Ready for a Baby, Here’s How to Prepare Your Body.
This is how to be in tune with your body and set yourself up for success.
If you’ve been reading me, you know my husband and I have been trying for baby #2 since May 2024. Although we were lucky to get pregnant on the first try the first time, I had to go back in my journals to recall all of the lifestyle changes I made to get my menstrual cycle back on track.
Whether you want to get pregnant now or later, it’s important to do your due diligence and prepare your body as soon as possible.
*Always seek the advice of your doctors and do annual checkups to stay on top of your health!
After my OBGYN told me the average chance of getting pregnant is only 8% per couple every month, my husband and I decided to maximize our chances by improving our lifestyle before even considering it.
I’ve always been relatively healthy however, based on past exams, I knew that my testosterone levels were rather elevated compared to the average woman and I struggled with inflammation because of my poor diet. I could tell things needed to change by the acne on my face, missing periods, constant elevated stress levels, mood swings, low energy, etc.
Not really the best lifestyle for someone who wants to get pregnant and struggles with constant inflammation and high levels of testosterone, huh?
I had to educate myself and learn about my body for the first time! The biggest revelation I had was:
Our body is a wonderful machine and by feeding it the right fuel at the right time, we can expect it to do what we want it to do!
This may sound trivial but it is so much more complicated in today’s hyperstimulated and intoxicated world!
We all know about the impact of diet and physical activity but fast foods, technology, and overall convenience caused us to be so disconnected from our needs.
Before we dive into the changes we need to make to maximize our chances of getting pregnant, it’s important to keep in mind that we all have different bodies and lifestyles based on our genetics, what we eat, and our daily activities. Some of us may be vegan or meat eaters, more or less sedentary, have a low or high libido, have complicated health conditions, etc. With that in mind, I want to keep this list as high level as possible and just give you the necessary leads to continue on your self-discovery journey.
Furthermore, I need you to understand these concepts first.
Insulin resistance: Insulin is a hormone that helps transport sugar (glucose) into your body’s cells to be used for energy. When cells become less responsive to insulin, more sugar stays in the bloodstream, leading to elevated insulin levels and high inflammation. This can cause the body to store excess sugar as fat, leading to hormonal imbalances and impairing fertility.
Cortisol is a hormone produced in response to stress and low blood glucose levels. It helps regulate metabolism and reduce inflammation. High cortisol can disrupt the balance of reproductive hormones, leading to irregular menstrual cycles and ovulation issues.
Insulin and Cortisol are so important to track and are the basis of the changes we are about to talk about.
If you want to get pregnant, the goal is to avoid insulin resistance, high inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and any dramatic spike in cortisol that could disrupt your menstrual cycle, the quality of your eggs, or the health of your uterus.
How to eat to maximize your chances of getting pregnant.
- Monitor your caffeine intake: Caffeine can reduce fertility by interfering with hormone levels and ovulation.
- Monitor your alcohol intake: Alcohol can disrupt the menstrual cycle, reduce sperm quality in men, and increase the risk of miscarriage.
- Monitor your sugar intake: High sugar can spike cortisol and cause insulin resistance.
- Monitor red meat: Too much red meat has been associated with increased levels of certain hormones, such as estrogen, which can disrupt the hormonal balance necessary for optimal fertility.
- Have a balanced diet with diversity: Nutrient-rich foods help regulate hormones, maintain a healthy weight, and optimize ovulation.
- Take prenatal vitamins: (Similar to the above).
- Drink a lot of water: Aside from general health, good hydration improves the quality of your cervical mucus and promotes detoxification!
- Feed your body according to your menstrual cycle: For example, focusing on iron-rich foods during menstruation can help replenish lost iron, while supporting ovulation with a balanced diet can enhance fertility.
How to move to maximize your chances of getting pregnant.
- Exercise regularly: Exercising regularly and moderately reduces cortisol levels, improves blood circulation, and regulates hormones!
- Avoid intense exercises — don’t train for the Olympics while trying to be pregnant otherwise, your cortisol levels will spike and impact your menstrual cycle.
- Find time during the day to relax and invest in your sleep: The main goal here is to bring your cortisol down.
How to have sex to maximize your chances of getting pregnant.
- Have sex every day as you get closer to your ovulation day (or every other day at least): After ejaculation, sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for up to 5 days. This timing depends on the health of the sperm and egg involved.
- Communicate with your partner: This is key to ensuring that your sex life doesn’t become a stressful scheduled boring chore. I am guilty of this and was advised by many moms to get my sex life back on track by doing it more regularly and naturally rather than prescribing it to my husband.
Most and for all, implement these habits because you love your body and you want to cherish it. Developing a new habit is so difficult, to say the least, but whenever you pay attention to how they make you feel, it gives you a reason to continue or stop! A baby is just the cherry on top. 🍒
I am not going to lie that there’s a lot to keep track of, and it can be pretty daunting to know that my husband doesn’t have to make as many adjustments as I do (classic!!). Being a woman is stressful but just know that you are not alone. What makes me happy about these changes is the fact that they are investments into our longevity too, so let’s see the glass half full because babymaking is not the only reason we want to live healthily!
I wish you all the best on your journey.
If you enjoy this article please leave claps, a comment or simply buy my daughter bubble wands, so I can continue providing value for women.
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