I have done a lot of reading both online and in books about preparing for pregnancy and motherhood and how important it is to have a healthy diet and lifestyle before you conceive your baby.

It is really important to have a diet low in fat, salt and sugar and high in fibre, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals when trying to conceive. Having a pre-pregnancy plan in place will ensure you are at your optimum level of health at the crucial stage of pregnancy.

It has been proven that a baby will do most of it's developing in the first 4 weeks of pregnancy. This is often well before the mother even knows she is pregnant. In the first 4 weeks of pregnancy the child will develop any illnesses or genetic conditions that it may be predisposed to and set a memory for its future health.

It will also determine brain size, brain functions and brain capacity. This will ensure your child has an increased intelligence. Essential fatty acids have been linked in producing smarter and healthier children.

If you are getting the right intake of essential fatty acids while pregnant, your child will have increased brain function, clearer eyes and higher intelligence. Essential fatty acids are found in nuts and seeds and oily fish such as salmon or tuna.

When eating fish during pregnancy it is best to eat organic fish as this will help to limit the metals such as mercury normally found in non-organic fish. It is also important to eat a high quality salmon or tuna if you are eating them from cans and to also watch the salt content. Canned fish can sometimes be high in salt so opt for the salt reduced options.

Other important things during pre-pregnancy are making sure you exercise, so muscles remain strong and healthy. Strong muscles can also help during labour and give you stamina to be able to last long hours in the labour ward. As we all know labour is very hard on the body and if you are fit and healthy you will have a faster recovery time and more energy to enjoy your new baby.

There are many books and e-books that will give you great advice on pre-pregnancy plans and diets. I feel this is essential to give your child the best start in life.