What should I do if I want to have a second child? What should I pay attention to when preparing for a second child?

With the relaxation of the two-child policy, more and more families have joined the ranks of having a second child. Today, let's talk about what physical preparations parents need to make before they can have a second child. Only when the body allows can the dream of having a second child be fulfilled.

How to prepare for a second pregnancy

Men should have a second child as early as possible

The male reproductive cycle is significantly longer than that of females, and some men can even have children at the age of 80. Although this is true in theory, as men age, especially those who have been in an unhealthy lifestyle for a long time, such as smoking, drinking, staying up late, sitting for a long time, and the increase in cardiovascular and endocrine system diseases with age, the fertility of many men is also declining. Since women's reproductive period becomes very precious after the age of 35, if older couples want a second child, they don't have to be too rigid about the condition of living together for one year without contraception to be considered infertile. If they haven't gotten pregnant after three months of cohabitation, they should go to a regular hospital for diagnosis and treatment.

Semen quality is the most important inspection, which includes indicators such as sperm concentration, motility, vitality, and deformity rate, which can better reflect the male's fertility. "Generally speaking, the normal reference value of sperm concentration should reach 15 million/ml, the number of viable sperm should reach 42%, and the motility rate should reach 60%." Professor Liu Xiaoqiang said that many people here have a misunderstanding that a high sperm deformity rate will cause infertility, and even if they are pregnant, the fetus will be deformed. This statement is wrong. Since most deformed sperm do not have the ability to move, only the sperm with the best vitality can combine with the egg to form a fertilized egg and then develop into a fetus. Therefore, the sperm deformity rate has little effect on the fetus.

Avoid bad habits when preparing for pregnancy

It is well known that some preparations need to be made before pregnancy, such as physical exercise, quitting smoking and drinking, taking vitamin supplements, etc. However, some bad living habits are often overlooked. Professor Liu Xiaoqiang gave an example, for example, long-term sitting can easily lead to congestion of the perineum and prostate, which may affect the quality of semen; long-term contact with computers and other electronic devices may cause potential radiation damage; many chemical substances encountered in work and life are not conducive to pregnancy.

In addition, statistical analysis shows that drivers, chefs, people working in the stone industry (long-term contact with stone, paint, dyes, etc.), people who have long-term contact with computers and like steam saunas may affect semen quality. In addition, smoking is one of the more obvious factors that affect semen quality, so it is recommended to quit smoking before pregnancy. Moderate drinking has little effect on pregnancy, but drinking should not be excessive, and many of today's wines are blended wines and contain plasticizers. Therefore, quitting drinking is a very wise choice. Vitamin E is also known as "tocopherol". A moderate amount of supplementation can improve sperm quality, but excessive use is harmful. Pay attention to eating more foods rich in vitamins, trace elements zinc, and selenium in your diet. Nuts, marine fish, and marine fish roe (rich in zinc and DHA) are all beneficial to pregnancy.

Things to note when preparing for a second child

Say goodbye to abnormal weight

Weight is an important factor affecting pregnancy. If the weight of a pregnant mother is more than 20% higher than the standard weight, she is overweight. Being overweight will affect the endocrine function, which is not conducive to conception. It is also easy to have complications such as pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes after pregnancy. Therefore, it is best to control your weight before pregnancy, increase exercise appropriately, and manage your diet well, especially to limit the intake of high-sugar and high-fat foods. It is better to get pregnant when your weight reaches the standard.

Keep up with exercise and nutrition

Many older women who are preparing to have a second child find that their physical strength and energy are not as good as before, so before preparing to have a second child, it is best to exercise well and ensure sufficient energy. Regular exercise can not only improve pregnancy and avoid miscarriage in early pregnancy, but also reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. Swimming, jogging, yoga, etc. are all good choices. The physical fitness and intelligence of the baby after birth depends largely on whether the nutrition obtained during the fetal period is sufficient and balanced. Therefore, pregnant mothers should actively reserve nutrition for the baby 3 months before preparing for pregnancy. In addition to paying attention to the intake of foods rich in folic acid in the diet, you can start to supplement 400 micrograms of folic acid every day 3 months before pregnancy and take it throughout the pregnancy. For older second-child pregnant mothers, you can also take more multivitamins, calcium, iodine and iron.

Tips for physical conditioning

1. Eat a nutritious diet

It is recommended to eat high-protein, low-fat, mild foods. Pregnant women with a good diet are more likely to give birth to healthy babies, and the incidence of complications during pregnancy (such as nausea, vomiting, and miscarriage) is 1/3 of that of women with a poor diet.

2. Live a regular life

It is best to make a regular and meaningful schedule for getting up, going to bed, exercising, going to work, and working. Such a life can easily calm your mood and increase the probability of conception. You should also stay away from bad environments in your life.

3. Keep a happy mood

Older women are prone to liver blood deficiency, which can easily lead to imbalance of qi and blood, making it difficult to conceive. If you are eager to have a child, irritable, anxious, and have liver depression, it will be even more difficult to conceive.