Yes, you can alter baby’s DNA for the greater good. Here’s how to start right now

There’s nothing quite like the emotional juxtaposition of pregnancy. On one hand, you’re thrilled, elated, and impatient for your baby’s first smile, babble, and hug. On the other hand, you may feel anxious about a million unknowns—about what’s going on inside your belly, about whether your little one is growing properly, about how you’re going to function on zippo sleep.

As you balance these competing emotions, we have one word for you—relax! The most important thing to keep in mind is this: Most pregnancies turn out fine—most being defined as more than 99.5% for mom and more than 95% for babies delivered after 28 weeks. Absolutely fine. Women’s bodies are designed to carry children safely and effectively. That doesn’t mean everything will be smooth sailing on this journey, but it does mean that the odds are greatly in your favor. If you can learn how to maximize your chances that nature runs the course it’s supposed to, then you increase those odds even further.

We’re here to help
In our new book—and henceforth our new monthly column in Pregnancy—we’re here to help you explore the biology of pregnancy and give you the strategies and tips that will help you manage everything from conception to delivery (even from three months before to one month beyond). Of all the things we want you to learn, two of the most important involve topics that you may have never spent much time thinking about: epigenetics and your placenta. We’ll discuss the placenta next month; but we know you’re thinking, What on earth is epigenetics?