Preconception care for men and women

Preconception is the period of time before you conceive. This is a vital time to focus on improving both the mother and fathers health to optimise sperm and egg quality to provide your baby with the best start to life.

Preconception care involves diet and lifestyle changes combined with herbal and nutritional medicine to optimise your health and fertility while supplying the nutrients needed for pregnancy. The time spent during preconception contributes to a healthy pregnancy and baby, as well as supporting the mothers health to reduce the likelihood of developing adverse symptoms associated with pregnancy.

Facts about preconception:

1. Both males and females are equally important in the preconception process to improve egg and sperm quality
2. Preconception can improve sperm quality, count, morphology and motility
3. Preconception for women can improve egg quality, support blood flow and nutrient requirements for pregnancy
4. Preconception for men and women continues for ideally at least 3 months before actively trying to conceive.
5. Some factors that impact sperm and egg quality include alcohol, toxins (cigarettes, chemicals), obesity, nutritional deficiencies and stress

Preconception for men:

 It takes a sperm and an egg to make a baby, therefore males are just as important in conceiving baby.

Preconception care for dads to be involve making adjustments to their diet and lifestyle to optimise their heath and sperm quality. Stress management, healthy weight and limiting toxin exposure are essential in preconception and all aspects of health.

There are also some nutrients that can be a great help to support men’s preconception care.

• Zinc: supports sperm development and male hormone production
• Vitamin C: supports sperm motility and numbers
• Selenium: supports male hormones and sperm count, shape and motility
• Essential fatty acids: helps support sperm membrane function to help with the sperm connecting with the egg
• Coenzyme Q10: helps support energy production for sperm
• Folic acid: for DNA synthesis to make healthy sperm
  

Preconception for women:

Preconception for women is a great benefit which can help improve egg quality, improve fertility, reduce the likelihood of complications during pregnancy and improve mum’s recovery time post birth.

Preconception care incorporates diet and lifestyle adjustments to optimise your health and prepare your body for pregnancy. Ensuring stress management is in place is vital as stress impacts your physical and mental health. Reducing toxin exposure is important as these impact hormone function and fertility. Also aiming for a healthy weight is important during the preconception stage as this helps in reducing complications during pregnancy.

• Zinc: supports hormone production and involved in healthy egg development
• Vitamin C: acting as an antioxidant vitamin C helps protects the development of the ovarian follicle
• Selenium: provides protection for eggs by acting as an antioxidant
• Essential fatty acids: supports egg membrane health and increases blood flow to the uterus to provide nourishment to the area
• Coenzyme Q10: supports egg health and growth
• Folic acid: supports healthy DNA synthesis involved in egg development and maturation 

If you would like to learn more, book online and we can work together to develop your preconception plan