Research shows that everything you and your partner do in the three or four months before trying to conceive can be as important as the sex itself. What you eat, drink, breathe, do as a job, how stressed you are – everything matters not just to your fertility but also to the future health of your baby to be.

The egg and sperm released at conception are the products of your diet and lifestyle and researchers now believe that everything you and your partner eat and drink prior to conception is just as significant to the health of your future baby as what you eat during pregnancy. If you are undernourished there is even the possibility that your baby could well become ‘programmed’ at conception to have a higher risk of future health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

 

In a nutshell, taking care of yourself before you get pregnant is not only important for your fertility – it’s absolutely crucial for the future health of your baby to be. That’s why I always recommend a three month period of pre-conception care.  

 

Most preconception care is common sense advice and straightforward DIY diet and lifestyle measures to get you and your partner into a healthy state as possible before you try for a baby. Remember, this isn’t just about boosting your fertility but about boosting your health so that not only your chances of conceiving are improved but your chances of having a healthy baby improve. There’s more advice and information about boosting your fertility in my latest book, Getting Pregnant Faster but here are my preconception basics.

 

Diet – Try to eat fresh, whole foods when possible and avoid highly processed foods and caffeine which is known to inhibit fertility. Right now is a good time to practice proper nutrition. It is a good idea to have your partner on a proper nutritious diet for at least three months before conceiving as well, as a fresh batch of his sperm is produced every three months.

 

Supplements: Start taking vitamins and minerals designed for fertility (See Fertility Plus for Women and Fertility Plus for Men on the Resources Page).  Folic acid is very important to start taking three months before pregnancy occurs. This helps to prevent problems like spina bifida in your baby.  Other nutrients like zinc are crucial for fertility both for you and your partner so by taking a good fertility multi you are aiming to give yourselves ‘a bit of everything’. 

 

Weight – Being underweight can cause infertility and reduced birth weight or abnormalities in the baby. Being overweight can increase your risk of pregnancy complications and makes it harder to get pregnant in the first place. It is best to opt for a sensible eating plan and wait until your weight is within normal limits before trying to conceive. Crash dieting should be avoided as you will not be getting all the nutrients you need.

 

Exercise – Some regular exercise is a really good idea as it can help balance your hormones, boost your immunity and your fertility. If you do not usually exercise then swimming, yoga or simply walking a little more would help improve your fitness.

 

Smoking – If you haven’t already, both of you should quit now as smoking can not only inhibit fertility it can result in foetal abnormalities and premature births.

 

Alcohol – We know that alcohol can have damaging effects on unborn children, but it is unclear just how much is safe. The best plan in order to be sure that your baby is safe is to stop drinking any alcohol before and during your pregnancy. Alcohol can also sperm count, motility and the number of abnormal sperm so it is important for your partner to stop too. 

 

Drugs – Try to take only essential medication and check if it is safe to use in pregnancy. If you are on any regular prescription drugs let your GP know that you are planning for a baby in case the prescription needs to be changed.

 

Environmental hazards – Try to minimise your exposure to traffic fumes, chemicals and pollutants. This is important for perspective fathers as well. Pollutants have been linked with lots of problems including miscarriage and congenital abnormalities.

 

Infections – If you are getting an unusual vaginal discharge then it is important to get this checked out before you try to conceive as some infections can cause a miscarriage.

 

Contraception – If you have been using the Pill, I would suggest you have a break for three months before you are starting to conceive because the Pill will deplete you of certain nutrients such as folic acid and zinc.  So it is a good idea to take a good multivitamin and mineral designed for fertility and also switch to natural family planning or condoms for three months before trying to conceive.

Inadequate calcium significantly contributes to the development of osteoporosis. Many published studies show that low calcium intake throughout life is associated with low bone density and high fracture rates.

National nutrition surveys have shown that many women and young girls consume less than half the amount of calcium recommended to grow and maintain healthy bones. Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in the body and it plays an important role in building stronger, denser bones early in life and keeping bones strong and healthy later in life. In addition to building and maintaining healthy bones, calcium allows blood to clot, nerves to send messages, muscles to contract and other body functions. Each day, our bodies lose calcium through skin, nails, hair, sweat, urine and faeces. The human body cannot produce calcium on its own. That’s why it’s important to try to get enough calcium through the foods you eat. When your diet does not have enough calcium for your body’s needs, calcium is taken from the bones. Calcium is therefore one of the most important minerals involved in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and adequate amounts of calcium in your diet can help reduce bone loss by 30 – 50 percent!

 

Food sources of calcium include dairy products, sesame seeds and green leafy vegetables such as kale and cabbage.  Avoid spinach because it contains oxalic acid which can block the absorption of calcium.  But when you are approaching the menopause, when the risk of osteoporosis increases due to declining levels of oestrogen, supplementing with calcium can ensure you get good amounts.

 

There are many forms of calcium supplements available but in order to be effective calcium must be absorbed properly and that’s why I recommend either calcium citrate or the chelated forms of calcium which are the easiest form for most women to absorb.

 

For maximum absorption, take your calcium supplements with food and also make sure you are taking enough magnesium and vitamin D (see below).

 

Magnesium also plays an important role in maintaining healthy bones. It contributes to increased bone density and helps prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Most women do not get enough magnesium in their diets, especially if they eat large amounts of processed foods in which much of the magnesium is removed. Good food sources of magnesium include brown rice, buckwheat, corn, rye, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, seeds and nuts.

 

Since magnesium works closely with calcium, it is important to have an appropriate ratio of both minerals in order for them to be effective. In my opinion it would be better to have more magnesium than calcium and most women in the clinic are deficient in magnesium but getting good amounts of calcium.  Again magnesium citrate or chelated magnesium will be more easily absorbed than the inorganic forms e.g. magnesium oxide or magnesium sulphate.  But the inorganic forms will be cheaper so as with most supplements you get what you pay for, so if you can get the minerals that are most easily absorbed, your body has less work to do and you will not need to take as much.  For example, we know that calcium citrate is 30% more absorbable than calcium carbonate

Plants improve air quality by releasing oxygen and mopping up carbon dioxide but peace lilies, long needled cacti, dwarf banana plants, peperomias and spider plants can all protect against electromagnetic radiation, from mobile phones and computers. Many house plants also clean the air by mopping up toxic substances called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are given off by plastics, varnishes, glues, household cleaners and some plants. Indoor plants, chrysanthemums and English ivy are especially good at this.