Deciding to start a family is one of most exciting times in people’s lives. Often, however, men and women who want to become parents suddenly take a sharp look at their personal health and then wonder, “Hmm...perhaps I should have taken better care of myself! Now what?” Let’s talk a little about how to best take care of ourselves so that when the time presents itself to take on a new life role, we are healthy and ready.
Prenatal nutrition is generally directed at women once they are pregnant. But, in doing so, we have missed a great window of opportunity. Women who have taken hormonal birth control for years have been depleting essential nutrients from their body as these medications are synthetic steroids. B vitamins, folic acid, calcium are just some of what needs to be replaced once the pill is no longer in use. Although it is possible for women to become pregnant immediately after stopping hormonal birth control, it is nutritionally best to wait about 3 months before trying to conceive. These three months should incorporate an excellent prenatal supplement (for more help with these, please contact the office). Prenatal supplements should contain a well rounded prenatal multi-vitamin, fish oils for those Omega 3’s and calcium. Eating right begins now! Fresh produce and protein at every meal, adequate water and limiting (but not necessarily eliminating) caffeine drinks. Dump the soda and avoid all artificial sweeteners, preservatives, additives and colors. (This means no more Diet Coke!!!) Begin a healthy eating plan of every 3 hours and now is the right time to get some good exercise. Early in a pregnancy some women have excessive fatigue and/or nausea. At that time, some women cannot eat or work out the way they would like. Having started early to get a good nourishing base can go a long way. If you don’t exercise regularly, now is the time. Seek activities you like that you will enjoy maintaining. Jogging, swimming, yoga and group classes are all great ideas.
Fathers-to-be should not be left out of the equation. They may not be the ones to carry the actual growing baby, but sperm health and fertility is strongly affected by diet and exercise. Men who smoke, eat poorly and drink diet sodas have lower sperm counts with less motility. This pre-prenatal time is the perfect window for men to overhaul their nutritional intake along with their spouses and get on a good, enjoyable exercise plan.
Stress levels for both men and women need to be addressed. Better nutrition and exercise can help the body to tolerate stress and be more resilient. However, adding a baby to a family is a life-changing event that while fun -does add stress. Schedules change, personal choices change and of course sleep deprivation is a given. People entering into parenthood with elevated stress levels have a much more difficult time. Now is the time to find healthy stress relief and support the body with nutrients.
Additionally, men and women with a history of auto-immune disorders, daily medication use or past recreational drug or alcohol use need to pay special attention to what their bodies will need to bring them to optimal health. As, always, please contact the office with any questions, we are here to help and support!
Prenatal nutrition is generally directed at women once they are pregnant. But, in doing so, we have missed a great window of opportunity. Women who have taken hormonal birth control for years have been depleting essential nutrients from their body as these medications are synthetic steroids. B vitamins, folic acid, calcium are just some of what needs to be replaced once the pill is no longer in use. Although it is possible for women to become pregnant immediately after stopping hormonal birth control, it is nutritionally best to wait about 3 months before trying to conceive. These three months should incorporate an excellent prenatal supplement (for more help with these, please contact the office). Prenatal supplements should contain a well rounded prenatal multi-vitamin, fish oils for those Omega 3’s and calcium. Eating right begins now! Fresh produce and protein at every meal, adequate water and limiting (but not necessarily eliminating) caffeine drinks. Dump the soda and avoid all artificial sweeteners, preservatives, additives and colors. (This means no more Diet Coke!!!) Begin a healthy eating plan of every 3 hours and now is the right time to get some good exercise. Early in a pregnancy some women have excessive fatigue and/or nausea. At that time, some women cannot eat or work out the way they would like. Having started early to get a good nourishing base can go a long way. If you don’t exercise regularly, now is the time. Seek activities you like that you will enjoy maintaining. Jogging, swimming, yoga and group classes are all great ideas.
Fathers-to-be should not be left out of the equation. They may not be the ones to carry the actual growing baby, but sperm health and fertility is strongly affected by diet and exercise. Men who smoke, eat poorly and drink diet sodas have lower sperm counts with less motility. This pre-prenatal time is the perfect window for men to overhaul their nutritional intake along with their spouses and get on a good, enjoyable exercise plan.
Stress levels for both men and women need to be addressed. Better nutrition and exercise can help the body to tolerate stress and be more resilient. However, adding a baby to a family is a life-changing event that while fun -does add stress. Schedules change, personal choices change and of course sleep deprivation is a given. People entering into parenthood with elevated stress levels have a much more difficult time. Now is the time to find healthy stress relief and support the body with nutrients.
Additionally, men and women with a history of auto-immune disorders, daily medication use or past recreational drug or alcohol use need to pay special attention to what their bodies will need to bring them to optimal health. As, always, please contact the office with any questions, we are here to help and support!
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