Not now, perhaps later
Not everybody has a clear picture of what they want the future to look like. There are many parts that need to be connected in the puzzle of life and it might be hard to know if having children is a piece that fits you. You don’t need to have a detailed plan, but spend a minute or two to think about what is important to you.
• What are your thoughts about children?
• What are the advantages of having children? What are the disadvantages of having children?
• How do you plan to prevent getting pregnant until you are certain?
• What parts of the puzzle of life affect your reproductive life plan?
Do you want to optimize your chances of having children at some point in the future? Bear in mind already now:
- To protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections
- Take a good look at your lifestyle habits and try to maintain a normal weight
- Reflect on whether there are factors in your living and working environment that might have a long-term effect on your fertility
- Don’t wait too long
These are valuable things to remember if the time should ever come:
- Certain lifestyle changes take time. Don’t wait for the pregnancy test to be positive – improve your lifestyle habits before you decide to get pregnant/have children.
- For women: Start taking folic acid supplements at least one month before you start trying to get pregnant.