A Fateful First Act

The action-packed days a baby spends in utero influence her emotional and physical makeup for years to come.

By Emily Laber-Warren, published on May 01, 2009 - last reviewed on August 12, 2009

Timed Health Tips

Expecting mothers are bombarded with guidelines, but some do's and don'ts are particularly important during specific windows in a fetus's development. Here are a few time-sensitive hints for optimizing the prenatal environment.

Pre-Conception

Get regular exercise. The better your cardiovascular health going into pregnancy, the more oxygen and nutrients you'll pipe to the developing baby.
Drop that glass of wine with dinner. The offspring of pregnant monkeys who sipped just two drinks a day have subtle learning and emotional problems. The alcohol was most damaging during the first several weeks of pregnancy, when you may not yet realize you're pregnant.
Get a flu shot to reduce the chance of getting the virus. Make sure you've been vaccinated for chicken pox, rubella, and hepatitis B at least three months before trying to conceive.

First Trimester

Limit stress. Severe stress during this time could heighten the chance that a baby will later become schizophrenic. You can't prevent most traumatic events, but don't work in a hostile environment if you don't have to.
Avoid smog. Air pollutants like carbon monoxide and ozone have been linked to heart defects when the exposure coincided with the second month of pregnancy, when the heart is forming.
Make a date with folate. Folic acid deficiency in the first 28 days of pregnancy leads to brain and spinal cord defects, so stock up on lentils, asparagus, and fortified cereal.

Second Trimester

Be an iron woman. By the 20th week of pregnancy, your stored iron supply may be depleted, meaning you could get anemic. For the sake of your own energy and for your growing fetus, take a supplement and eat spinach.
Stay off caffeine. You're not off the hook, Starbucks addicts: A large British study concluded that caffeine consumption during pregnancy was associated with smaller babies. The association continued all the way through pregnancy.

Third Trimester

Don't forget choline. Your brain cell volume decreases during the third trimester, and you may be feeling a little spacey. Found in egg yolks, soybeans, and beef, choline can help boost your memory and aid in your baby's ongoing brain development.
Meditate, do prenatal yoga, and breathe deeply to promote relaxation and increase the amount of oxygen that reaches the fetus. Your life is about to change drastically; don't stress out about having everything perfectly put together but do make sure you have social support lined up.