Choosing to start a family can be simultaneously the most exciting and the most terrifying decision a person can make. It’s accepting that your life will change in a monumental way. It’s accepting that your BODY will change in a monumental way (more for the women, though there’s also talk of the “dad bod”). And it’s accepting that your home will be filled with more love and joy than you know what to do with.
In preparation of your soon-to-be little one, it’s important to focus on your preconception health. It can take up to three months (!) to create the best possible egg and sperm for conception. Remember that you need a healthy body to have a healthy baby: your uterus will house your baby for 40 weeks and you’ll want to create the most welcoming in-utero environment as possible. It may feel like you’re putting on the brakes before even starting the engine, but taking a pause to establish healthy diet and lifestyle will be well worth it when you have a happy, babbling babe in your arms.
Preconception care has been shown to boost fertility and the chances of conceiving sooner, yield a healthier pregnancy, increase the probability of a healthy full-term baby, and promote better post-pregnancy recovery. Being pregnant is like running a marathon for the first time (and without any training!). Think of your preconception care as the training.
*Naturopathic Note* Many of the resources and research out there focus on the woman’s preconception health – but, it’s just as important to get your partner’s health on board as well! Besides ensuring that sperm quality and quantity are as healthy as the egg, you are now a “team” (and soon-to-be family of three) and teams work better with support and in solidarity.
There are some basic foundational changes that can make a huge difference when travelling down this family planning road. A preconception check-up, eating well, making key lifestyle changes, exercising regularly, and stress management are fundamental for a healthy mama and healthy baby.
Preconception Check-Up
We usually get a full tune-up for our car before going on a long road trip – and, likewise, we need a full health check-up before embarking on the long journey of parenthood. This is the best way to preventatively address any health issues before conceiving, and ensure a healthy and safe full-term pregnancy.
Be prepared to be asked by your doctor about your diet and lifestyle habits, any medications or birth control that you are on, pre-existing medical conditions (or family history of), and your menstrual cycles. With Zika virus still prevalent in certain tropical countries, your doctor will also ask about any recent travel to see if you should wait a period of time before trying to conceive.
You will also likely need to do several pre-pregnancy tests and screenings (Pap test, blood work, urine test, and possibly fertility-specific tests depending on your age and medical history).
Often overlooked is oral health – so, book an appointment to see your dentist! There is research connecting gum disease with pregnancy complications (preterm labour, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes). Also, gum disease usually worsens during pregnancy, making it even more significant to address before conception.
Eating Well
A clean diet is essential for preconception health. “You are what you eat”: a healthy diet means healthy mom and healthy baby-to-be! It’s also great practice to get into early since, once baby arrives, you’ll want to set a good example by eating well. It may not help you completely avoid the pint-sized fussy eater once (s)he is on solids, but it will certainly help you in knowing how to create a varied and balanced meal plan. Children learn by modelling behaviour, and if you avoid eating junk food then they’re less likely to ask for it.
Here are some general rules when eating well (good tips to follow even when you’re not trying to get pregnant!):
Eat more fruits and veggies: Aim for three to four servings of fruit and four to five servings of vegetables each day.
Limit sugar intake: Not only is it empty calories that add to weight you may not need, it can cause general inflammation in the body, decrease energy, and affect gut function – which can create a less-than-ideal environment for future baby.
Don’t skip meals: This is good practice for when you’re carrying baby in-utero – you’ll need to keep a regular intake of nutritious food for the growing babe.
Create balanced meals: Think about adding good complex carbs, clean protein, and healthy fats to your plate.
Making Lifestyle Changes
Stop smoking: Not only does tobacco make it harder to conceive, once pregnant you’re more likely to have a miscarriage or put the baby at risk of low birth weight, birth defects, and other health problems.
Avoid alcohol: It can make getting pregnant more difficult, plus harm the developing baby.
Reduce caffeine intake: It can increase the chances of early pregnancy loss. Drink no more than 200 mg/day of caffeine (that’s equal to one 12-ounce cup of coffee). An espresso or mug of tea will have less caffeine, but it’s still wise to limit your consumption.
Avoiding exposure to hazardous materials: Certain chemicals are teratogenic (cause miscarriage or birth defects). Be aware of any home or workplace hazardous materials that you may be coming into contact with.
Healthy weight maintenance: Being overweight or underweight can impact your ability to conceive.
Finding a Fitness Routine
As I said earlier, being pregnant is like running a marathon…and you want to be as well-trained as possible before starting that race! As time passes and baby grows bigger, it will put more and more strain on your own growing body. You’ll need the strength and stamina to last the full-term of 40 weeks.
Before conceiving, having a regular fitness routine in place will help with healthy weight maintenance, stress management, and preventing other health conditions that can impact pregnancy (such as high blood pressure and diabetes). Find a form of exercise that you enjoy: it will ensure that you’re more likely to stick with it once gaining a growing belly. A mix of aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (weight) workouts is best – consider walking, swimming, yoga, or an aerobics class (with modifications).
Daily Stress Management
Stress management is arguably the most important part of preconception care. It’s stressful trying to get pregnant, especially when it feels like you’ll never get that positive result on the pregnancy test. Stress has been linked to delayed or missed periods, which can make it difficult to track ovulation and best time to conceive. Start incorporating relaxation techniques daily: meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, or some other kind of self-care (e.g. baths). Learning how to manage your stress will carry you through pregnancy, labour, and those sleepless nights to come.
