Making Healthy Babies: Your 10-Step Action Plan

Want to get pregnant? Here are 10 tips for increasing your chances of conceiving a healthy baby…naturally!

1) Know Your Cycle When is your “fertility window”? The Sympto-Thermal Method has proved to be a very effective way to determine when you’re most fertile. It combines both the Billings method (cervical mucous checking) and Basal Body Temperature method.

Cervical mucous checking: One of the most reliable indicators of ovulation is the change in vaginal discharge. Five to six days prior to ovulation, mucous will change from being paste-like and opaque to an oestrogenic mucous, which is thin, wet, watery, clear and profuse. Two days before ovulation, mucous will again change to a raw egg-white consistency, stretching in long strands. These few days offer the highest conception probability.

Basal Body Temperature: This method involves taking your body temperature each morning at the same time, using a digital thermometer. Measuring changes in tempera- ture helps indicate when ovulation occurs.

Action: Research these methods for a full explanation of necessary steps

2) Replenish Your Body Certain lifestyle factors, such as poor diet, stress and the use of medication (including antibiotics and the contraceptive pill), can deplete critical nutrients and minerals necessary for reproductive success. Research indicates that the contraceptive pill alters the uptake and utilisation of the vitamin B group, as well as vitamins A, C, E, K, folic acid, biotin, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, selenium, zinc and copper.

Studies have also revealed that vitamin E deficiency in animals can lead to infertil- ity, that zinc supplementation can improve intrauterine growth, and that women who reported using iron supplements were 40 percent less likely to have ovulation-related infertility than non-users.

Action: Before attempting to conceive, give your body a few months to replenish natural nutrient reserves.

3) Give Up Those Vices There are 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, including 43 carcinogens and 300 polyaromatic hydrocarbons that can destroy follicles in the ovary, reduce fertility and trigger early menopause.

A recent study showed that smokers have 1.6 greater risk of being infertile compared to nonsmokers, and that women who smoke take longer to become pregnant, even with Artificial Reproductive Technology (medical procedures used to enhance fertility), and are more likely to miscarry. It’s important to note that chemical toxicity of any kind can have an adverse effect on conception and development. Alcohol and caffeine are also toxic.

Poor vitamin B levels, high intake of coffee, smoking and lack of vitamin supplemen- tation during pregnancy contribute to elevated plasma Hcy (homocysteine, an amino acid). Women with high plasma Hcy (and low serum B12 levels) are at greater risk of recurrent pregnancy loss, placental abruption, stillbirths, very low birth weight, preterm deliveries, preeclampsia, clubfoot and neural tube defects in their offspring.

Action: Minimise toxins in your diet; remember that all chemicals pass through the semi-permeable placental membrane to the foetus, and that there is no such thing as a placental “barrier.”

4) Hidden Nutrient Deficiencies Micronutrient deficiencies are known contributors to poor pregnancy outcomes. Certain foods can block the absorption of important vitamins and minerals. It is therefore wise to study if reliance on certain foods may have created micronutrient deficiencies. Seek dietary advice on how to balance food choices and incorporate more organic fruits and vegetables, which are always a rich source of iron and zinc and other important vitamins and minerals.

Action: Eat high-quality, organically grown foods—these are the best source of vitamins and minerals.

5) Regulate Your Blood Sugar Dietary factors that affect the body’s insulin (blood sugar) sensitivity have been associated with an increased risk of infertility. Greater levels of insulin in the bloodstream appear to depress the body’s production and regulation of hormones, which can have adverse effects on fertility.

Action: While monitoring intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates is important, seek advice from a healthcare provider on the benefits of foods that regulate blood sugar levels, such as whole grains and proteins, and how low-fat dairy products have been shown to influence insulin.

6) Go for the Good Fats Some fats are good for us and some are not. Fats are important for optimal body function, and together with protein they constitute the structural framework of our body. There are basically four types of fats, of which we need three. Our bodies thrive on “good” fats—the mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which are important for healthy reproduction, as they help control blood sugar levels, cool the body’s inflammation, and enhance healthy ovulation. Our bodies also use high-quality saturated fats in moderation. The fourth fat, trans fat, is the “resident evil.”

Action: Prioritise good fats in your diet. Include a high-quality, preferably organic, mercury-free DHA and EPA supplement (omega-3 polyunsaturated marine or fish oil), and utilise other great sources, such as oily cold-water fish, flaxseed oil, walnut, olive and soya bean oil, walnuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds, wheat germ, leafy green veg- etables, olives and avocados. Consider pastured meats, eggs and organic dairy from grass-fed cows as additional sources of good fats. Be vigilant in avoiding trans fats; these are often listed on products as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or vegetable shortening. Foods that contain trans fatty acids are often included in kids’ favourites, such as hot chips or French fries, crackers, cookies, biscuits, crisps, cakes, cereals and margarines.

7) Go Organic Non-organic fruits and vegetables are exposed to a significant number of insecticides and fungicides. The simple act of biting into a piece of fruit that has been treated with endosulfan, an organochloride pesticide, gives an unintended dose of hormone disruptors, otherwise known as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs mimic oestrogen and other hormones and potentially disrupt the chain of hormone release necessary for ovulation, fertilisation and implantation of the embryo.

Action: Buy organic produce—not only are these foods nu- tritional dynamite, but they help us avoid produce that might otherwise be genetically modified. There is significant cautionary evidence relating GMO food consumption and infertility. Be sure to check other food purchases for GMO ingredients, which are mostly found in processed foods—particularly those containing soy, corn and canola.