What is Preconception Preparation?
As young girls, many of us were taught that we could get pregnant anytime we had sex. It instilled this idea in many of us that we were walking, talking, baby-making machines. Unfortunately, that’s not accurate.
In reality, there is a specific window during each menstrual cycle when conception is actually possible. The misinformation we were taught growing up makes the conception journey frustrating and discouraging for many couples once they are ready to start trying. It creates an expectation that as soon as a couple starts trying, they will get pregnant. While that is true for some couples, it’s not the case for most. A healthy couple takes an average of 4 cycles to conceive. I use the word “healthy” here to indicate that no factors that hinder fertility are apparent in either person.
This information is not meant to discourage you, but rather to give you a realistic expectation when you start your conception journey. This is so you don’t lose hope if your first cycle of trying goes by and you didn't see the positive test you were hoping for. It can take time, even for the healthiest people!
I put a huge emphasis on pre-conception preparation as a way to help clients optimize their time trying to conceive by putting in a lot of the work prior to starting their journey. Some couples will start trying for months before learning that the man has low sperm motility, or that the woman wasn’t properly identifying ovulation. Save yourself time and investigate these areas before you are ready to start trying.
There is a lot we cannot control when it comes to fertility. I focus on the areas we can control and work to improve those areas.
With my preconception clients, I focus on striving to get their body to a place of optimal health before trying to conceive. We focus on:
Regulating menstrual cycles.
Learning to identify ovulation and fertile window - time sex properly to increase your odds of conception.
Making dietary adjustments, including incorporating foods that support fertility and eliminating foods that hinder it.
Adding supplements that contain essential nutrients to support fertility.
Lifestyle modifications that support a healthy body and environment to optimize fertility.
Creating a realistic fitness plan that best suits your schedule and life.
Informing you on ways you can utilize various resources in the health care system to enhance fertility with other practitioners, in addition to the work you do with me (i.e. getting blood work done from family doctor to identify potential nutritional deficiencies, sperm analysis, acupuncture, pelvic floor physiotherapy, etc.)
A woman is born with a finite amount of eggs. When you were a fetus developing in your mother’s womb, you developed eggs in your ovaries. These are the same eggs you have now sitting in your ovaries. How cool?! No new eggs have been created since you were in utero. A woman will gradually lose eggs as she gets older, but will never create new ones. This is why we have to take good care of our bodies to make sure that the eggs we do have, are as healthy as they can be.
An egg takes approximately 90 days to mature in the ovary before it is released during ovulation. During this time, we work on nourishing your eggs to the best of our ability, so that when the egg is ready to be fertilized, it’s in optimal condition. We want your baby to be conceived with the healthiest egg possible. This is why I recommend a minimum of 12-weeks of preconception preparation before trying to conceive.
I also like the 12-week timeline because it provides adequate time to create new healthy habits and ensure that they stick and become routine. It gives the body plenty of time to adjust to new supplements, dietary changes and a fitness plan before trying to conceive. Hormonal imbalances and nutrient deficiencies require time and patience.
It’s best to put in the work now to create a smoother conception journey for the future.
This preconception journey does not only apply to women! Men should be preparing their bodies too. Men contribute 50% of the DNA that creates a baby. Sperm regenerates every 3 months. There is a lot you can do and avoid to contribute to healthy swimmers! I always encourage women to include their partners in the preconception preparation.
My 12-week program is highly recommended for people who would like to prepare for conception. All consultations are offered via phone or video call.
Here’s an overview of what my 12-week program looks like:
1-Initial Consultation (one hour).
3-Follow-up Consultations (each 30 minutes, 3-weeks apart).
A custom one-week meal plan with recipes and grocery list.
Unlimited email access for questions and support between Consultations.
After each session, I will send you a protocol (action plan) with Dietary, Supplement, Lifestyle and Fitness recommendations.
We will focus on reaching a few goals at a time.
Send me an email if you’re ready to embark on your preconception journey, info@andreagracewellness.com