With warm summer days, new life bursting in the hedgerows, spring lambs frolicking in the fields – Spring really is a great time to start preparing for pregnancy with its longer evenings, lots of sunshine (we hope!), and a general feeling of happiness. If you are thinking of starting a family, and feel it’s time to focus on the health of your body to give yourself the best chance of conception, here are a few tips to consider when preparing yourself.
Here are 6 actions that will boost your health and wellbeing for pregnancy.
- Improve your fitness and cardiovascular health
This is a well-known and very sensible action as when we focus on improving our fitness levels, it helps our bodies to get into a good state for when we fall pregnant. But there’s more to it.
Carrying a baby puts immense pressure on your body so as you improve your fitness, the more your body will be prepared to handle these changes during pregnancy. Consider pilates or gym work to strengthen your core muscles, and gymnastics or balance balls to help improve your balance.
- Sort those niggles
Niggles are your body’s message to let you know something is not very happy. These niggles can become further irritated or aggravated when we fall pregnant due to the naturally introduced range of pressures on your body. For example, extra weight from the growing baby changes your centre of gravity which puts pressure through different joints.
You also have different hormones that allow your ligaments to relax and go loose and stretchy making space for your growing baby. It’s all perfectly normal and our bodies are designed to cope but it makes sense to sort out any existing aches, pains or niggles before you get pregnant.
Osteopaths can offer a full spinal check and overall body assessment to help explain, identify and understand any symptoms that could be causing any of these issues.
- Give yourself an MOT!
That’s Mind Out Time!
Did you know that stress can reduce your chances of falling pregnant? Many recent studies have shown that stress markers in the salvia called alpha-amylase is often increased in women with stress and reduces the ability to conceive by 29%.
Therefore, whether you’re into meditation, love losing yourself in a good book, enjoy lazing next to water…enjoy your go-to relaxation activity away from distractions (and put down that phone!). Our minds, bodies and emotions are all interlinked and if you’re worrying and stressing about things – including about getting pregnant – then it’s going to have a physical impact. What other wellbeing activities would you enjoy?
- Eat Well
‘You are what you eat’ as they used to say but it’s true. If you’re putting nutritious food into your body, you’re delivering the good quality fuel it needs to make and carry a baby. There aren’t any miracle foods that will help you fall pregnant but eating a balanced diet full of vegetables, meat and fish, and whole grains may help as will avoiding alcohol, processed foods, seed oils and limiting caffeine. You can read more about good nutrition here. We have a nutritionist at the clinic who can do zoom calls and shares great nutritional advice.
- Drink water
We all know that water is essential for life but keeping hydrated is essential to regulating hormonal levels in the body which is key to fertility. Water also plays an essential role in producing cervical fluid as well as maintaining the health of sperm cells and egg cells. Your body needs water to keep it clean on the inside (flushing out toxins) and water is needed to boost your reproductive system – along with all your other internal organs. If you fall pregnant, water will also support your fertilised egg with cell division and implanting into your body – so keep hydrated!
- Breathe!
Yes, we know you have to breathe to survive! We’re talking about ‘conscious’ breathing meaning breathing on purpose! When you think about the breaths, breathe in through your nose into your abdomen keeping your chest relaxed for a count of 3, holding it for a few seconds before releasing it out through your mouth slowly for a count of 3 again. This technique is so good for your body and your mind – give it a go!
Feeling ready to conceive can be full of mixed emotions however staying relaxed and enjoying the journey will help you more than anything else. We love helping people to reach their goals in the most pain free way possible, so please do take advantage of a full body check with us at your local OsteoAllies clinic and put yourself in the optimum position to enjoy your future pregnancy. You can book an initial consultation with an OsteoAllies osteopath in Fetcham, Hitchin or London here.