If you are thinking about getting pregnant, it's more important than ever for you to start taking care of yourself both physically and emotionally.  Your chances of having a problem-free pregnancy and a healthy baby will increase exponentially if you follow a few simple guidelines:

• Watch your diet. Eat a healthy, nutritionally balanced diet.


• Take prenatal vitamins with folic acid, which greatly reduces a baby's risk of developing neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida.


• Exercise regularly.  A good exercise program can give you the strength and endurance you'll need to carry the weight you gain during pregnancy and to handle the physical stress of labor.  Plus it will make getting back into shape after the baby is born much easier.  Exercise is also a great way to beat the pregnancy blues; a recent study found that staying active can boost your level of serotonin, a brain chemical linked to mood.


• Just say no to alcohol.  Whatever alcohol you drink rapidly reaches your baby through your bloodstream and across the placenta.  Women who have more than two drinks a day are at greater risk for giving birth to a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).  Children born with FAS suffer from mental and growth retardation, behavioral problems, and facial and heart defects.  Even occasional alcohol use by women during pregnancy has been linked to behavioral and learning problems in children.  Since you will not always know immediately when you are pregnancy, play it safe - have a nonalcoholic drink instead.


• Cut back on caffeine.  As with alcohol, it's best to err on the side of caution.  Drink decaffeinated coffee, tea, or soda instead.  Or, better yet, try a glass of mineral water.


• Stop smoking.  Smoking increases your risk of miscarriage, etopic pregnancy (where the fertilized egg implants outside the womb), abnormal placental implantation, premature placental detachment, vaginal bleeding, premature delivery, and infant death.  Not convinced yet?  Some studies have shown that women who smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to a baby with a cleft lip or palate.  It's never too late to quit or cut back, though; every cigarette you don't light gives your baby a better chance of being healthy.

For more information, check out the Baby Center preconception site.