Preconception is a sacred window that gives women the opportunity to build a body temple to house the soul of their future children.
Ideally, we want to prepare our bodies for 6-18 months before trying for a baby, depending on the individual circumstances.
Our aim isn’t to become hyper focused on pregnancy preparation but rather to shift our emotional and physical state towards more wellness.
Addressing chronic health issues, supporting the body’s routes of elimination, rebalancing hormones and replenishing the body can all be part of a targeted pre-conception plan to help support favourable fertility outcomes.
1.WORK ON YOUR MINDSET
Changing our mindset is a crucial aspect of finding wellness and is key to creating and maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Chronic stress can negatively impact fertility so, learning how to effectively manage and respond to stress is one of the single most important things we can do for ourselves and our yet to be conceived babies.
We live in a culture that often encourages women to be hyper focused on what could go wrong.
But instead of worrying excessively about what may go wrong, could we start day dreaming about what may go right?
After all science has repeatedly demonstrated the ability of our mind to influence a desired outcome.
So, what if the first step towards improved fertility is changing our mindset?
What if..
I get pregnant easily and at a time that is right for me?
I have a beautiful uncomplicated pregnancy?
I get to have a birth that is healing and empowering?
I deliver a strong and healthy baby?
I thrive during postpartum?
Anchoring future desired outcomes through positive visualisation is a powerful way to shape our mindset, influence our biochemistry and help reduce stress.
2.MOVE THAT BODY!
There are several benefits of trying to keep active while trying for a baby. We know exercise can reduce stress, improve circulation, help flush out toxins, balance hormones and even help us reconnect with ourselves.
Furthermore, committing to an exercise routine before conception, can help prevent some of the issues women experience during pregnancy such as constipation, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, swelling and aches and pain.
Getting the right amount of exercise is really important. Overexercising can impact fertility by disrupting our hormones and our metabolic health potentially depleting us of important minerals, lowering our immune system as well as impacting our blood sugar.
Some of my favourite gentle ways to keep active both in the preconception window and in pregnancy are walking and Yoga.
Did you know studies have shown positive effects of Prenatal Yoga on anxiety, depression, perceived stress, mode of birth and even duration of labour!
3.WORK WITH YOUR CYCLE, NOT AGAINST IT
Our preconception window is a great time to become more in touch with our body and our feminine side and we can do this by working with our cycle and not against it.
Menstruation
We can view this as the body’s winter.
Our hormones, energy, focus and productivity are at their lowest.
A time to slow down, go inward, encourage deep thought and reflection via:
Walks in nature
Restorative yoga
Earlier bedtime
Practice a hobby i.e. painting, reading, baking
Follicular phase
We can view this as the body’s spring.
From the last day of bleeding through to ovulation.
Energy is rising and the body can handle more demanding activities and exercise such as strength training, HIIT and bootcamp.
Time to try something new, socialise and brainstorm.
Ovulation
The body’s summer.
We feel confident and creative.
A time to make big decisions, cultivate energy and embrace femininity.
Fertility is at its highest. Nature has made sure our libido is too.
Luteal phase
The body’s Autumn.
Time to start slowing down again and become more aware of our energy expenditure.
Best to avoid strenuous exercise and focus on gentle exercise, selfcare and setting boundaries.
4.EAT TO NOURISH
We must reclaim the lost art of nourishing our body with a nutrient dense diet in preparation for pregnancy.
Traditional cultures all over the world have practiced a period of special feeding for men and women before conception.
Modern science has confirmed that the diet of both mother and father before conception and the diet of the mother during pregnancy will determine the appearance, intelligence and physical health of their baby and will contribute to their child’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
What’s a good place to start? Whenever possible, eat foods that are local, organic and in season.
Limit your consumption of highly processed foods, especially the ones containing trans fats, industrial oils, artificial sweeteners and colours.
Try to combine carbs with protein at each meal and if you are a coffee drinker make sure to eat breakfast before caffeine.
Aim to eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking.
5.PRACTICE TOXIN AVOIDANCE
Toxin avoidance is a fundamental step towards living a cleaner, healthier lifestyle.
We can start by changing the things we can control and aim for progress, not perfection.
Man-made industrial chemicals sneak into commercial make up, skin care and household products.
The average woman is exposed to thousands of chemicals every day, most of which have been shown to cause epigenetic changes, affect baby’s development, and even influence our pregnancy and postpartum outcomes.
A few suggestions in order to reduce toxin exposure:
Drink filtered water
Avoid plastic bottles and containers and limit your consumption of canned food.
Check the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list of foods with the most and least amount of pesticides
Avoid Teflon pans
Limit your exposure to harmful self-care products like conventional hair dyes, deodorants and make up.
Choose a cleaner brand for your household cleaning product (I like Ecover).
In summary, there is a lot we can do to become more engaged in creating our own health and wellbeing. We can work on our mindset, embrace an exercise routine, be mindful of our diet, become more in tune with our feminine side and start practicing toxin avoidance.
All of these will help stack the odds in favour of a pleasant fertility and pregnancy journey.
