Some mothers will plan for a pregnancy for years in advance. The obstetrician or family planning expert can help the mother to be, plan out the most effective lifestyle changes to optimize the health of mom and baby during gestation.

1.     Prepare for the pregnancy - Some mothers will plan for a pregnancy for years in advance. The obstetrician or family planning expert can help the mother to be, plan out the most effective lifestyle changes to optimize the health of mom and baby during gestation.

2.     Lose extra weight before becoming pregnant - Being overweight will not only make becoming pregnant harder, but will make the pregnancy more difficult. Overweight and obese pregnant women have a higher risk of complications than expectant moms of normal weight.

3.     Continue exercise after pregnancy - Do you love to do Yoga? There is no reason why expectant mothers cannot continue their normal exercise routine as long as the activity is not considered high risk.

4.     Eat healthy foods for added calories - Just because mom needs to eat an additional 300 calories a day does not mean those calories can be full of fats and sugars. The best source of added calories is pure, lean protein. Some mothers even choose to use a protein supplement and continue eating the same diet as before they were pregnant.

5.     Watch stressors both environmental and emotional - Working around people who smoke, chemicals and air pollution can be harmful to both mom and baby. In addition, the emotional stressors of life can make for an increased risk of depression during pregnancy.

6.     Stop habits like smoking and drinking - There is no reason to sugar coat this one. Smoking before pregnancy can cause cancer. Smoking during pregnancy can cause cancer. Smoking after pregnancy can cause cancer. The expectant mom needs to stop smoking for her health and baby's health. In addition to smoking, alcohol can cause irreversible harm to the fetus due to the onset of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

7.     Increase water intake - The hormone progesterone causes bloating and water retention during pregnancy. In order to naturally combat this bloating, the expectant mom should increase water intake. More water is also great for overall body health.

8.     Sleep well at night - Mom's body is working overtime to keep mom healthy and baby growing. Sleep is essential, not to mention the fact that after the pregnancy it will be a rare commodity. Pregnant moms should sleep between 6 and 8 hours every night. Naps during the day may also help to relieve fatigue.

9.     Keep all prenatal care appointments - The prenatal appointments may seem like a breeze and a waste of time at first, but those little urine tests and listens to the heart beat are used to establish the health of the baby and mom. Something simple like a spike in a hormone level could alert the obstetrician of a problem, but without prenatal care the rise would never be caught.

10.   Continue preventative care - Preventative care like dental appointments and eye appointments are important to keep for the duration of the pregnancy. Humans are pregnant for 10 months. During that time, the care of mom should not be stopped for the sake of baby's care.

11.   Take that vitamin every day - Folic acid is very important in the beginning of pregnancy so many women start off with the prenatal vitamin like a soldier. Every day at the same time, they take the vitamin as instructed. As the pregnancy wears on, the dedication to that structure falls to the way side and the vitamin can be lost in the shuffle. The prenatal vitamin is created to keep mom healthy so these same vitamins can make their way to baby.

12.   Think positive thoughts - In recent literature, the role of mental thoughts and well-being is being related to improvements in health. For instance, if the woman believes she will lose weight on a diet plan, she will. The same goes for the pregnant mom. If she believes the pregnancy will be successful, it will.