Planning for a Baby? Start Prepping Now!

If you're considering trying to conceive, now is the perfect time to start prepping your body for a healthy pregnancy. By focusing on key areas such as cycle health, egg quality, sperm quality, and nutrient stores, you can give yourself and your future baby the best possible start!

Why Start Now?

Prepping for pregnancy 3-4 months in advance can significantly impact your fertility and overall reproductive health. It takes about three months for eggs and sperm to mature, so the lifestyle and dietary choices you make now can directly influence the quality of the genetic material you'll be passing on to baby. By giving yourself this window of time, you're not only enhancing your chances of conception but also setting the stage for a healthy pregnancy and a thriving baby.

 Here are some key areas I recommend supporting before getting pregnant-

Focus on Cycle Health: 

A regular, healthy menstrual cycle is a key indicator of your fertility. There is SO much you can do to optimize your cycle, but start by eating a whole foods, minimally processed diet with a big focus on protein. Prioritize balancing your blood sugar by eating balanced meals and snacks (carb, fat, protein). Work to optimize thyroid function through food & lifestyle. Regularly exercise, & work on stress management and adequate sleep. These are really just the foundational things that support a regular, healthy cycle. Addressing thyroid health & blood sugar are also a huge focus. It’s also a great idea to get off of birth control at least 3 months ahead of TTC to get an idea of what your real cycle is like.

Boost Egg and Sperm Quality: 

Egg and sperm quality are foundational to successful conception and a healthy pregnancy. Nutrient-rich foods like avocados, berries, nuts, seeds, and proteins can support the development of high-quality eggs and sperm. For men, zinc and selenium are particularly important for sperm production, so consider incorporating foods like pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts into the diet. There are some awesome supplements to help boost egg and sperm quality like FullWell Fertility Booster, NAC, CoQ10, L-carnitine, PQQ & more.

Build Your Nutrient Stores: 

Your body needs to be well-nourished to support a growing baby, and certain nutrients are especially important during the early stages of pregnancy. Folate, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids are all crucial for fetal development. Start building up your nutrient stores now through a whole foods diet. Consider a high-quality prenatal or a DIY prenatal to ensure you're getting the necessary nutrients. Know that I don’t love synthetic forms of isolated nutrients. Whole food forms are the best as they contain all the synergistic nutrients. 

Prepare Mentally & Emotionally: 

Whether this is your first pregnancy or your third, bringing a human into this world is a big change for you and your family. Prep yourself mentally and emotionally by reading books about birth, pregnancy, & parenting. It’s so much easier to go into pregnancy prepared with knowledge and information about this very special and life-changing season.

The Benefits of Prepping for Pregnancy

Preparing your body for pregnancy before trying to conceive is one of the best investments you can make in your future family's health. It not only increases your chances of conception but also reduces the risk of complications during pregnancy and improves the likelihood of having a healthy, full-term baby. Taking the time to focus on your health now will pay off in the months and years to come.

Let’s cover my “ideal” TTC timeline. I say ideal because every person is different. Here are some questions to ask yourself before TTC to see if you can get any ideas on areas that need a little more attention & prep work. This will then give you a better idea of your ideal timeline.

• How is your diet? Are you prioritizing whole-foods, protein, and balanced meals?

• How are your cycles? Regular? Symptom-free?

• BBT’s and/or thyroid labs?

• Digestion? Anything major that you are noticing?

• Stress? Is this a high-stress season? Do you feel regulated? 

• Bloodwork & HTMA: are your values in ideal ranges?

Timelines: 

In general (most of the above questions are good): 

interventions related to cycle health and hormones will take about 3 months to see change. Minimum of 3 months to focus on nutrition, cycle health, & targeted supplementation

If you are currently on birth control: 6-12 months. 

Birth control depletes certain nutrients such as B vitamins, selenium, Vitamin E, magnesium, Vitamin C, zinc and messes with your iron to copper balance. It also alters your gut microbiome, puts stress on your liver and gut, and stops you from ovulating (depending on the form). Giving yourself at least 6-12 months to transition off and work on these areas of the body is ideal to prevent further depletion. 

If you have hormone, mineral, or thyroid related imbalances: 

Both thyroid and hormone imbalances can impact your ability to get and stay pregnant. It takes roughly 3 months to see a real impact on cycle health from the time you start to work on it. Depending on what hormone and thyroid issues are present, giving yourself at least 3 months will leave you in a more ideal place to TTC.

If major gust stuff is going on:

Usually 4-6 months to fully address & be in a good place to conceive

This is what I LOVE to help clients do! Did deep into labs especially if they currently have symptoms so we know exactly where to focus. If you’re someone who has a goal of getting pregnant and you’re not quite sure where to start, schedule a free consultation to see if we could be a good fit to work together! Apply to work 1:1!