Things to do before trying for a baby: Dentist and folic acid
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9. See your dentist
Women with periodontal disease (a tooth condition) are 7 times more likely to give birth to underweight or premature babies.
You can also make sure your mouth is in good shape. This means you'll avoid X-rays and treatment while pregnant which could be harmful to your baby, as well as stopping something called pregnancy gingivitis, where your gums swell up, bleed and get sore. This affects half of pregnant women.
10. Take folic acid
Start taking a supplement that contains 400mcg of folic acid every day.
Women who don't get enough folic acid can increase their chance of miscarriage and also the likelihood that their child will have a birth defect, such as spina bifida, which currently affects 1 in 1,500 babies born in the UK.
You can also change your diet to include foods that have high levels of folic acid: leafy green vegetables are a good source, as are Brussels sprouts, bran flakes, black eyed beans, papaya and broccoli.
More help and advice
- 10 things you need to about ovulation
- How to tell when you're ovulating
- Try our ovulation date calculator
By Rob Mansfield
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Determining the sex of your baby
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Ovulation calculator
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Things to do before trying for a baby: Dentist and folic acid
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Things to do before trying for a baby: Eat and know your cycle
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Things to do before trying for a baby: Have sex and check your man
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Your 20s
