Fertility Foundations; Where to Start
Your first steps to take when preparing for pregnancy
Preparing for pregnancy can involve a mixture of emotions including excitement, fear or overwhelm… This blog is going to help break down a few of the best places to start so that your journey can be a little less overwhelming.
The importance of preconception care
With a continual increase in reproductive women’s health conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis, combined with a sharp decline over the years in male sperm quantity and quality, reaching that positive pregnancy test can feel like an uphill battle. Being proactive from the beginning of your fertility journey can help you increase your chances of falling pregnant in a shorter time frame. Ideally, we want a minimum of 3 months of preconception planning prior to conception, however the longer the better and aiming for 6 months is usually more realistic. So where do you start when beginning a preconception planning journey…
1. Identify and Treat Underlying Health Conditions
Chronic health conditions, including PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid conditions, diabetes, obesity or endometriosis can negatively impact your chances of a healthy pregnancy. Addressing these conditions is the first place to start, and this usually involves a visit to your doctor or healthcare provider to ensure any pathology or routine testing can be conducted. Each of the conditions listed can be supported through naturopathic care by addressing diet and lifestyle and including specific supplements tailored to your needs. Addressing health conditions at this point of preconception care is not just limited to women, males are also improving fertility outcomes by improving sperm quality when they address their own health conditions. Quality sperm is just as important as a healthy egg!
2. Address Nutritional Requirements
As a naturopath, understanding nutritional needs can be a very personalised area. However, some key nutrients play major roles in ensuring a healthy egg and semen and are recommended for both partners to ensure they are getting adequate amounts of.
ZINC
A mineral found in oysters, red meat, chicken, pumpkin seeds, lentils, yoghurt, chickpeas and dark chocolate. Zinc helps to regulate hormones, improves sperm and egg quality, improves oxidative stress and many more important factors that help make healthy babies!
Omega 3’s
Fish provide the highest sources of Omega 3’s, followed by nuts and seeds. Omega 3 does not only support healthy sperm and egg quality, but it also enhances ovulation, implantation, uterine health and reduces the risk of miscarriage.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is best sourced from the sun, with 15 minutes of exposure daily on your abdomen or as much skin as possible. This advice varies greatly depending on your skin type and geographical location. If your levels are significantly low, supplementation may be required. For fertility, levels should be above 100 nmol/L. Vitamin D is essential for hormone regulation and immune function.
Folinic Acid
A generally well-known nutrient in preconception care because it helps to prevent neural tube defects, supports healthy cell division and DNA synthesis, improves hormone balance, prevents miscarriage and helps regulate many other cellular processes that contribute to a healthy baby. Unless you know your genetic profiling for metabolising folic acid (MTHFR gene), I always recommend avoiding synthetic forms of folic acid. When choosing a Folinic acid supplement, look for the words Folinic acid, Levomefolic acid or Methyl folate, and avoid folic acid. Foods high in Folinic acid include leafy green vegetables, liver, eggs and legumes.
Protein
Sources of protein for fertility include meat, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds and tempeh. Protein helps to stabilise body weight, stabilise blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, support immune function, cellular repair, hormone production and many other processes that contribute to a healthy pregnancy.
3. Lifestyle Adjustments
Lifestyle choices play a significant role in fertility. The biggest lifestyle factors that contribute to infertility include smoking, drinking alcohol, recreational drugs, lack of exercise and poor sleep habits. Making healthier lifestyle choices before conception can help improve both male and female reproductive health.
4. Managing Stress
Stress has a significant role in fertility. Raised cortisol can dysregulate hormone production, resulting in ovulatory issues and impacting sperm production. Implementing stress management tools and reducing stress is an important foundational step to conceiving a baby and improving your overall well-being.
