Planning to have a baby?

Preconception care

Make healthy changes three months to a year before you conceive:

1. Diet: eat fresh, whole foods (preferably organic) and do not skip meals.  The idea is to replenish your and your partner’s body to prepare and optimize your health before you get pregnant.
2. Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement

Men: Vit C and Zn are particularly important

Women: Folic acid is essential to reduce birth defects such as spina bifida

3. Cut back on alcohol and smoking

Although an occasional drink is considered safe, there are studies which show that daily consumption of alcohol can decrease testosterone levels and sperm count and thus reducing fertility.

4. Detoxification or body cleanse is highly recommended 3 to 6 months before conception to reduce the transfer of toxins to your baby while gestation and breastfeeding. It is important to know that detoxification should always be monitored by a Naturopathic Doctor or another qualified health care provider.
5. Exercise: If you have a sedentary lifestyle, now is a good time to change that.  Exercise will give you a number of benefits such as efficient cardiovascular system, toned muscles, relaxation and mild detoxification.  All of these effects will help prevent some common complications related to pregnancy.

Pregnancy care

Pregnancy is a time when a women must be especially aware of what is affecting her body, what she eats, how she digests and assimilates foods.  This is still a good time to make some changes in your life, however they cannot be too drastic.

1. Diet:
• Maximize live, whole fresh, organic, home-cooked foods.
• Eat good/beneficial fats, mono or poly-unsaturated fats such as olive oil, sunflower oil and flax seed oil.
• Eat sufficient protein (healthy choices are: fish, chicken, turkey, extra-lean cuts of beef or ham, tofu, egg whites and low fat dairy products).  Eat more fish, especially: salmon, halibut, haddock, cod, sole, herring, sardines and trout.
• Eat carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.
• Drink water mostly away from meals (water tends to dilute digestive juices in the stomach, which results in improper digestion).
• Eat mostly what is local and in season.  Be sure to wash all produce thoroughly.
2. Take a good prenatal multivitamin supplement, which will support your body through an increased demand of certain vitamins and minerals during pregnancy.  It is best to consult a Naturopathic Doctor for the right dosage and supplement for you.
3. Exercise and relaxation in pregnancy.  Exercise during pregnancy can: enhance your self-esteem, increase energy, improve sleep, decrease backache, decrease problems with varicose veins, decrease water retention, improve posture, decrease labor and pregnancy related complications, shorten labor and postpartum recovery. 

There are however certain conditions in which exercise is not recommended.  Therefore, it is best to consult your medical or naturopathic doctor for safe exercise guidelines.

Relaxation is also very important during pregnancy.  If the mother is relaxing, the baby will be relaxing and developing properly.  Consider: massage, meditation, prayer, calming music, doing your hobby…

Postpartum care

Postpartum is a time when you and your partner experience a lot of changes.  It can be stressful and tireing but it is also joyful.  Most changes in a woman will come from a tremendous hormonal swing.  Here are some tips to keep you healthy through this time of adjustment.

1.      Diet: During this period of time it is important to have foods that are easily digestible so that your body can conserve energy for healing and other processes.  Foods should be very well cooked and served warm.   By following this type of diet when you are breastfeeding your baby will avoid abdominal pain or colics.

2.      Supplements: stay with a good multivitamin, your body will need this extra support for a few months.

3.      Exercise: as soon as you feel ready start stretching, yoga, tai chi or light cardiovascular exercise.  It will help to increase your energy and loose the extra pounds.