There are some steps you can take if you want to get pregnant in a healthy way. These steps are completely natural and will help you live a healthy lifestyle while preparing to get pregnant.
The first step is to steer clear of toxins. Unfortunately, toxins can be found everywhere, in your water, food and even in your shampoos and soaps. It is impossible to avoid toxins completely but there are ways to decrease your exposure. You can start using organic or natural soaps and shampoos and other toiletries. You can also make sure to keep your air filters in your home changed every 30 days to keep toxins from building up in your home. Make sure you drink filtered water; natural spring water is recommended but if you cannot get it opt for filtered water. Choosing organic foods is another way to minimize the toxicity of your body; which brings me to step 2, diet.
Your diet is crucial! It is highly recommended that if you are trying to get pregnant or are a pregnant woman, you should up your consumption of fruits and vegetables to 3 to 4 servings per day. You should also be getting 3 servings of protein a day; which includes nuts, eggs, legumes, beans, and lean meats. 9 servings of whole grain bread, whole meal pasta, brown rice, and cereal. Experts say that it can take anywhere from 3 months to a year for your healthy changes in your diet to show up as benefits in your body and really increase your chances of getting pregnant. So it is recommended to change your diet at least 3 months before you begin trying to conceive for best results. It can take 3 months to 1 year for dietary changes in the body to take effect. You may have to change your diet as early as 3 months prior to getting pregnant.
Along with changes in your diet, it is important to add vitamins to your healthy eating habits to make sure you are getting all of the nutrients necessary for a healthy pregnancy that may be missed from just foods alone. If you are trying to or even thinking about getting pregnant, I am sure you have heard how important folic acid is for a healthy pregnancy and baby. You can take folic acid by itself, in addition to a multivitamin or you can receive folic acid through prenatal vitamins. One plus to taking prenatal vitamins is the strengthening of your hair and nails, which most women love!
The next step goes hand in hand with the previous and that is to make sure your body has enough minerals such as calcium and iron. Iron prevents anemia, helps the body produce adequate hemoglobin and enhances the chances for a full term pregnancy and healthy birth weight. Calcium while great for mommy’s bones and teeth to support the pregnancy does the same for baby while bones and teeth are forming. Plus, calcium helps with nerve and muscle function and helps prevent blood clots, which is very important for mom during pregnancy.
The next step is to take notice of what else is going in your body, such as medications. For example, if you are currently taking ibuprofen or aspirin for aches, pains or headaches, it is recommended to switch over to acetaminophen or Tylenol. It is a good idea to find out from your doctor which medications are healthy for you to take and what you should avoid.
The next step is to try meditation, especially if you are stressed out. I truly believe that a major factor for infertility and miscarriages is stress. Meditation helps reduce stress and relaxes you are your body, which helps reduce stress hormones which restrict your body’s production of fertility hormones.
Along with meditation you should also try the seventh step which is yoga. According to a study at the Harvard Medical School, yoga accompanied with meditation and a healthy diet helped 55% of infertile women conceive within a year of beginning the study. Doing yoga for 45 minutes to an hour a couple of times a week can also significantly reduce stress.
Of course yoga is a type of exercise it is a light exercise and can be incorporated with a steady exercise routine to keep your body healthy and reduce stress. Exercise also improves the circulation in your body, which, of course, increases the circulation in your reproduction system. A healthy exercise routine includes 40-60 minutes of exercise 3-5 days a week. The key is not to overdo it, which can actually decrease your fertility.
The ninth step to fight infertility is to make sure to get enough sleep. While you are sleeping your body is getting the rest it needs to function correctly. At the same time getting adequate sleep helps your body heal and refresh itself correctly and efficiently. One of the main factors that effects your sleep is caffeine, which brings me to the final step, consider your lifestyle.
When trying to get pregnant and even in your first trimester caffeine and other substances can be harmful. The first trimester is the most important and unfortunately, a lot of women don’t find out they are pregnant until well into their first trimester. It is crucial to pay attention to your lifestyle and make some changes to it before you try to get pregnant. For example, it is a good idea to cut back drastically or even cut out caffeine completely. The same goes for smoking, alcohol, and recreational drugs. It is important to treat your body as if you are pregnant as soon as you discontinue the use of birth control or even start to consider getting pregnant.
These lifestyle changes along with the previous 9 steps are great natural and healthy ways to fight against infertility and raise your chances of conceiving. These ways are also less expensive than medical interventions which are a huge plus, considering you should be focusing on using that extra money for your new coming baby.