Preparing for Conception and Pregnancy
Preparing for conception and pregnancy can feel a bit overwhelming. There are many things you can do to support your journey, your reproductive and hormone health, and your future pregnancy. Ideally you want to give yourself three months or more to implement these supports. Any new information you can learn and use, and any changes you are able to make are great - and every little bit gets you one step closer to your goal! It doesn’t need to be all or nothing. In the end we are most likely to stick with changes that feel manageable, so see what you think. Here are some ideas to consider.
Learn to observe your body signs. One of the most important signs which we can utilize for conception is cervical mucus (CM). The discharge you likely see at certain times of your cycle? That’s often cervical mucus and it can tell you a whole lot. Sometimes we also see vaginal cell slough or signs of infection/irritation, but those have a different appearance than cervical mucus. Cervical mucus is something we probably never learned about in high school biology or health class – which is a travesty. Cervical mucus is fascinating, it’s valuable, and we deserve to know about it!! Cervical mucus is the fluid coming from our cervix (the lower portion of the uterus) and can range from a white school glue-type consistency to a raw egg white consistency, and everywhere in between. We usually see a range of this mucus in the days leading up to ovulation and letting us know- **Hey! This is your window of fertility!** This is important stuff if you want to conceive. Knowing when your window for conception occurs is important. That window is comprised of up to five days that cervical mucus can keep sperm alive, plus the 12-24 hours your egg is viable. Yes, CM can keep sperm alive for that long. I know, very cool, right? And it also does all sorts of amazing stuff like filter out defective sperm and guide the sperm to the fallopian tubes at the optimal time. Did you learn that in biology class? Me neither. I certainly felt cheated when I found out how important cervical mucus is.
Learn to chart your menstrual cycle. Charting your cycle helps you to become more familiar with your body, your hormones, and your cycle, and can give you valuable information. Charting can help you to know when your fertile window starts and ends. This helps you to accurately time intercourse or insemination for conception (or avoid if you do not wish to conceive). Charting helps you to identify if and where the parameters of your menstrual cycle are less than ideal, so you can then make changes to better support your reproductive health, conception and yes, even pregnancy. Many of these changes you can make are not difficult and will help you feel better and be healthier. Charting your cycle can also help to identify some other issues such as infection and illness, which might otherwise go undetected. Charting our cycles allows us to document the important information our bodies give us in a standardized way so that we can better interpret our situation, both relating to health and conception. You can learn to chart your cycle on your own by researching, or, if you would like help learning, using and interpreting the information you gain from menstrual cycle charting, you can work with a Fertility Awareness Practitioner such as myself. People sometimes find the process of learning and/or using Fertility Awareness overwhelming or a bit confusing, and so appreciate the support and guidance of a practitioner. Whatever method works best for you, I guarantee you will never be sorry you learned.
Make sure you are supporting your body with sufficient nutrition. We want to not only support our reproductive and overall health as best we can, but also provide the best possible environment for conception and pregnancy. It’s very helpful for our hormonal and conception health to supply our body (and baby’s) with the right building blocks. That means we ideally have protein at every meal and snack, and meals involve a balanced plate of vegetables, protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates. There are a whole host of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (protein, carbs and fats) that will improve and support our conception and pregnancy. A great book for learning about nutrition supportive of pregnancy and conception is Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols (really, it has valuable information for everyone). Lily also has some great recipe ideas on her social media. I’m a big fan of the brussel sprouts roasted under bacon and the sourdough bread. Yum.
Adopt good sleep tools. Sleeping in the dark and getting sufficient sleep can be very helpful for reproductive health. Sleeping in the dark helps to regulate our hormones which helps to support our reproductive health. Getting 8-9 hours of sleep is a good goal and we can help ourselves do this with certain pre-bedtime habits. We are more likely to get good sleep if we avoid screens for the hour or so before bed – perhaps switch to a book or magazine if possible. We can change the amount of blue light emitted by our screens to a more bedtime friendly light with a sunrise and sunset timer on our phones, computers and tablets. Also, letting your eyes be exposed to sunlight for a bit, first thing upon waking, can to help set your body rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep at night. Adding a bedtime practice of a relaxing tea, a foot rub and cozy socks, or some self-abdominal massage can help pave the way for sleep as well.
Move your body in a way that’s fun and accessible for you. This can be dancing, walking or anything that calls to you. Walking is free, easy and comfortable for almost everyone. Movement helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Movement encourages mobility and motility of the uterus which will be the home for our baby. Movement encourages good circulation to nourish our uterus and ovaries. Movement helps with digestion. Movement like walking often helps to prepare our body for balance and comfort in pregnancy, which can also help with baby positioning. Make sure that as you increase your activity, that you are also increasing your nutrition to support the added expenditure. Too much exercise, especially without proper nutrition to support the activity, can impact our hormones, so we need to support hormone balance with sufficient nutrition. If you have doubts about what you need Real Food for Pregnancy is a wonderful resource or consult a nutritionist who specializes in conception and prenatal health.
Avoid chemicals whenever possible. Use metal and glass containers instead of plastics - stainless steel or glass water bottles instead of plastic. When you are able or as you run out, switch to natural body products, makeup, and cleaning solutions. White vinegar and baking soda go a long way to getting most jobs done, and without exposing us to chemicals that can disrupt our hormones. Use chemical free menstrual products. Avoid air fresheners and fragrances. If you are able to eat local, organic and/or grass fed or pastured food that can also reduce the chemicals to which you are exposed. (I realize that this is not an option for many people, and the best some of us can afford or access is conventional produce and meat. That is ok. Getting sufficient nutrition is the first and most important part of our food needs.)
Receive Abdominal Therapy and learn self-abdominal massage. Abdominal Therapy is gently powerful and nurturing massage and bodywork which supports reproductive and overall health, and the goals of conception and pregnancy. Abdominal Therapy helps to align reproductive and abdominal organs, improves circulation to organs, promotes vital flow of blood, lymph, nerve signals and energy, and improves the alignment of our spine, hips, and sacrum. Abdominal Therapy feels wonderful and helps to support the health of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes which we are preparing for conception and pregnancy. The self abdominal massage you learn from an Abdominal Therapist supports your fertility and conception, and also gives you time to de-stress, reduce tension and have some time to tune into your belly and your body. All these things are helpful when trying to prepare for conception and pregnancy. You can find and Abdominal Therapist close to you at https://abdominaltherapycollective.com, or if you live in Massachusetts, you can give me a call. I’d love that!
Enjoy yourself and support yourself (just as you would your closest friend). Have fun with your friends and family. Be kind to yourself. Do nice things for yourself. Talk to and treat yourself the same way you would a loved one. Preparing for conception and trying to conceive can be stressful, so go easy on yourself. Remember, you are as important as the little one you are dreaming of and taking care of yourself now will be wonderful practice for being a healthy parent to a lucky little person someday!
If you have any questions about any of this or would like more information, feel free to get in touch here. I’d love to chat with you and help you get what you need to be supported along your journey.
Blessings,
Rebecca