Feature Focus: Preconception Care

In this week’s feature focus we take a look at preconception care and what couples can do to help better prepare themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually for pregnancy using a range of complimentary therapies.

Before you even start tyring...

Before commencing any form of preconception care, we recommend that couples wanting to conceive visit their GP (or fertility specialist) for a check-up.  This is particularly important in cases where there’s been a history of difficulties.  The check up may include things like tests on blood pressure, urine (for infection and blood sugars levels), immune status, blood groups as well as a discussion about what medications you’re on.

The next thing is to help strengthen the general reproductive terrain in order to minimise the risk of conception difficulties and promote a healthy pregnancy.

Þ Anita’s aroma fix

Þ Summer’s summary

Come in and see us if you’d like more information.

Þ Kimmy’s tips

Þ Margi’s magic

This may involve clearing the body of toxins, correcting any imbalances and increasing general stamina.  Some of the things you can do include...

· Maintain a healthy diet – you’re best off visiting a Nutritionist or Naturopath for this sort of advice

· Quit smoking – studies have shown that “women who do not smoke are twice as likely to become pregnant within a year of trying as women who do” (Bradford, 2002)

· Avoid alcohol, recreational drugs and all forms of caffeine – they can have adverse effects on metabolism and sperm health

· Drink herbal teas instead of coffee or tea – teas like Rosehip, Dandelion and Nettle are cleansing and high in antioxidants

· Minimise medication – under the supervision of your GP

· Detoxify – try to eliminate environmental pollutants and heavy toxins either ingested or external exposure

· Exercise regularly – it improves blood supply to the reproductive organs, helps you reach a healthy body weight and keep stress levels down

You’ve tried, and still nothing...

While fertility problems can be classified into four main causes (female fertility, male fertility, mutual and unexplained) there are also a number of factors that may contribute to infertility.  In a nutshell, there’s doing the opposite of what’s listed above, as well as a whole host of medical conditions and some that complementary and alternative therapies can assist with including:

· chronic sinusitis;

· undiagnosed genito-urinary infections; and

· STRESS

Of these, stress can be one of the most powerful anti-reproductive agents.  Studies have shown that extreme stress can stop ovulation dead, halt a woman’s period and devastate both sperm count and quality.  Many experts today agree that stress is both a mental condition and a physical state, which has very real and measureable effects on a person’s hormone-producing endocrine system.  This can produce malformed eggs, or sperm, or both.  Furthermore, stress can have an undesirable effect on the libido and a low sex drive usually means you’re not even being interested in having sex.  And we all know that the best way to get pregnant is to have plenty of unprotected sex, but this new syndrome called TINS (Two Incomes, No Sex) may be seriously interfering with our sex lives.

What else can you try...

While nobody here is claiming to be an expert nor guarantee results, we have assembled some information drawn from either our own area of expertise, research or personal experience in the hope that it makes a difference.  We wish you all the very best and we look forward to helping you in any way we can.

Þ Tennyson says