News & Articles Articles Preconception Health Care | Preconception Health Care |
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Many childhood complaints or problem pregnancies are just put down as “one of those things”, however many problems such as miscarriage (which incidently can also be a problem with the fathers sperm), birth defects, premature birth, complicated labour, and problems effecting your child such as poor sleep, irritability, learning disorders, allergies, chronic infections and behavioural problems can be lessened or eliminated altogether by BOTH parents undertaking a preconception care plan 4-6 months before you want to conceive. Most people feel that there is only so much they can do to influence the health of their child, however you can make a huge difference to the physical, emotional and mental health of your baby. From the moment your baby is formed as a few tiny cells until it is born, you can give it all the essential nutrients it needs, and decrease the risk of miscarriage, many symptoms of pregnancy such as fatigue, morning sickness, high blood pressure etc., and give your child the best possible start in life it could ask for. Even conditions which were once thought of as genetic such as Cystic Fibrosis or Down's Syndrome, have been clearly linked to nutritional deficiencies in either or both parents. The preconception period needs to be at least 4 months (longer if specific health complaints are involved), because the mother’s egg takes 100 days to form, and the fathers sperm need 116 days to form. During the 4 months or so the egg and sperm are forming they are very vulnerable and can be damaged, so by taking various supplements and adopting certain lifestyle habits over this time, you can give the egg and sperm an environment free of toxins and high in nutrients.A healthy diet alone is not enough, besides the fact that most people don’t have healthy diets anyway, (despite the fact, that most think they do!). The soils our food grows in are quite depleted for a start, add to this the pesticides on foods which use up many nutrients to cleanse your body of them, as well as refining of foods and the cooking methods used. It’s been said that about 67% of men and 85% of women are deficient in Zinc and this is the most vital nutrient for pregnancy. There are many toxins in the environment today also, which strains our body greatly and are harmful to eggs and sperm.When you decide to embark on a preconception plan you will be tested for various supplements which will aid in conception and your general health, again food is simply not enough. Lifestyle habits such as cigarette smoking must be eliminated in both prospective parents. Smoking is obviously a toxic habit which can damage both sperm and ova, and depletes zinc and vitamin C in particular, It also causes cadmium (a toxic mineral) to rise which further depletes the stores of zinc. Caffeine and alcohol should also be eliminated during the pre-conception period. It's common for couples to get really impatient when they finally decide to start a family, and often they don’t want to wait 4-6 months before trying, but it really is such a small amount of time and a small sacrifice for a better pregnancy and healthy, content baby. Ask anyone who has had a difficult pregnancy or birth, or sick child, and I bet they’d take 4-6 months extra to avoid these problems. Most people put far more time, effort and money into planning a wedding or buying a house than into have a healthy child. Preconception care is the greatest gift you can give your child, a healthy start to life. If you are interested in preconception care or seek any advice on fertility issues, please speak to Natural Fertility Management Counsellor, Nicole Tricarico |
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