[Fey]

My first question is how old are you? Are you a legally separate adult? Secondly, are you in a stable financial and familial place? Lastly, are you prepared to give the next 18+ years to the child's needs rather than your own?

I realize none of these address your questions, but bear with me, I will get to it.

The first question is to your ability to make adult choices. Contrary to popular belief being 18 doesn't give you a capability to make adult choices. The human brain doesn't develop fully until the early 20s, so we're not capable of truly 100% rational decisions until that age. If you're under that age, no matter your convictions that you WANT a family, you may not be able to make the best choices for a new life.

The second is to ability of taking care of first yourself in pregnancy and once the child is born. The average cost of raising a child is $150,000 over 18 years. This isn't including the cost of college. Nor does it cover large health emergencies or the cost of the parent. There's a saying that you can do anything if you have a combination of time, money and people. Raising a child is the same. Without two of the three though it would be nearly impossible.

The last is about mental preparedness. Because a child is a full time position. You can't be a mom only when you want to be pregnant, get happy mommy times. You have to be a mom when they're teething and screaming for days. You have to be a mom when your friends are going off to parties, or out drinking. You have to be a mom when you find out they have a life threatening disease that takes up all your time and money.

As most parents will tell you, being a parent is a full time, hard job.

Now, for your original question, if you can comfortably answer those questions to yourself, there's a number of things you can do. First, talk to an OB/GYN about prenatal nutrition, work out programs and precautions. Talk to your mother, grandmother and aunts about difficulties they may have had during their pregnancies, things often run in families. Talk to the father of the baby, other things are hereditary, and preparing yourself mentally is just as important as physically.

Once you are pregnant, follow the doctors orders, take your vitamins and get routine check ups. In this day and age they'll see anything and everything as it happens.