How to Boost Fertility & Prepare for Pregnancy

A healthy body increases your chances of conception. Adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle durring thr preconception window gives you the best chance of concieving and having a healthy baby.

When to start preparing for conception?

The couple should both look at cleaning up their diet and making healthy improvements to their lifestyle at least 3 months prior to trying for a baby. It takes 3 months to make significant improvements to sperm and it takes approximately 100 days to create new eggs for the women. For this reason, it’s recommended to allow 3-months for any preconception plan.

Why is preconception health important?

It’s one thing to get pregnant and stay pregnant, but growing and developing a healthy baby is down to maternal health durring preganacy, and the health of the couple at conception. Durring pregnancy important genetic and epigenetic factors play an important role in laying the foundations for the growing baby. The health of the baby in utero plays a role in the child’s development and health status from baby to infant to adult.

What should I eat?

A healthy pre-conception diet should focus on minmially processed wholefoods, and organic produce where possible. To balance meals, aim to eat some of each macronutrient, being protein, good fats and carbohydrates with meals.

·       PROTEIN contributes towards sex hormone production so is essential for fertility. However, it is important you eat the right type of protein. Diets high in red meat are tied to health concerns that can negatively impact fertility. Good protein sources include eggs, beans, nuts, nut butters, tempeh, seeds, oily fish (sardines, small mackerel, salmon, anchovies), white fish and white meat. Avoid fish high in mercury such as tuna, shark, marlin, king mackerel.

·       COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES like vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, whole grain cereals and pasta are some of the best ways to get the nutrients including fibre that positively influence fertility.  Some people may benefit from having less carbohydrates in the preconception window, but working under the guidance of a Naturopath is recommended.

·       GOOD FATS found in oily fish (like salmon and mackerel), nuts and seeds affect both fertility and the healthy development of your growing baby during pregnancy. Trans fats in processed foods and saturated fats from animal meat can have a negative impact fertility and should be avoided.

·  WATER is important for organ function by serving as the mechanism for delivering the nutrients to your body.

ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

Obtain nutrients from food first, and work under the guidance of a practitioner for supplements advice so you know you are getting the right form of nutrient, dosage and quality of the product. There is a lot of confusion and misinformation around preconception and pregnancy supplementation, so it’s always recommended to work with someone 1:1 on this. Not everyone needs the same supplements, and a personalised approach is always recommended.

·       Folate supplementation is recommended prior to and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. It facilitates the development of a healthy spine and brain. Food sources rich in folate include green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts), peas and beans, certain fruits, especially oranges.  

·       IRON - Iron deficiencies in pregnant mother’s can have long-lasting effects on the brain development of the child. Include these top iron sources: lean red meat (beef, lamb and pork), chicken, turkey, oily fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, breakfast cereals with added iron, peas, beans and lentils, dried fruits (prunes, apricots, raisins) and green vegetables.

·       Vitamin C helps to release the iron from the food. Vitamin C is also great for immune protection and increases progesterone. Stock up on these good sources of Vitamin C to boost your iron absorption and improve your Vitamin C status: Oranges, berries, kiwi, tomatoes, potatoes, green vegetables, and peppers.

·       ZINC directly impacts fertility in women and men. Zinc is abundant in vegetables, eggs, onions, beetroot, legumes, whole grains, nuts, sunflower seeds, watermelon and dried fruit.

·       VITAMIN B6 affects your fertility by contributing to the production of female sex hormones and by regulating estrogen and progesterone. Get B6 from eggs, salmon, peanuts, bananas, and sunflower seeds.

·       VITAMIN D is essential for the health of mother and baby both while in utero and after birth. It works with calcium to support bone health. Besides sunshine, sources include eggs, oily fish and fortified foods.