
2. Often wear tight underwear, jeans and soaking in hot springs. Testicular is a very sensitive organ to temperature. Its optimal working temperature is 1-2 degrees Celsius lower than normal body temperature. If the testis is exposed to an excessively hot environment for a long time, It will affect the spermatogenic function of the testis, and the quality and vitality of sperm will be affected. For example, wearing tight underwear, jeans and soaking in hot springs for a long time will affect the temperature of the testis, thus affecting the fertility of men.
3. Long-term exposure to chemical harmful substances or radioactive substances. Long-term exposure to chemical harmful substances and radiation will cause sperm mutation, increase the risk of sperm malformation, and even cause serious consequences such as fetal malformation and infertility. Therefore, occupational protection should be done before pregnancy preparation and exposure to such substances should be avoided as much as possible.
4. Bad eating habits. Many men often eat three irregular meals a day and have many social parties due to work reasons. Smoking and drinking are inevitable, high-fat and high-sugar foods are ingested too much, and vegetables and fruits are generally lacking. If you are preparing for pregnancy, please try to get rid of these bad habits.
5. Long-term stay up late, mood is not good. Long-term stay up late or excessive work pressure, often make men highly nervous, physical and mental exhaustion. In the long run, it is easy to lead to the body nervous system, immune system and endocrine system dysfunction, body function decline, thus affecting the quality of sperm.
Are you ready to welcome the baby?
It is glorious and great to give birth to a new life. For couples preparing to give birth to a baby, pregnancy preparation measures should start from the first half of pregnancy. Future fathers-to-be can make the following preparations:
1. Stop contraception. Men should stop using condoms and women should stop taking contraceptives during pregnancy preparation. If men use vas deferens ligation as a contraceptive method, vas deferens recanalization should be performed before pregnancy preparation. If you are pregnant unexpectedly during contraception, you need to explain it to your doctor and observe it at any time.
2. Learn the knowledge of pregnancy preparation and childbirth. Master the number of times of sharing the same room, calculate the ovulation period, and have a definite object in view to create the best conditions for both husband and wife to conceive.
3. Adjust the diet, Balanced nutrition. Before pregnancy, both husband and wife should pay attention to diversified diet, Intensify nutrition. Couples who plan to be pregnant for the first three months can start supplementing folic acid. Folic acid supplementation for women can prevent neural tube defects of babies and reduce pregnancy complications. Folic acid supplementation for men can improve sperm quality. In addition, men can also properly eat foods rich in zinc and vitamin E, which is helpful to improve sperm quality and motility.
4. Maintain a good mental state. Pregnant fathers should arrange work and rest time reasonably. Healthy living rules help to maintain a good mood.
5. Take drugs carefully. At present, there are many drugs that will affect sperm, such as common antibiotics (gentamicin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, etc.), antidepressants, hormones and chemotherapy drugs, etc. In short, in order not to affect the healthy development of the baby, during the preparation of pregnancy should be carefully used under the guidance of doctors.
6. Proper exercise. Pregnant father should take some physical exercise properly, and the exercise should not be too intense. You can make an exercise plan and choose jogging, swimming and other exercise methods, which is helpful to enhance the body’s immunity and pregnancy.
Responsible Editor: Fu Ting