Increase your chances to get pregnant with preconception care
Preconception care improves your chances of falling pregnant more easily, and having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Preconception care makes sense when you consider that eggs take approximately 100 days to mature and sperm takes up to 116 days to generate. During this time they both are vulnerable to toxicity and nutrient deficiency; hence the health of both people for four months prior to conception is extremely important.
What steps can you take to improve your health and what things should you avoid?
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| Management Of Infertility |
Some simple steps you can undertake include:
- Eliminate caffeine. Some women are not sensitive to caffeine but many are extremely sensitive. Just completely eliminating caffeine often immediately enhances fertility. If you find this hard you can use a substitute coffee bought at the health food store.
- Drink about 8 glasses of non-chlorinated water each day. Good hydration is important for all biological functions. Chlorine and its by-products may reduce fertility. They can act in two ways. They can bind to your hormones, altering their function. Chlorine can compete with iodine, reducing its uptake by the thyroid gland. If you drink chlorinated water, stop! Change it to nonchlorinated water and have a body cleansing and liver-colon detox. Buy good quality bottled water and don't drink tap water as this is normally treated with different chemicals.
- Eat the right fats. Eggs, fish (mercury-free), nuts and seeds, olive oil and avocado include good fats. These are all great fertility foods. Many women are infertile because their diet is too low in fat and they are deficient in essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. Many have taken the "low cholesterol" message to mean "no fats" and this has often had unfortunate consequences. Fish also provides iodine, which is essential for normal thyroid function.
- Quit smoking cigarettes. I know it may be difficult but you have to make up your mind: what is more important to you, having a baby or having a smoke!
- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol, even in moderation, has been found to reduce the chances of falling pregnant. There is no safe level of alcohol identified for pregnant women, so avoid alcohol altogether. Alcohol decreases the absorption of some vitamins (especially B vitamins) and increases the elimination of zinc and other important vitamins and minerals in the urine. B vitamins are involved in the production of sex hormones, and are directly linked to fertility levels in both men and women. If you think that you have drunk too much alcohol in the past and think you are still suffering the consequences, a liver detox can help revitalize your system.
- Avoid medication unless recommended by a doctor (make sure that they are aware that you are trying to fall pregnant). This includes mediation you cam purchase over the counter.
- Avoid contact with chemicals. You can use alternative green cleaning products, do not treat the house for pests, avoid passive smoking, and use safety precautions at work if in contact with hazards (e.g. chemicals, lead etc.). You can use old-fashioned cleaning recipes: e.g. using sodium bicarbonate solution to clean surfaces, salt for scouring, and diluted white vinegar for cleaning floors.
- Avoid overheating. Particularly saunas and spas (mainly for men). Remember, heat stops sperm production. When exercising, make sure you wear cool, comfortable clothing.
- If you do not exercise, try to start a reasonable and regular exercise routine. This has great benefits for pregnancy as well as on your general health.
- Meditate and relax at least three times a week. You can also practice yoga. Meditation improves your chances of getting pregnant by 80% because it synchronizes the mind and body connections. Meditation also relaxes the muscles (including muscles in the reproductive organs) and that makes it easier for egg and sperms to move towards the uterus.
- Eat at least 5 servings of (organic if possible) colored vegetables every day. When eaten raw or lightly cooked, these provide the necessary vitamins, minerals, folate and antioxidants.
- If you have a cat, get someone else to empty the kitty litter due to the risk of infection with toxoplasmosis.
- Eat lean meat once or twice a week. Liver is particularly rich in nutrients, Meat is rich in iron and several of the essential B group vitamins.
- Eat only low glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrates. These are the high-fiber, low-processed types. Choose foods that are GI 35 or lower. Eating high GI foods frequently leads to "insulin resistance" a common cause of infertility. High GI foods are undesirable for anyone wanting to conceive a truly healthy baby.
- Eat from as wide a range of foods as possible and try to eat organic or at least "low spray" food. It is important to avoid chemical spray. Organic produce is also reported to have higher nutritional value.
- Exercise daily or several times a week. This doesn't have to be hard exercise but it must get the blood pumping around your body. Exercise also helps remove stress from the body.
- Reach your correct weight or be a little overweight. In studies it is shown that 60% of underweight women were infertile. Being slightly overweight seems to enhance fertility but being very overweight or obese greatly reduces fertility.
- Avoid stress. Stress and fertility do not go together. Whether it's a tough job or living with your mother-in-law, a woman is unlikely to get pregnant until she relaxes.
- Look after your teeth and gums. This is essential for a normal pregnancy. Gum disease is associated with late miscarriage and premature birth.
- If you are over 35, take 1000 mg of Evening Primrose Oil daily. When we reach our 30s, our ability to convert Linoleic Acid to GLA is reduced. GLA is required to produce an important hormone called Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). PGE1 has a major role in regulating hormones and taking Evening Primrose Oil provides a natural source of GLA. Taking EPO with sesame seeds is best. The sesame stops GLA from being converted into Arachidonic Acid.
- Avoid chemical exposures. Use natural cleaning agents like lemon or vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. Abrasive scourers are fine on surfaces that don't scratch and cloths that are designed to pick up dirt are also very good. Don't use synthetic air fresheners and minimize perfumes and fragrances. Many chemicals, especially solvents and ammonia, can reduce fertility. If you have been exposed to chemicals or have had a bad diet, use a liver cleanse or detox before you attempt to become pregnant.
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| Management Of Infertility |
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