Nutritional
Support for Baby-Making!
If you're planning
to have a baby soon, then this is a guide to ensure you
know all the right nutritional ingredients to make a healthy
baby. By taking nutritional supplements before, during and
after your pregnancy, you minimise the risks of preventable
problems occurring. BOTH parents-to-be should following
a nutritional program, not just the woman, as the man actually
plays quite an important role in providing half of the ingredients!
Most people assume just the woman should worry about her
health, but if the man can increase the quality of his sperm
in addition to the woman increasing hernutritional status,
then of course the baby is going to be much healthier from
the moment of conception.
It is very important
to start your supplementation program well before conception
- approximately 3 months if you can, as this is how long
it takes for new healthy sperm to develop. Also, it prepares
the body and gives the baby a better head start. It is too
late to start optimising your nutrition once you find out
you are pregnant, as the most crucial foetal development
occurs in the first 5 weeks - and often people are not aware
they are pregnant during that time. However, if you do find
out you're pregnant and you haven't supplemented properly,
chances are things will be fine anyway, and you can immediately
begin with the program over the page for use during pregnancy.
Preconception
- Both of You
Before you do anything, you MUST STOP SMOKING!
Also cut out alcohol, drugs and caffeine as well. Making
a baby with sperm and eggs containing any of these substances
is not at all helpful. Eliminate all other forms of toxins,
such as chemical sprays, paints, cleaners etc. Reduce saturated
fats. Increase exercise to pump oxygen and fresh blood to
all cells in your body. Eat fresh healthy foods, including
plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and lots of pure clean
water.
Preconception
- Men
Healthy sperms are essential to making a healthy baby, so
here are a few things to consider to increase the quantity
and quality of your sperm:
*Don't have hot baths or wear tight underpants - heating
the testicles can prevent useful sperm production, and can
lower the sperm count.
*Arginine is an amino acid that is useful to increase male
fertility, but also take a lysine supplement if you are
prone to getting cold sores.
*Zinc is the mineral to help improve the quantity and quality
of sperm. You need to take this for quite some time before
conception (at least 3 months or more).
*Vitamin C stops the sperm sticking together and making
them useless. This is important!
*Eat lots of fresh green vegetables (which contain anti-mutagenic
substances)
We recommend
this program:
Zinc Formula
Good Health B Stress Free
Multivitamin & mineral supplement
Vitamin C 1000mg (or more)
Essential Fatty Acids, like Flax Oil or Fish Oil (these
come in capsule form also)
Preconception
- Women
Protein intake correlates with the birth weight. It is always
important to have a good protein level in your diet, as
this reflects the mother's protein intake over a long period
of time before conception. If you don't normally have too
much protein, then as soon as you decide you might want
to have a baby (at least 3 months or more before conception),
increase your protein intake. This can be done by eating
more protein foods, or by adding a protein shake daily.
If you have been
using the Pill, then you should also be supplementing with
Folic Acid, around 400mcg daily, as the Pill lowers your
body's levels of Folic Acid (this is the essential nutrient
to help with the baby's spinal cord development, and a deficiency
can result in conditions like spina bifida). In fact, all
women of child bearing age should be taking a multivitamin
supplement with Folic Acid in it. Once you become pregnant,
it is important to have about 800mcg of folic acid for at
least the first three months, as this is when the spinal
cord develops.
Do not overdose on
anything with Vitamin A in it, as too much can cause birth
defects. About 5000iu is fine, but using betacarotene instead
is better, as it is metabolised differently. Don't take
cod liver oil, as this is very high is vitamins A &
D - you could use fish oil instead.
We recommend this
program:
Folic Acid (around 800mcg total from all your supplements)
Iron Complex
B Complex
Multivitamin & mineral supplement for pregnancy
Vitamin C 1000mg (or more)
Good Health Femzone to prepare your female organs for pregnancy
& increase fertility
During
Pregnancy
While the baby is inside you growing, it is sapping all
your nutritional stores, so it is ESSENTIAL that you supplement!
Otherwise you are likely to become very fatigued and malnutritioned.
Do not eat any low fat or processed foods, as the baby needs
proper wholefoods to grow, not foods that have been tampered
with.
If you are sensitive
to any foods, cut them down considerably, but don't cut
them right out, as it is important to expose the developing
foetus to potential antigens (in small doses). This will
help to prevent the likelihood of an allergic baby.
We recommend this
program:
Folic Acid (around 800mcg total from all your supplements)
Iron Complex
B Complex
Multivitamin & mineral supplement for pregnancy
Fish Oil for brain development
Vitamin C 1000mg (or more)
During
Lactation
Continue with supplementation program, as your body's nutrients
are being taken by the baby. Add digestive enzymes as well,
because these help break down foods properly so no undigested
particles make it through the milk to the baby. When this
happens, the baby's undeveloped defence mechanisms fight
invading food particles, and this is where allergies begin.
For more detailed consultation on preconceptional nutrition, please email Belinda. The cost is NZ$65 by email. I am a Natural Fertility Management practitioner, Naturopath and Nutritionist.
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