How to Support Your Preconception Health

2 mins to read

Naturopath Katie Gregory gives her top five tips to support your preconception health, including eating for optimal fertility and minimising stress.

Pregnancy and preconceptionWellbeing news

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by advice when you’re trying for a baby, but there are a few simple things that can help you on your journey to conception. Here’s naturopath Katie Gregory’s top five pre-pregnancy tips.

Remember that pre-conception health is important for both of you.

There’s often an emphasis on women with regards to pre-conception care, but in reality it’s important for both men and women. Healthy sperm and healthy eggs are both – equally – needed to create a baby.

Eat for fertility.

Fertility can be enhanced greatly simply by making some conscious food choices. In fact, eating well can improve your conception outcomes and may even improve the health of your baby, too.

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are important to provide energy to the immature eggs that eventually mature and get released during ovulation. Foods such as wild-caught salmon, chia seeds, flaxseeds and walnuts are rich in omega-3s. Antioxidant-rich foods like tomatoes, ginger, garlic and berries may help to reduce the oxidative stress that can impact both female and male fertility.

Creating a baby also requires protein, considering proteins are essentially the building blocks of life. Consider adding foods like organic, grass-fed meats, eggs, lentils, legumes, and nuts and seeds to your diet. As well as eating a healthy diet, beginning to take a preconception supplement is recommended for both women and men, to support the nutritional demands of conception.

Get in tune with your body.

For women, it’s important to be in tune with both your menstrual cycle and your cervical fluid. When you do begin to try and conceive, your cervical fluid is one of the most important things to pay attention to. Look out for what’s technically called ‘spinnbarkeit mucous’, which will usually appear one or two days prior to ovulation. With a stretchy, elastic consistency so that if you put it between your fingers it’d resemble clear egg white, it’s the most fertile type of mucous.

Clean up your environment.

It’s no secret that the world we live in now has many more chemicals and toxins than it once did. Toxins may negatively alter both eggs and sperm, with sperm being more susceptible to damage. Be mindful of your exposure to things like chemical cleaning products, makeup and cosmetics that contain parabens, and smoking or vaping – even if it’s second-hand. Making your environment a cleaner place can benefit you and your growing family.

Relax and enjoy this special time.

Trying to create a life should be considered a very sacred and special time. While it can be easy to get hung up on diet, cycle tracking and all the should-and-shouldn’t-dos in the baby-making process, don’t forget to keep intimacy fun and enjoyable. The end goal might be a baby but try to remember to connect with your partner by slowing down and spending time together as well as individually. Relaxing and practising self-care is key in the pre-conception phase of life.