PRECONCEPTION preparation!
Hi friends,
Preconception preparation is a topic I am super passionate about as a woman (currently 7 months pregnant) and as a nutritionist. I want to share my studies, findings and experiences with you all to help you on a healthy journey to conception, as I don’t believe its a topic that is spoken about enough considering the importance it plays!
It’s become apparent that many women believe that preparing to fall pregnant is as simple as popping an Elevit prenatal and you’re good to go. But WOW, there is so much more to it..
Let’s face the facts, falling pregnant can be bloody hard for many women! It can cause a lot of heartache and stress for the couple and it can be a really tough journey for many.
I want to be clear, i am not saying the below advice will be the magic pill for all women, fertility can be really complicated, but.. There is so much more that we can do as women in our everyday lives to increase our chances of conception and to improve the quality of our eggs, which can increase the viability of a pregnancy and the health of our baby.
The basis of embryonic and fetal development is already set prior to conception and is modulated through nutritional and lifestyle factors throughout pregnancy.
So where do you start? In my opinion.. it’s never too early to get your body ready and into a healthy state! I started my journey of preparing my body for conception twelve months before I started actively trying to conceive and it started with one simple step: GETTING OFF THE PILL! I was one of those people who had been on the pill for 16 years (yikes) without giving it two thoughts. As a nutritionist it scared me slightly to think about what hormonal issues the pill may have been masking over all these years of key growth, however as a typical female, I was more concerned about not falling pregnant so I continued taking the pill. (*if you haven’t been on the pill feel free to scroll down to the next section titled 6 months out)
In May 2019 I decided to finally go off the pill (exactly 12 months out from falling pregnant). I was fascinated to see if I would get my period back as I have heard of many women struggling for up to a year to regulate their cycles. However, it’s important to note, the first month’s bleed is in fact not a real period, it’s called a ‘withdrawal bleed’. This is caused by a drop in your hormones triggering the release of blood from the lining of your uterus, a result of coming off the pill.
The real test to determine a regular cycle is when your next bleed comes along, indicating your body is regulating and giving you a better indication of your natural cycle. To my surprise my period came back a month after the withdrawal bleed and my cycles from then on were on track for a 28-29 day cycle (beyond stoked at this outcome). However, i can’t stress enough, for many women this is not the case, it could take months to years to regulate for some! (however when i’m talking years there’s usually a reason for this such as PCOS, thyroid issues etc. in which case needs to be addressed with a health practitioner).
A big reason I stress the importance of getting off the pill a year out is to ensure we give ourselves time to regulate before wanting to fall pregnant. Once we get a regular period back it is a sign we are ovulating which is the key ingredient in the fertility story. I know of multiple women who didn’t get their periods back post pill for 6 -12 months. If you’re planning on falling pregnant as soon as you go off the pill it can be extremely stressful waiting for your cycles to regulate, stress is not a word we want included in the picture of conception (more about that later).
For any women out there still waiting for their periods to come back OR waiting for regular periods I would highly recommend booking a consult with a nutritionist, dietitian or naturopath if its been longer than 3-4 months of irregularity/no periods if you are wanting to fall pregnant in the coming months. We can absolutely assist you to help regulate your hormones or get to the root cause of what’s going on!
Another reason for getting off the pill is there is lots of research to show that the pill actually depletes key vitamins in our body (although many GP’s will disagree with this, hmm..). The longer you’re off the pill, the more time you will have to replenish your body of key nutrients your body depends on to conceive and grow a tiny little human. After all, the state of our health at the time of conception can absolutely influence the state of our babies health, so spend time getting your body in the best shape possible.
I know many women are scared to come off the pill prematurely if they don’t feel ready to fall pregnant, however you have to remember there is only a very small window (approx 4 days) in your cycle of actually being able to fall pregnant. In my opinion, the best contraception method in this phase is the natural way; track your cycle! This will put you on track to understanding when you are ovulating when the time comes to start trying. I ordered myself a thermometer from Natural Cycles as well as downloaded their app. I started tracking my temperature first thing in the morning and logging it in the app to understand when I was ovulating. This quickly shows you a pattern and i followed this pattern for a full year without falling pregnant, it absolutely works if you do it properly.
6 months prior to trying: Start your preconception care!
In an ideal world, 6 months prior to thinking about trying to conceive is when i would suggest starting to look at your current health status to get your body in the best possible condition. Please don’t stress out if your time frame is less than this, this is a nutritionist talking! The fact that you are reading this means you are keen to get your body into a healthier state, so whatever you can do is absolutely going to be helpful.
Preparation checklist:
Blood Test – Request a full blood count with your GP. This will give you a really good picture of your current state of play. If any deficiencies/imbalances come up for you then you will have enough time to start eating or supplementing appropriately. The main bloods to note nutritionally are iron, Vitamin D, B12, TSH (this will give you a general picture of your thyroid function which can have a huge part to play in your fertility picture) and Mercury (checking heavy metals in your blood).
Start taking a prenatal vitamin – this is super important and 6 months certainly isn’t too early to start taking it. It’s basically a multivitamin, dosing your body up with all the goods it needs to help you thrive. *My favourite prenatal supplements are Bioceuticals InNatal and Eagle Tresos Natal.
As you have probably heard, one essential vitamin we want in our system at the time of conception is folate/folic acid, an essential nutrient for healthy fetal development which can protect the baby against neural tube defects. This is super important to have in your system at the time of conception, more importantly between days 18-26 after conception (weeks 3-4, before you know you are pregnant), therefore it is key to start this prior to conception.
In Australia most of our grains (through flour) is fortified with folate and if you’re eating a diet rich in veggies you should be getting sufficient amounts of folate in your system. HOWEVER it’s important to note only 50% of folate from the foods we eat is absorbed in the body. Folic acid on the other hand, the synthetic form of folate through supplementation is much more bioavailable, hence i would always recommend supplementing along with consuming a diet rich in folate rich foods.
Three months prior to trying: Diet & Lifestyle
Please don’t undervalue the importance of your lifestyle decisions in your fertility journey! I’m well aware not everyone will take this all into consideration, however once people start realising they are not falling pregnant as quickly as they would hope for, these will come into play! There is no harm getting our bodies primed and into the healthiest shape possible. After all, our health at the time of conception can dictate the health of our baby!
Alcohol consumption – Friends, i hate to say it but alcohol is a toxin and flooding our bodies with it when trying to conceive is not always a good idea. I really recommend to cut back on your alcohol consumption in the months leading up to trying. Binge drinking needs to go and rather enjoy 3-4 drinks MAX over the week in a moderated way. I’m not saying stop drinking altogether (I personally cut down to just 1-2 drinks a week in the lead up) but rather be mindful of how much you are drinking, plan your weeks ahead and weigh up your priorities.
Smoking – QUIT IMMEDIATELY PLEASE!! (There is no ‘safe limit’ in my opinion) (I am not judging; I was a smoker in my 20s!!) Many studies show the negative impacts smoking has on our reproductive system therefore on our fertility outcomes.
Caffeine consumption – High levels of caffeine has been associated with hormonal imbalances, increased cortisol levels and miscarriage outcomes. We know that safe caffeine levels during pregnancy are below 200mg/day (equivalent to 1-2 coffees). I would start cutting down to this safe level when getting your body ready. Just remember, caffeine is not just in coffee, it can also be found in tea’s, soft drinks, energy drinks and foods such as chocolate. Go easy!
Get moving!! Exercise plays such a vital role in the production of healthy eggs and a huge body of research shows us the positive impact it can have on our cycle and ovulation! I also want to state, overdoing it is not helpful either, as this can have a negative impact on our adrenals causing our body to be in a constant state of stress. It is really important to find a healthy balance! An optimal exercise routine is moving your body for 20-30 minutes per day with variety playing a key role here! Mix it up between high intensity such as resistance weight training and jogging (3x per week) with low intensity such as walking, yoga, pilates and swimming (4x per week). Now is not the time to be pushing your body, but rather nurturing it!
DIET- My advice is simple: Replace as much of the processed foods in your diet with fresh, whole foods! Aim for a diet that is rich in nutrients to get your eggs healthy and thriving. This cannot happen if your flooding your body with chemicals and highly processed foods! Aim for at least 5 servings of vege a day and 2 serves of fruit, if there is ever a time to follow this rule now is the time. Don’t discount the power of your diet in the fertility puzzle.. FOOD IS MEDICINE guys!!
A key factor in your preconception diet is nourishing your body with enough healthy fats (avocado, olive oils, oily fish, nuts & seeds) and good carbohydrates (I’m not talking about highly processed carbs, rather consume quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, starchy veggies etc). Too little of these essential macronutrients can quite literally prevent you from falling pregnant, I have seen this many times!! These nutrients are essential for optimal bodily function. Don’t be scared to eat well and nourish your body.. and now is not the time to be counting calories!
BODY WEIGHT - When thinking about falling pregnant, weight can play a vital role. Being underweight or overweight can affect your chances to conceive along with impacting the outcome of your pregnancy.
I always say, you don’t want to be too lean when trying to conceive, if this is the case your body thinks that it’s in starvation mode, therefore ovulation can cease if it doesn’t believe that you will be giving it enough to house and grow a healthy baby.
When it comes to being overweight, the body relies on our hormones being balanced to conceive. With excess weight our bodies can produce higher levels of a hormone called leptin in our fatty tissues, creating an imbalance in our hormones making it harder to conceive.
A body mass index (BMI) between 19-24 is the ideal range we want to aim towards..
LIMIT YOUR STRESS AND TRY TO RELAX..
Stop stressing, how cliché and insensitive, right? But seriously, STRESS plays a huge part in our fertility journey! The way i like to explain it is, when we are stressed our body goes into fight or flight mode, meaning all of the blood from around the body is redirected to our limbs in preparation to ‘fight’ (just like when we used to run away from a tiger trying to eat us, our stress response has not evolved since then!), therefore our reproductive organs are not getting the sufficient blood flow it needs to conceive.
Bottom line; Are you currently in an environment putting you in a daily high stressed state? I cannot tell you how many personal stories I know of people suffering from fertility issues, as soon as they leave their highly stressful jobs… BOOM, they fall pregnant when they are out of those those environments.
I am not saying quit your jobs! But I am saying look at your environment and think about if it is conducive to conceiving.
Some great things to help with stress;
· Acupuncture: This is a proven modality to support our bodies. Not only with alleviating stress and anxiety (by reducing cortisol levels in your body) but it is proven to help with fertility. Acupuncture can balance hormones, strengthen the immune system, regulate the bodies energy and blood flow and stimulate the nervous system. I would recommend going for a few sessions in the months leading up. I have heard of so many success stories whereby acupuncture has helped women get their cycles regulated and fall pregnant, it’s quite remarkable!
· Sleep- Sleep is super important to help the bodies stress response! Are you getting enough sleep each night? Try and aim for 7-8 hours if you can. One of my favorite supplements to help wind down at night is magnesium.
· Meditation: you probably hear it all the time but meditation does wonders for your nervous system and taking you into a calmer state for your body to function optimally!
· Self Care: allow yourself down time! I know this is super hard for working professionals especially with kids but it’s crucial. Epsom salts baths, an ocean swim before or after work, start a weekly yoga practice, book a relaxing weekend away .. whatever relaxation looks like for you to help you reset, do it!
· Daily dose of sunshine! I don’t know about you but daily sun exposure calms me right down.. It also has the benefit of producing vitamin D in our body, which helps our body produce sex hormones which can assist with female fertility and sperm quality.
Lower your toxic load!!
This is something I feel really passionate about which I understand is not on everyone’s radar, take it with a grain of salt if you wish but please take this seriously! I have two words for you: ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS.. ‘chemicals that can interfere with the function of our hormones’
We are exposed to so many chemicals in our everyday lives by just breathing in our current environments that we have no control over. We are also exposed to a huge amount of chemicals through the products we consume everyday which we do have control over. From our cleaning products to the soaps we wash our bodies with, to our moisturisers we lather on our skin to the perfumes we spray everyday before we leave the house. Most household brands are pumped with chemicals that affect our hormones known as endocrine disruptors, impacting our endocrine system, the system responsible for producing hormones in our bodies. The endocrine system acts as a chemical messenger to control various functions in our body. If these are disrupted and not working properly it affects our hormone levels which are key players in allowing our bodies to conceive.
They have the ability to increase the production of certain hormones, decrease the production of others, imitate hormones, interfere with our hormone signaling etc etc… Ultimately wreaking havoc to our endocrine system having negative effects to our bodies natural function to reproduce.
That being said, it makes sense that our hormones play a huge role in the fertility puzzle, so isn’t it logical to try and lower our toxic load to support our body to thrive? The main things I encourage you to look into to avoid is BPA’s, SLS’s, phthalates, parabens, lead, mercury and pesticides. I will write another blog about all my favourite natural brands. In the meantime, empower yourself with knowledge by researching this and the best alternate brands and products to use! I always say, instead of going out and buying everything new, as you run out of things look into more natural options and go from there, one step at a time! (It took me a good year to swap out all my products!)
You are only half of the puzzle..
Please don’t discount the power your partner’s sperm plays in conceiving! I would strongly recommend getting your partner involved in this journey as soon as you can (3 months out is ideal).
Females eggs account for 40% of the fertility picture, males account for another 40% and 20% is the couples egg and sperm together. (They have as much to do with it as we do!)
As we have discussed, the quality of your egg at the time of conception can play a huge role in falling pregnant but also in the health of your baby, the same applies for the sperm!
Some things your partner should be wary of that can affect the quality of his sperm:
Alcohol consumption: Can he cut back on binge drinking and drink less and/or more moderately? Research shows heavy drinking can reduce testosterone production!
Caffeine consumption: If he is a 3+ coffees a day kinda guy, maybe he can try cutting down to 2 a day?
Is he taking any recreational drugs? Ideally we would love them to be out of their system for 3 months as it can affect the quality of his sperm! Research shows that Marijuana can block sperm production and affect sperm motility!
Is he keeping active? Try and aim for consistent exercise, 30 minutes a day of some sort of movement! Exercise has been shown to boost testosterone levels and improve semen quality.
What’s his diet like? You may giggle at the thought but i would highly recommend a multivitamin for 3 months to boost his nutrient levels!! (I know this isn’t a common thing to do but I put my husband on one 3 months out and I can only believe it contributed)
If he isn’t open to taking a prenatal I would recommend some key nutrients to look into are:
Selenium - a nutrient that supports the quality and quantity of sperm, give him 2 brazil nuts a day (how simple!)
Vitamin D – make sure they are getting a nice dose of sunshine. Vit D is super important for immunity and some research shows it can improve sperm quality
Zinc – Low levels in men have been related to decreased testosterone and poor sperm quality. Eat an abundance of meat, fish, eggs, legumes, shellfish, dairy, wholegrains, nuts and seeds.
If you have read all the way to the end, thank you so much. I hope this has been helpful, and even if you take just a few key points away with you i believe you are putting your body into a healthier state and increasing your chances to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy.
xx
Jules