Once your pregnancy is confirmed in the next week or so, you'll find you're bombarded with more health information than ever. Is your diet well balanced? Could you cut back on the amount of salt, sugar, and fast food you eat? Are you eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy green vegetables, which are a good source of folic acid. Are you exercising enough and safely? Even though you don't know you're pregnant yet, it's worth being aware of the recommended advice and making some basic dietary and lifestyle changes. It's also worth being aware of the early signs of pregnancy so you know what's normal.

If you have a preexisting medical condition or are taking medication, seek medical advice.

Here's what some cultures believe:

• Hindu fathers part the hair on their partner's head three times upward from the front to the back to boost the development of the growing baby.
• In some countries, there is great emphasis placed on protecting the unborn baby. In Thailand, the pregnant woman's abdomen may be painted to ward off evil spirits. It is also believed that giving gifts before the birth will attract evil spirits.

There are at least 30 chemicals in cigarette smoke that can adversely affect fertility.

Because smoking reduces the rate at which cells replicate, it may cause most damage during the first days and weeks of pregnancy. In addition to causing fertility problems in women, smoking can have negative effects on sperm and reduce testosterone in men.