Conception Preparedness: Before & After

This is part 1 in a 3 part series.

Today we are going to talk about a very important and often overlooked healthcare concern. That is: preparing the body for conception and restoring the body after delivery. This information also applies to the fathers-to-be. We contribute to that gene pool and we should contribute our best.

It’s interesting that we spend a lot of time preparing for the wedding, preparing for the honeymoon, and even preparing the house for a newborn but very few of us actually spend the time needed to prepare ourselves and prepare our bodies to have our newborn.

Some of the benefits of preconception preparedness to the parents are reduced risks of:

·      Excessive pregnancy weight gain

·      Gestational diabetes

·      Preeclampsia

·      Less fatigue, backaches, fluid retention, constipation, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins

·      Better body image

Some of the benefits to the baby are:

·      Improved immune system

·      Improved overall health

·      Improved brain function

·      Reduced risk of birth defects and health problems later in life

Now, we will discuss some key areas to pregnancy success. Remember, these keys apply to the father as well. Again, we supply half of what’s needed to get things started.

The keys to pregnancy success include:

·      Optimizing nutrient levels through diet and customizing a supplementation program

·      Detoxify the body

·      Strengthen endocrine gland status in particular the pancreas and adrenal glands

·      Improve digestive function

·      Optimize fitness levels

Optimizing Nutritional levels

Poor nutritional status not only affects us as individuals but it is also passed on to the fetus and can have multiple negative effects on the baby such as brain development and function and physical defects including neural/spinal tube defects. Remember, specific nutrients are critical to fetal development and if the parents are deficient in them this will have a negative impact on the developing fetus. It is a strong recommendation that future parents have a comprehensive assessment before and in preparation for the pregnancy. This testing should include the husband as well as the wife to uncover any hidden deficiencies or imbalances. It is also important to retest in approximately 6 months to ensure that any deficiencies have been corrected.

When using any food supplement it is always best to use a whole food supplement. This is very important because not only does food have beneficial ingredients that we know about but it also has active ingredients that we don’t know about but are discovering daily. Another benefit to whole food supplements versus laboratory produced supplements is that they come in the ideal combinations for use by the human body.

 Some critical nutrients to include in any prenatal supplement are:

·      A Multi-vitamin with all of the B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin c and a good antioxidant source

·      Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids- an omega 3 fatty acid is a major fatty acid in sperm and brain phospholipids

·      A Multi-mineral with iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc

Studies have found:

·      Regular use of a good multivitamin in preconception may reduce the risk of preeclampsia with one study taken from the American Journal of Epidemiology showing that multivitamin users had a 71% reduction in preeclampsia risk

·      Infants with iron deficiency demonstrated slower motor development

·      Maternal supplementation of omega 3s during pregnancy and lactation may be favorable for later mental development in the children

·      Maternal consumption of cod liver oil early in pregnancy was associated with a higher birth-weight, higher birth-weight has been associated with a lower risk of diseases later in life

·      Low preconception consumption of plant proteins, iron, magnesium, and niacin are associated with a 2 to 5 times increased risk of spina bifida

·      Pyridoxine (B6) deficiency of the mother may result in permanent behavioral abnormality and intellectual deficiency in her children. B6 is essential for normal brain development and function, and helps the body make the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine (which influence mood) and melatonin (which helps regulate the body clock).

·      All B vitamins help the body convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which is "burned" to produce energy. These B vitamins also help the body metabolize fats and protein. B complex vitamins are necessary for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. They also help the nervous system function properly. All B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning that the body does not store them.

·      Women who had a total vitamin C intake in the lowest 10% of women before conception had twice the risk of preterm delivery because of premature rupture of the membranes.

The action steps needed to improve this first key to conception success are:

·Have you and your spouse tested to find any deficiencies and imbalances.

Start a high quality, whole-food prenatal supplement program. This may even require a systemic detoxification to cleanse your body before the repair and healing supplementation program can begin.