Before conception, preconception is the time to start preparing for your future baby!
Going into pregnancy with the basics balanced for mom and dad is a must.
Most of us know that mom’s health directly affects the health of the baby, however, we want to challenge dad as well. Dads: We want to see a healthy lifestyle, diet, and good exercise to make a perfect placenta for baby which is where they get their nutrients from. This also helps reduce the likelihood of morning sickness because the sperm is so healthy.
Preconception Plans
We want to make sure that baby is getting the perfect biome, perfect nutrients, and a perfect placenta to thrive. Future parents should consult with us on how best to prepare for conception and consider following these three steps to establish preconception health; perfect your nutrition, remove interferences, and commit to consistent movement.
1) Perfect your nutrition
Reasons to pay attention to nutrition: reduce chances of gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia, and provide solid building blocks for the baby to develop from. Dad’s blood sugar and pancreas health gets passed on to baby and sets up their metabolism.
- Balance blood sugar levels by eating nutrient-dense foods.
- Knowing what foods cause your body inflammation and what foods give you sustaining nourishment.
- Healthy bile flow through liver and gallbladder leading to 1-3 solid bowel movements in a day. This means your stomach is able to process the foods you intake and the cells of your body can use those nutrients to create clean energy.
- Eating the proper amount of protein and fat for high, sustainable energy.
- Pinpoint what your body chemistry needs to thrive whether it be herbals, vitamins, minerals, or homeopathic.
2) Remove interferences
An interference is something that blocks an object from getting to point A to point B and completing its assignment. This could look like the hose that waters the flowers being kinked at the base not allowing full flow for the nourishment of the plant. It could look like a circuit breaker in your home that has been overloaded by too much usage at one time and blows the section of the home out of commission until reset. This can also look like eating an inflammatory food (cookie) that sends off fire alarms in your gut which makes your brain shut down (headache).
With holistic care, we look to locate that interference and remove it. It comes in many forms all according to what the individual needs at that place in time. This could look like resetting cranial nerves to help the brain adapt better and rest and digest properly. Pathogens are a huge threat and interference to the body’s systems, so finding what is causing symptoms whether it be mold, fungus, parasites, bacteria, or viruses, and then building a plan to help the body process through those interferences. Emotional interferences are probably the most common and relatable. That feeling you got in the pit of your stomach after a traumatic event in your past continues to replay in your physiology if not processed in a healthy way is one example of how a high-strung body is created making it difficult to process stressors and anxieties from the environment.
We may recommend chiropractic care, Neuro Emotional Technique for trauma or stress, Genetic Testing, a Magnesphere session, or nutritional support depending on what your needs are.
3) Movement
For Mom: Complete 30 minutes or more of physical exertion most, if not all, days of the week. Some major areas to focus on are the pelvic floor, core strength (not 6-pack ab work), and breath work. All these not only benefit the present but set up success in labor. Ina May Gaskin loves mom to squat for a full body exercise while opening the hips and pelvic girdle. Exercise is going to strengthen the pelvic floor and improve your aerobic capacity meaning better preparation for labor, and less likely to need a C-section. Exercise will also benefit baby by providing increased blood flow to the uterus and allowing for greater brain and nervous system development. Choose between strength, resistance, and aerobic exercises to give a well-rounded experience.
For Dad: a good mix of HIIT, resistance training, and weight lifting to elevate testosterone and optimize health.
Give your future baby the best start!
If, as a couple you aren’t sure what your next step should be, give us a call. And if only one of you is interested in upregulating their health, you will get our total support and help. Ask us about preconception work at your appointment. We will listen, assess, and help you decide what is needed for your personal journey to bring your body balance.