PREPPING FOR PREGNANCY

Woman to woman…I don’t want anyone to ever go through what I, and so many countless others are going through, so that’s why I want to talk to you about “Prepping for Pregnancy” NOW.

Fertility can be finicky business. You can be 25 and struggling to have baby, while your 40 year old co-worker announces her suprise pregnancy on Instagram and you’re like “wait, what…why, me?!” You just never know who it’s going to hit. 1 in 4 couples have problems getting pregnant…often times when it’s too late. When I met my husband I was 37 & I took very good care of myself, never drank or took any drugs or meds & I exercised. Everyone told me I didn’t look anywhere near my age. So I just assumed it would be easy to concieve…but guess what? Your eggs don’t care you don’t look your age. So DON’T wait til it’s too late to find out you could’ve done something preventation or proactive for your fertility. That’s why I want everyone to be informed as much as possible so they aren’t put that painful position…and it’s too late. We know the stats, and stats say women have a certain time that their biological clock stops ticking, give or take. So take it from me…do your due diligence now, like right now, so you know what you are working with. Women are waiting longer than ever to have kids today, but biology hasn’t changed…we’re born with all the eggs we’ll ever have and our fertility falls down drastically with age. If you find out now, even at an early age, that you have “low ovarian reserve” or “poor quality eggs” then you can start thinking about helping that with lifestyle changes, supplements or banking your good eggs until you are ready.  I can’t stress enough to START TODAY.

This post will be filled with everything I’ve learned over my 5 year infertility journey to find out how fertile you are, what you need to do if there is an issue & hopefully help prep you for a healthy pregnancy. I will share everything from fertility foods, essenstial vitamins, lifestyle…and the most important first steps…the fertility tests.

I wish I knew then what I know now…yes, I just said what my mother always used to say. But it is so true. If I could go back in time to when I met my soulmate…or even before…and start “prepping for pregnancy” I would! This is what I want to tell woman who are “not-not trying” or thinking about starting to try to concieve becasue they think they have tons of time…and to even the single woman in thier 20’s and 30’s who don’t think infertility will be issue for them. Again, and I can’t stress enough, you never know who it will hit & you can’t be too proactive in PREPPING FOR PREGNANCY!

THIS IS WHERE TO START:

• You & your partner get a physical exam
• Call your insurance and find out your fertility coverage (very important to know what you’re working with)
• Start taking a prenatal & high dose of folic acid (1000 mcg combined) I’ve been told FOLATE is the purest form 
• Cut out or majorly cut down on caffeine & alcohol
• Men limit your time in the hot tub & don’t wear too tighty whiteys to protect the testies
• Aviod exposure to chemicals, toxins, or radiation 
• Exercise 30 minutes a day – Nothing too strenuous on either of you…yoga is perfect!
• Start charting your “basel body tempatures” {BBT} on apps like “fertility friend”
• Make an apointment with your obgyn or fertility specialist
• BUDGET and PLAN ahead for what you may need to do…it can be college fund type of cash
• Get your man to test his baby batter…or what a professional writer might say…a semen analysis
• Book a day 3 baseline ultrasound to do an antral follicle count. This will give you an idea of your egg reserve & how many eggs you have left and are working with
• Get your day 3 bloodwork. This will help get a better understanding of the quality of eggs you do have left that are seen on the ultrasound. 
• Get on a fertility diet (below)
• DESTRESS – stress is a fertility killer. Don’t be a victim. Take bubble baths, try accupuncture, do yoga, practice breathing, listen to relaxing music, meditate … PRAY!

 

Woman over 35 or anyone, any age trying to concieve for more than a year:

• all of the above +
• go see a fertility specialist (make sure to checks thier clinic stats per your age group)
• See an acupuncturist who specializes in infertility
• Find out what your or your partners issues are. It’s not just women.  
• Do a semen analysis 
• Cut out caffeine & alcohol
• Get on a fertility vitamin plan (below)
• Do ALL fertility testing (below) 

FERTILITY TESTS

1. FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)
2. AMH (anti-mullerian hormone)
3. LH (luteinizing hormone)
4. Estrogen levels (Estradiol) 
5. TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone)
6. Prolactin levels
7. Antisperm antibodies … this is a test that makes sure you are not rejecting his sperm. It’s a thing.
8. Progesterone test (P4) to make sure you’re not low in progesterone as it is a key hormone to a healthy pregnancy
9. Thyroxin (T4)
10. 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP)
11. Cycle day 21 Progesterone (P4) test to confirm ovulation
12. Immunological testing has not been proven to have any value in infertility patients without a history of 2 or more miscarriages.
13. If there is a history of recurrent miscarriages (2 or more) a lupus anticoagulant (LAC) and anti-cardiolipin antibody (ACL) are often done, as well as other tests.
14. HSG – You’re about to take a long road trip…look at a map and make sure there are no road blocks! HSG is a test to make sure the tubes aren’t blocked to prevent the egg from traveling down the tube after ovulation, the sperm being blocked to travel to the egg & the then the fertilized egg to be from traveling down the tubes to the uterus for implantation. The HSG procedure to test for blocked tubes has also been known to boast fertility in the following months for some reason. During a special type of X-ray exam of the tubes, a thin catheter is inserted through the cervix (it’s not that bad) sending iodine through the tubes to see if anything is blocking them & the procedure could possibly push things out of the way while looking for an actual problem.

15. Fertility Mineral Deficiency Test with Supplement Programme (hair)
    Find out what the mineral and heavy toxic levels are in your body 

     

    This test measures the deficiencies and excess levels of 12 different minerals (including calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc) and 6 heavy toxic metals (including aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel) that may be present in your body. ** PLEASE read this post as well for more info on testing & supplements**

16. A complete panal of blood work from A-Z – ask your FS (fertilty specialist) what they are. Say you want everything! Some preexisiting conditions or family history will get you covered by your insurance company for certains things that may not be covered…one example being the very expensive “PGS” testing {preimplantation genetic screening} Every woman over 35 should consider, it’s a key to miscarriage prevention. As we age, our age are more likely to be abnormal which is why stats for miscarriages raise as you get older. You may get pregnant easy, like me, but the age of your eggs and the abnormal percentage of eggs makes it very difficult to mantain a healthy pregnancy past a certain point. 

 

Not all women have to do all these tests. Your FS (fertility specialist) will guide you through those that are most appropriate for your situation. After the testing is done, about 85% of couples will have some idea why they’re having trouble.

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FERTILITY DIET

The car won’t run unless you’re gassing it up! Eating food rich in the right vitamins can only help prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. Things to eat to improve fertility – broken up in stages of your cycle:

MENSTRUATION:

Fuel up on leafy green vegetables, lean meats, seeds, beans, and fish. While a good steak once a month is never a bad idea, especially while you’re needing to replenish your iron intake during Aunt Flo…don’t forget that an oily fish during this time can provide a big boost of Omega-3’s and anti-inflammatory elements that are perfect for that annoying bloating. Foods that are rich in vitamin C help the body absorb iron from other foods as well, so stock up on citrus, tomatoes, broccoli & okra. Stay away from alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine, as these can cause heavier menstrual bleeding and result in a greater loss of iron.

• Salmon. Aside from being one of the healthiest foods in general, salmon helps ease period cramping. …
• Bananas
• Dark chocolate
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Beets
• Red Beans
• Figs, plums
• Lemons
• Eggs

FOLLICULAR PHASE:

The follicular stage starts on your 1st day of menstration and goes until you ovulate. It’s the time when all the follicles (the eggs home) are maturing, ripening and trying to win the race to see which one matures fastest and takes dominance over all the other follicles that are getting ready to rupture and release the ONE winning egg for ovulation. (rare cases 2 follicles release eggs and in that case ….TWINSIES) I’ve read that eating lots of sweet potatoes inceases your chances of twins 🙂

• broccoli
• kale
• cabbage 
• cauliflower 
• mushrooms
• sweet potato
• cucumbers
• black beans
• lean organic meats

Just don’t forget to have some olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds with those leafy greens. These foods are loaded with vitamin E, which is found in the fluid of the follicle that’s housing your egg.  Oh and WATER! — lots and lots of water. Water plays a key role in transporting hormones and developing follicles. It also helps thin out cervical mucus, which may make it a little easier for your partner’s swimmers to get to their goal.

 

OVULATION:

Ovulation is the time when an egg is released from the dominant follicle (winner of the race) within an ovary, into the fallopian tube where it can become fertilized by sperm.

• trout
• salmon
• oysters
• grapefruit
• eggs
• avacodo
• peas
• pumpkin seeds
• blueberries 
• raspberries
• dates

 

LUTEAL PHASE: (AKA the TTW “Two Week Wait” as we TTC’ers “Trying To Concieve” like to call it)

Think about it…you are trying to promote implantation at this point. Think thick! Your uterine lining needs to be thick so that the fertilized egg can burrow in and attach itself to your lining & “stick”. Eat a slice of fresh pineapple with it’s core. Pineapple core contains bromelain, an anti-inflammatory enzyme. It is said to help implantation. It thickens the lining making for a “sticky bean” aka “successful implantation”.

Consider eating foods that support warmth. As progesterone levels rise, so does your temperature, as you will hopefully notice happening on your BBT chart. A warm womb is a welcoming womb. My husband always laughs at me in the 2 week wait because he’s constantly coming home to me “cocooning”…this is the act of me rolling my body in a blanket and making myself into a “mummy” get it? 😉

Think soups and stews, or adding some warming herbs to foods such as cayenne, ginger or cinnamon. Make sure to get a lot of protien during this stage as well.

• soups & stews
• chicken
• turkey
• eggs
• lentils
• figs
• BRAZIL NUTS (Brazil nuts are an incredible source of selenium, which is a mineral that helps to thicken the uterine wall, and a healthy lining aids implantation. Selenium also works as a mild anticoagulant that can increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, which may also increase the chance of conceiving.
• cooked green leafy vegetables (broccoli, kale, brussels etc…)

 

FERTILITY SUPPLEMENTS

 

• PreNatal w DHA 
• Folate (men & woman)
• Royal Jelly (men & woman)
• Zinc (men & woman)
• DHEA 
• CoQ10 (men & woman)
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin D
• Vitex
• L-carnitine (men and woman)
• Fertile Aid for Men (this is a male supplement that improves motility & count…worked for us!)

Please consult your fertility specilist to see what they recomend. I’ve found these to improve my numbers. And after tons of research…these supplements improve egg and sperm quality and quantity. 

 

Throughout the entire cycle & “prepping for pregnancy” make sure to avoid foods high in sugar, simple carbohydrates, processed foods and refined grains to keep blood sugar levels stable. Balanced hormones makes a “happy & healthy” pregnancy even possible. 

Please feel free to reach out to me with ANY questions at all. There isn’t a fertility question I haven’t googled 10 different ways from Sunday, so ask away! I love to talk EVERYTHING fertility & if I can help you in any way…it will help me too. Keeping y’all in my prayers always! Good luck & baby dust!