Planning a Baby? is all about giving your baby the best possible start in life. By taking maximum care of your health in the six important months before your new child is even conceived, you can optimise the chances of having a healthy baby. The first few weeks of gestation are critical. Research has shown that undernourishment during this time - often before the mother is even aware she is pregnant - can affect the baby a long way into the future. It is linked with the subsequent development of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes in middle age. In this completely updated and revised edition, Dr Sarah Brewer provides the latest groundbreaking research and gives advice on:--Contraceptive advances--Lifestyle and factors that affect early pregnancy--Conception itself - the myths and the facts--Which vitamins and minerals are needed, including the use of folic acid--Advice for vegetarians--Sperm health--An overview of the causes of miscarriage