Hi Tina,
You should be in the best physical and mental shape possible. Pregnancy is demanding on the mind and body... more for some... less for others.
Are you physically active? I am assuming you workout with Cathe????? Pregancy and child birth are physically demanding, so a fit mom is better prepared for the challenge.
Are your well-woman exams up to date? If you see your health care provider for these exams before you start TTC, be sure to share your plans.
Healthful eating is important. Be sure to get 400 micrograms of Folic Acid everyday. Some health care providers advise women to take over-the-counter prenatal vitamins at least 3 months before pregnancy... talk to you PCP. There is so much we don't know regarding the impact of pre-natal nutrition. I just read that in the year before pregnancy, a mother's diet rich in fruits and vegetables may lower a child's risk for a certain type of leukemia.
Mental preparation... hmmmmm... I think it is important for women to be prepared for the changes in their bodies... there should be pregnancy classes offered by hospitals because sometimes you just aren't provided with the proper patient education. I had the advantage of being an OB/Gyn nurse for 6 years prior to my first pregnancy... so I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen to me and why. Talk to other moms... be prepared for the negative feedback you may encounter. We had family and friends warn us "this will change your lives"... "your lives will never be the same"... it was the "just wait and you'll see attitude... full of gloom and doom. Some of them made parenting sound like a an unwanted burden. Well, it changes your life, but IMO it is all wonderful. Educate yourself on pregnancy and parenting... there are resources on the internet too.
I hope this helps.
Good luck! And enjoy your cruise.
