Preparing your body ready for pregnancy is an essential step for ensuring a healthy conception and pregnancy journey. The summer months are the perfect time to focus on optimizing your health and preparing your body for the exciting journey ahead. From taking the right prenatal vitamins to minimizing toxin exposure, these strategies will help boost your fertility and prepare for a healthy pregnancy. Let’s explore some effective steps you can take to get your body baby ready for summer:

1.Begin a High-Quality Prenatal Vitamin:

   – Start taking a prenatal vitamin daily to ensure you get essential nutrients like folate, iron, calcium, zinc, Vitamin D, and B12. These nutrients are crucial for healthy egg quality, hormone balance and fetal development. They also can help prevent birth defects as well as reduce the risk of miscarriage. Ideally, I recommend beginning a prenatal at least 3 months prior to trying to conceive. My favorite prenatal vitamin is by Needed.

2. Reduce or Eliminate Alcohol:

   – Cutting back on alcohol consumption or eliminating it altogether can improve your egg quality, optimize your hormones, and ensure a healthier environment for conception and pregnancy.

3. Focus on Eating a Nutrient-Rich Diet:

   – Prioritize a balanced diet rich in healthy fats (like avocados, nuts, and olive oil), colorful fruits and vegetables, and ample protein from sources like grass-fed beef, organic chicken, fish, beans, and legumes. These habits help support overall health, optimize hormones and egg quality and prepare your body for pregnancy.

4. Discontinue Hormonal Birth Control:

   – I recommend discontinuing hormonal contraceptives and switching to a barrier method such as condoms ideally 3-6 months prior to trying to conceive. This allows your natural menstrual cycle to resume, making it easier to track ovulation and fertile windows.

5. Begin Charting Your Cycle:

   – Gaining an understanding of your menstrual cycle and identifying your ovulation period before attempting to conceive can significantly reduce stress when you do start trying. I recommend charting for at least 3 months to get a good idea of what your cycle looks like as well as your fertile window.

6. Soak up the Sunshine to Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels:

   – Vitamin D is a huge fertility booster! It helps regulate our hormones, improves egg quality and ovarian function, and plays a role in preparing the endometrium for implantation. Ideally, I recommend having your vitamin D levels evaluated by your doctor so you can determine if you need to add in any additional supplementation.

7. Reduce Exposure to Environmental Toxins:

   – Environmental toxins can significantly disrupt our hormones and the quality of developing eggs. To minimize toxin exposure and boost your fertility, consider these strategies:

• Prepare meals at home, prioritizing organic ingredients when possible.
• Limit consumption of highly processed foods and canned products.
• Replace plastic storage containers, coffee cups, and water bottles with glass or stainless steel alternatives.
• Opt for non-toxic cleaning products, such as those offered by Branch Basics.
• Evaluate the safety of your personal care products (shampoo, deodorant, make-up, lotion, etc.) using the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database.

8. See Your Health Care Provider for your Annual Check-up

   – Schedule an appointment for a preconception check-up. Your provider can perform an annual physical, review your medical history, and run labs to make sure your body is in its optimal state prior to pregnancy.

Preparing your body for pregnancy involves a holistic approach that includes nutrition, lifestyle changes, and minimizing exposure to environmental toxins. By starting with high-quality prenatal vitamins, adopting a nutrient-rich diet, and making informed choices about your health and environment, you can enhance your fertility and create the best possible conditions for a healthy pregnancy. For more detailed guidance and personalized recommendations, schedule a complimentary discovery call with us at Lumina Holistic Health to discuss how we can best support you.