When my baby, when my baby smiles at me...

I just got back from a practitioner seminar on fertility and preconception care where I wildly wrote seven pages of notes.

Here’s a handful of interesting facts:

*65% of miscarriages are due to poor sperm quality which is why it is super important for BOTH partners to see a naturopath for a proper pre-conception care program.

*Sperm’s biggest enemy is oxidative stress such as smoking, drinking, excessive exercise and stress. This can be neutralised by a diet high in brightly coloured fruit and vegies like blueberries, spinach, red capsicum and carrots.

*Men: take your mobile phones out of your pockets!! It’s affecting your sperm quality.

*A miscarriage can deplete a woman’s body as much as one and a half pregnancies would. So it’s necessary to wait for at least 6 months until trying again.

*The rate of miscarriage without pre-conception care is 22% as opposed to 6% when pre-conception care was preformed for at least 3 months.

*3 months of pre-conception care can make the health of a woman’s eggs 2 years younger which is incredibly valuable in older women.

*Iron levels should be tested 2-3 times throughout the pregnancy to avoid anaemia. This will ensure you have plenty of energy when you need it most.

*The healthy amount of weight to gain during pregnancy is between 10 to 15 kilos. It is not the time to be eating Mars Bars and doughnuts.

*Morning sickness is most rampant in the morning because blood sugar levels are at their absolute lowest. Snack on small regular protein-rich meals to ease this.

*Some basic pre-conception care tips include eating EIGHT vegies and THREE pieces of fruit each day, daily exercise and sun exposure, practising positive stress management techniques and taking a good quality multivitamin and high strength fish oil.

Baby talk.

Planning on having a bubba? Well it’s safe to say that they will come regardless of whether they are planned or not. I feel that it is our duty of care as women of a child bearing age to be prepared to give our future babies the best shot at a healthy life. Which is why today’s topic is FOLATE.

A recent study has shown that women who took a daily multivitamin supplement (especially one specific for pregnancy) had a strongly reduced risk of having a child with autism. Women in the study who did not take pre-natal (before pregnancy) vitamins had an estimated risk of having a child with autism up to seven times greater than in women who did take prenatal vitamins.

Folate/folic acid (vitamin B9) is the key player in the development of a healthy foetal nervous system and studies show that folic acid supplements have the potential to prevent up to 70 percent of neural tube defects such as spina bifida when taken before pregnancy and in the first trimester.

Folic acid is found in barley, beans, eggs, green leafy vegies, lentils, sprouts and soybeans. It’s also found in liver and other organ meats. Whatever tickles your fancy... We don’t judge here at Essential Health.

Take into consideration that folate levels are depleted by the Pill, alcohol and many medications. Deficiency signs include anaemia, fatigue, cervical dysplasia, forgetfulness, headaches, irritability and loss of libido. Does this tick any boxes for you?

When choosing a multi for pre-natal care, pregnancy and lactation don’t just grab any old vitamin that’s on special at the supermarket. Ask your naturopath about a good quality supplement like BioCeuticals InNatal plus Iron which doesn’t contain magnesium oxide like some cheap brands. It also has a decent amount of iodine which is super important for brain development. We need around 400 micrograms a day of folate and 800 micrograms if you’re pregnant or lactating.

How much folate is in your multivitamin?

PS. Rule of three again.
1. I read the research article which inspired me to write the post.
2. A customer came in who’s partner has post-natal depression.
3. As I was finishing writing the post, the local naturopath who specialises in fertility dropped off some brochures.