Fertility and Preparation for Baby

Have you been having difficulty getting pregnant, or do you want to be in the best possible condition before you get pregnant?

Most people spend more time preparing a nursery for their baby than they do preparing their bodies for creating and/or growing a baby.   

Recently, achieving or sustaining pregnancy has become increasingly difficult for many women.

Beginning to optimize our bodies even just a few months before trying to conceive will greatly improve our chances of not only getting pregnant, but also of having robust, smart children, smoother pregnancies, and an easier postpartum period. However, what we do to our bodies years before we get pregnant – what we put in them, on them, or put them through – can play a huge part in the betterment or detriment of our own health, the health of our offspring, and the health of the earth.

Check out the full article from Jaclyn Downs, Functional Genomic Nutrition Consultant here.

Our moms also suggest the following:

Top 5 Tips to Becoming a Healthy Fertile Myrtle:

1. Eat organic. Reducing your exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in conventional food is crucial to giving your body the best chance it can have to carry a healthy baby to full term. Pregnant women in the midwest, exposed to farms that spray glyphosate on conventional crops, had significantly higher numbers of shortened gestations, meaning miscarriages and premie births, and infant deaths. It's worth it to spend the extra money for organic!
   
   
2. Get a blood test for heavy metals and detox from heavy metals as much as possible. Fiji Water has been shown to detox aluminum, and if you are going to drink bottled water, that would be the one we suggest. We suggest Primary Detox by Bioray, an herbal tincture, for heavy metal and pollutant removal. We also suggest Elite H2 molecular hydrogen to address free radicals.
   
   
3. Get a blood test for your mineral and vitamin levels to help determine what kind of daily supplements you specifically need to have. We suggest a Quintessential mineral supplement that has rave reviews from women struggling with hormonal issues and infertility.
   
   
4. Spend an hour or two outside every day. Exercise is good for both mom and baby. Always check in with your provider regarding your exercise routine. Exercise, stretch, and take walks in different environments such as the forest, ocean, rivers, desert, mountains, or local park or garden.  Doing so exposes you to important and diverse beneficial bacteria that strengthen your microbiome and immune system. Vitamin D production happens from sun exposure, so be sure to allow 20 minutes minimum of bare skin warmed by the sun each day!
   
   
5. Get sufficient sleep, rest, laughter, and activities that bring you joy! Stressing about not getting pregnant only creates more cortisol and hormonal imbalance. Being happy begets happiness. Create your own happiness and see the miracles that arise!

Resources:

Mama Natural - Increase Fertility Naturally: Tips for Conception

Mama Natural - Fertility Diet: Nutrition to Conceive Naturally

Wellness Mama: How to Reverse Fertility and Get Pregnant Naturally

Preparation for Baby

Nesting:

Expect to have a sudden urge to reorganize, clean, repaint, build, or move while pregnant. It is an uncontrollable urge that consumes almost all of us while pregnant. It may not seem rational to others, but it is imperative to us. Our loved ones should get on board and help out as much as possible. Our instinct to be as prepared as possible for our baby is important and essential for our peace of mind.

On the other hand, keep in mind that many generations of people have put the baby in a dresser drawer to sleep or in bed with them and had no toys, gadgets, or fancy baby nursery. All you really need is a safe, nontoxic room and your loving arms.

If you do any remodeling:

Use non-toxic paints! Look for paints with low VOCs. We suggest ECO Paints.

Purchase cabinets or flooring made with eco-friendly, low VOC materials.

Use nontoxic glues for carpets, nontoxic carpet materials, and nontoxic cleaning solutions.

If you move, before purchasing a new home::

Ask what herbicides or pesticides the landscaper uses. 

Ask if the city adds fluoride into the water.

Go to www.antennasearch.com to make sure a cell tower is not within 1500 feet of your home.

Go to www.epa.gov/superfund to search if toxic waste dumps are near your home.

Go to www.broadbandnow.com to see if your prospective home has access to fiber optics instead of satellites and wireless radiation technology.

After pregnancy:

Ideally, do not expect to clean, organize, do heavy lifting or do house/farm work for several weeks. To prepare for this change of routine, there may be things you will need to organize now. 

Ask for help ahead of time.

Make a list of things people can do to help, i.e., meals, laundry, sweeping, feeding animals, etc., and where all the necessary items are for those tasks. Leave it on the fridge for easy viewing by any visitor.

Accept that your only job is to sleep, eat, and feed the baby. That's it. Your family can help with diapers, dishes, meal preparation, and housework. Seriously. They can do it. It may not be the way you would do it, but at this time in your life, beggars can not be choosers...and after only a few hours sleep, trust us, you will be begging for help (even if only silently in your brain).