Can’t get pregnant? A few lifestyle changes may be in order.

Like we said, it’s never really as simple as have sex, get pregnant. Even a few lifestyle factors can mean boost or bust if you want to have a baby. If you’ve decided you’re ready to be a parent, consider our fertility don’ts. If you want to get pregnant and have a healthy head-start for your baby, time to start kicking some bad habits — or a least practice some self-control.

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What’s good and safe about pregnancy massage?

Massage offers many benefits for pregnant women. Done properly by a trained therapist, prenatal massage can help alleviate the aches and pains of pregnancy, improves circulation and relieves tension and fatigue. You might hear people tell you to skip massages while pregnant because it can harm your baby. That’s a misconception!

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Another reason why lead is toxic — it could set-off ADHD.

Here’s a relevant news flash from UPI: A U.S. researcher says attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may be linked to the neurotoxin lead — still found in some toys, jewelry and water. Joel Nigg of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland points to lead as an ideal candidate to trigger the developmental disorder called ADHD, which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Children with ADHD usually show signs before age 7. Among the signs a child may have ADHD — he can’t sit still, has difficulty listening or focusing on tasks, and in school he may be labeled as a troublemaker or a lazy student.

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It’s an important day, make your plans clear.

Seven months into my pregnancy, after much reading and consulting with my doctor, I had a clear idea of how I wanted my delivery to go. It’s the same for most pregnant women. By this time, some have already decided they want a natural, drug-free birth; others sign up for an epidural vaginal birth; or there are women who just want a c-section.

The choice is yours, but it’s important you make it clear to your hospital and medical team or your midwife how you really hope your delivery will go. This is where a birth plan will come in. Trust me, in the throes of labor and delivery you don’t want to be answering too many questions. Your birth plan should be there for everyone’s reference.

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Doctors are easing up and letting women in labor have a sip or two.

The standard protocol for years in maternity wards has been no food or water for women in labor. The best thing you can get after hours of panting and sweating trying to get your baby out would be a few ice chips or sucking on wet wash cloths. Well, doctors say the practice may be outdated. Read on and make sure you know what this is all about before you write down your birth plan.

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More reason to get healthy even before the baby comes.

We know that obesity is associated with many illnesses, from diabetes to heart conditions. Now we can add an increased risk for birth defects in babies carried by overweight mothers. This comes from an analysis conducted by US researchers and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Obesity is defined as those who have a BMI or body mass index of 29 or higher.

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Stress and lack of support puts expectant moms at risk.

Some expectant mothers are more prone to depression than others. A University of Michigan study reports that factors such as stress, mental health history, social support and whether a pregnancy was planned contribute to putting a woman at risk for depression during pregnancy.

This is important because women who are depressed have higher risk for dangerous complications during pregnancy. In fact, attending doctors are being encouraged to identify depression and its risk factors to minimize pregnancy complications.

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H1N1 and HPV shots now standard for children.

The U.S. has revised it’s official vaccine schedule for children. It is now recommended that children older than 6 months get the H1N1 influenza vaccine as standard protocol.

Dr. David Kimberlin, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases and a liaison to the Centers for Disease Control panel that helped author the recommendations, says the guidelines also say combination vaccines are generally preferred over separate injections.

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Dealing with those pregnancy dizzies.

As we had tackled previously, it is typical for women to experience nausea and vomiting during the early stages of pregnancy. These symptoms may be unpleasant, but the American Pregnancy Association considers morning sickness as indicative of healthy placenta development. It’s a sign your body is doing its work to grow your baby! Still, we have more ways to deal with the discomfort. No need to suffer too badly.

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I’m pregnant and I feel sick!

Actually, morning sickness is somewhat of a misnomer. The nausea, fatigue and vomiting that may accompany pregnancy can happen anytime of the day or night. I can attest to that. Mine would come in waves, during the afternoon and in the evening. Just found out you’re pregnant and not feeling too good? Welcome to your first trimester!

Dr. Marjorie Greenfield, ob-gyn and author of The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book, says 70 percent of women experience nausea early in pregnancy and about 50 percent experience vomiting. “It’s very, very common, but it’s also incredibly varied,” Greenfield adds. “Lots of people are sick all day, some are sick mostly in the evening, and others are sick if they haven’t gotten enough sleep.”

Morning sickness can start as early as six weeks into pregnancy and tends to peak around the eighth and ninth weeks. But this too shall pass. Typically, pregnancy-induced nausea lifts when you hit the second trimester at 12 to 14 weeks.

In the meantime, we have advice on how to manage those unpleasant pregnancy symptoms.

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