Planning your wedding may have taken a team of family and friends – if not the assistance of a wedding planner – as well as a detailed planning notebook. You’ve probably got a notebook full of fabric samples, floor plans and pictures of furniture as you move forward with your family’s “dream home.” Now you’re envisioning a new addition to the family – and that should involve a plan, too.

“Just as you would plan any important event in your life, you need to take special steps to plan for your pregnancy,” recommends Dr. Frances A. Smith, Department Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. “Look at your physician as your healthcare advisor and advocate during this time. We can help guide you and your spouse or partner through it.”

Dr. Smith and her colleagues at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic recommend that you take five basic pre-pregnancy steps before you become pregnant.

1. Get a Physical
Dr. Smith suggests that women preparing for pregnancy should visit their doctor for a physical, to establish whether they have any chronic medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism, seizures, etc.

“It’s better to get these conditions under control before getting pregnant,” said Dr. Devanshi Dhanji, an Obstetrician and Gynecologist for Kelsey-Seybold Clinic at Silverlake and Houston Center. “Not doing so could affect the pregnancy, and, in some cases, potentially result in birth defects.”

2. Take Your Vitamins
Dr. Smith and Dr. Dhanji both recommend that moms-to-be begin taking pre-natal vitamins before the pregnancy. They especially stress the importance of folic acid.

“Women who are trying to become pregnant should take at least 400 micrograms of folic acid a day,” Dr. Smith says. Dr. Dhanji adds, “Pre-natal vitamins contain folic acid, which decreases the chance of neural tube defects like Spina Bifida.”

“If you are on birth control pills, and you decide to stop them, start taking pre-natal vitamins, as you are already used to taking a pill every day,” Dr. Smith suggests.

3. Update Your Immunizations
If you have never had Varicella, commonly known as “chickenpox,” ask your doctor to check your immunity to it, or get vaccinated. Contracting Chickenpox during the pregnancy can be dangerous for the mother and may cause birth defects in the baby.

Dr. Dhanji recommends that women planning a pregnancy should also have their immunity to Rubella checked. “Women should make sure they are current on their Measles/Mumps/Rubella vaccine,” she says. “Get vaccinated now to prevent complications during pregnancy.”

Dr. Smith recommends an Influenza shot for all pregnant women during flu season, and a Tetanus-Diphtheria booster is necessary every 10 years. She also suggests patients discuss Hepatitis A and B immunizations with their doctor.

4. Maintain a Healthy Diet

5. Exercise Regularly
Maintaining a well-balanced and healthy diet are vital to a healthy Mom, which helps to produce a healthy baby. Both physicians also urge women not to smoke.

“If you haven’t stopped smoking, talk to your doctor about the many options available to help you stop now,” Dr. Dhanji says.

According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, all fresh fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before consumption. Listeriosis, an illness caused by bacteria found in certain food, can also cause miscarriage and can cause serious problems for a fetus.