Preparing Your Body For Pregnancy

Before making any life changing decisions it’s important to be prepared for how it may impact your life.  Deciding to become a mother is no different. The health you are in prior to getting pregnant will impact not only how your pregnancy goes, but also the health of your unborn child.  Here are some important things to keep in mind so your body, mind and soul are ready to make a new human being!

1. Having a clean diet.  The food you eat is going to be the fuel that is making your baby grow too.  Eating healthy foods that are rich in minerals and vitamins, avoiding processed foods that are heavy in sugars, and get plenty of protein.  
2. Avoid foods that cause inflammation.  The biggest culprit in that department would be gluten.  Studies suggest that women who have had infertility issues who choose a gluten free diet while trying to conceive have higher success rates.  There are many amazing gluten free options now making this easier than ever to do.
3. Consider your gut health.  A majority of your immune system resides in your gut so eating foods that do not cause digestive distress will allow you to be more resilient against viruses while you are pregnant.  Taking a probiotic with a variety of strains can also be helpful.
4. Eat warm foods.  According to Chinese medicine warm foods helps aid in fertility because it warms the uterus and makes it a hospitable environment.  
5. Decrease exposure to toxins.  Toxins are found in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the products we use.  You can’t be perfect but being aware were these toxins are found and doing your best to limit them will go a long way to improving your health.  Toxins are also one of the 3 Ts that cause subluxations, or spinal misalignments, so your chiropractor will approve too because your nervous system will have an easier time responding to every day stresses.  
6. Take a prenatal supplement.  Folic acid can start being taken months before you are trying to get pregnant.  Folate is essential for neural tube development and important for preventing birth defects so taking a high-quality supplement is essential.  
7. Find ways to decrease stress.  This will be different for every person reading this blog post.  Some amazing suggestions to try would be yoga, other forms of exercise, guided meditation, breathing exercises, massage, journaling, Epsom salt baths, sleeping more, counseling sessions, or anything else that helps you unplug and calm down.  The reason this step is so important is because stress increases cortisol in your body and cortisol can suppress ovulation.
8. Get regular acupuncture.  There are so many benefits to acupuncture such as improving ovarian function, regulating hormones, increasing blood flow to uterus, and relaxation.  It is quickly becoming an important step of fertility treatments and for good reasons.
9. Positive outlook.  Our thoughts are incredibly powerful.  Waking up and setting good intention for our bodies daily is so important.  Have a mantra that you repeat to yourself and make it your own. For instance, “my body is strong, healthy and prepared for pregnancy”.  You are taking the other steps to make this a true statement, but you must believe it.
10. Trust the timing will be right.  Often women in today’s world want to have a baby at a certain premeditated time.  Not everyone gets pregnant right away. You have to be willing to give your body time to do its job.  There are many factors involved in fertility. By taking some of these steps prior to getting pregnant than you will increase your chances when you are ready to start trying.  
11. Know your cycle.  Start keeping track of your cycle and ovulations prior to trying to get pregnant.  Get to know your body if you don’t already. There are many awesome apps that make it so easy to figure out the days in your cycle and when to expect ovulation.  The fertility phase is usually 2 weeks prior to getting your period so be aware of when that is for you.
12. Get regular adjustments from your chiropractor!  Keeping your pelvis and low back in alignment is critical to having any pressure taking off the nerves in the lumbar spine.  These nerves communicate with the reproductive organs. Chiropractic adjustments can help regulate your cycle, decrease stress and boost the immune system.  

There are many more things you can do but this is a good starting point to get ready for bringing another life into the world.  If you are a mother, what are some other things you might recommend to a woman who wants to get pregnant? Post below. We would love to see what you have to say!