Prepare you and your partner for a healthy fertility & pregnancy, from preconception through to postnatal and beyond.
Preconception care occurs for approximately 3-6 months prior to conception and focuses on increasing healthy behaviours and optimising health of both partners, as well as reducing the chance of potential complications or risks during pregnancy. It is imperative for both partners to adhere to a preconception plan – it is not just the female’s egg that creates the baby! A preconception plan can ensure the best possible lead up to a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.
There are many factors to consider in a preconception care plan for couples. These include:
- Optimising fertility (you read more about impaired fertility here)
- Hormone levels – as you are aware, hormones are extremely important in ensuring healthy pregnancy. Optimising hormone levels prior to trying to conceive is an important step to ensure you have the best possible chance of conception and reduce the risk of miscarriage
- Nutritional status and eating patterns – certain nutrients are required for healthy reproductive function and thus improving fertility. An assessment of your current nutritional status can ensure any nutrient deficiencies (or excesses) are addressed prior to trying to conceive
- Exercise – a moderate amount of exercise is beneficial, however, strenuous exercise may cause unnecessary stress to body systems and impact fertility
- Lifestyle habits – the main factors are alcohol intake and cigarette and drug use. Our Naturopaths can support you in slowly reducing and ceasing intake with specific nutritional supplements that have been shown to reduce addiction and improve detoxification
- Stress – psychological stress can greatly impact fertility. It is important to ensure stress levels are managed and self care strategies are put into place. This is also a great habit to have once your baby arrives and life becomes a little more stressful
- Environmental factors – it is important to assess exposure to environmental toxins, such as chemicals and heavy metals, as these compounds can greatly impact both partners’ overall health, and can increase the risk of behavioural problems in offspring
- Reducing excess body weight may be a priority for some couples
It can be a little overwhelming to address all of these on your own. Our Naturopaths can do the thinking for you, by assessing your current health and prescribing a comprehensive and achievable preconception care plan that optimises both partners’ overall health, and thus the health of your future baby.
We encourage you to follow the treatment plan for a minimum of 3 months before trying to conceive. Whilst it may sound a little counterintuitive, it is imperative to be patient. The main reason is because it takes at least 3 months for sperm to mature properly, and so adhering to a preconception plan can greatly improve the quality of the sperm, and thus increase the chance of a healthy pregnancy.
We would love to help you prepare for this exciting life transition!
Want to know how we can help you?
Lets us gift you with a FREE Naturopathic Assessment Consultation with one of our Naturopaths.
Why do we offer a Free Naturopath Assessment Consultation?
- Many clients are not sure if Naturopathy can help them.
- Maybe you have seen a Practitioner before and you want to figure out if we can help further.
- You might have questions that you want to ask the Practitioner in person before you commence a treatment plan.
- You may be wondering if we can identify what is causing your symptoms.