It is an exciting time when you’ve made the decision to start expanding your family! We start to experience this mental shift as we envision how our lives could change. This is the time that we consider the preconception period. During this time is when we shift our focus towards optimizing our physical health. The preconception period is a special time to focus on yourself in order to optimize sperm and egg quality, support ovulation, and promote growth and development. Every individual and couple is different, but these are just some of the ways to support the preconception period through gentle nutrition, cycle timing, and targeted supplementation.

The Preconception Period

As couples and individuals begin their fertility journey, the first stop is the preconception period. This is the time where we provide education and guidance to help optimize your health for conception and pregnancy. The reason this is so important is because of the time it takes for the egg and sperm to mature. On average, it takes about 72 days for sperm to mature and be released, and for the egg it is closer to 120 days. Essentially, what you do today impacts your egg and sperm four months from now.

Building A Preconception Plan

When working with a provider for preconception care, the main goal is to build a preconception care plan that optimizes your health and wellbeing, while also identifying and treating any obstacles that can impact fertility. We start this process by fully understanding you and your goals. From there, every plan is tailored uniquely to you, your body, and your goals. Below are just some of the things we may be evaluating through intake or testing because all of these play a role in preconception health.

• Micronutrient and nutritional status

• Blood sugar regulation

• Sleep, stress, emotional health, and nervous system function

• Thyroid function

• Hormone levels, egg quality, and ovarian reserve

• Ovulatory function

• Sperm quality and quantity

• Environmental burden

Fertility Supportive Nutrition

The Mediterranean Diet is one of the most studied diets, and it continues to be studied in the case of conception. The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes a balanced approach to eating, full of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables, fats, protein, and whole grains. This nutrient rich approach to eating provides the body with the necessary ‘building blocks’ to support fertility and to create a healthy baby.

This is a great opportunity to eat the rainbow when it comes to fruits and veggies, with a goal of getting 6-8 servings daily. When it comes to protein, it is great to include a variety of sources like chicken, turkey, fish, beef, and legumes. Supportive fat sources like avocado, olives, coconut, and nuts/seeds are great options. Herbs and spices are rich in flavonoids and anti-oxidants, so all the more reason to emphasize these in your diet.

Reducing Alcohol Intake

When it comes to alcohol, reducing intake can improve fertility for both partners. Studies have shown noticeable improvement in conception rates with abstaining from alcohol completely when compared to three drinks weekly.

Reasonable Caffeine intake

The question on caffeine and coffee intake is very common, and the standard guidance has always been to reduce caffeine intake. While studies vary on the effect of caffeine on conception and pregnancy, most associations now suggest keeping caffeine intake at a reasonable amount, like one or two cups daily.

Cycle Confidence and Timing Conception

Ovulation and correct timing of the fertile window is essential for conception! Everyone is different, but on average we release one egg each month usually around days 12-18. The egg catapults from the ovary and follicle, slowly making its way into the fallopian tubes and towards the uterus. This represents the fertile window, when the sperm can fertilize the egg just in time for it to reach the uterus and implant. In order for this to occur, ovulation must occur and the timing must be accurate. Of course, the quality and quantity of the sperm is essential here too, but more on that later.

Signs of ovulation

Learning our ovulatory signs is fascinating. These signs indicate that ovulation is coming up very soon, so it also helps us gauge when to time intercourse or insemination.

• Cervical fluid that resembles egg white consistency around ovulation

• Slippery sensation around ovulation

• Basal body temperature shifts (slight drop just prior to ovulation, significant rise after ovulation)

• Increased libido around ovulation

• Soft and open cervix around ovulation

Testing Ovulation

Ovulation can be tested in a few different ways. If you are familiar with the Fertility Awareness Method or cycle tracking, then you may be familiar with basal body temperature shifts and peak/non-peak cervical fluid. In short, these are signs that ovulation has occurred. I hope to write more on this in the future. Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs) can also be helpful in testing for ovulation. OPKs test for luteinizing hormone (LH), which signals the ovary to release the egg. OPKs can provide some information regarding ovulation, but they also can give false positives and do not confirm ovulation. The final ovulatory test is looking at progesterone. Progesterone is produced following ovulation and can confirm if ovulation occurred when tested on the correct day of the cycle. The standard of care is to test progesterone through blood work, but there are newer companies are developing at home urine testing strips.

Targeted Supplementation Unique to You

The last aspect of preconception care is customizing a plan to best support you and your body. This can look many different ways, but most commonly it involves using herbal medicine or supplements in a targeted way. Common fertility related goals can include:

• Promoting ovulation

• Improving egg quality

• Improving sperm quality

• Providing nutrients to support fetal growth and development (more on that here)

Building Your Team

Starting the process of building a family is a lot to take in. It can feel like there is a lot of consider and think about, and you don’t have to take on that world alone. The preconception period is a great time to start focusing on you and your family, building a team to help you get there. If you are starting on this preconception journey, then I hope this can help you! For individualized support, consider scheduling a free discovery call.

About the Author

Dr. Hannah is a naturopathic doctor providing whole body adjunctive healthcare to patients in Maine and Massachusetts. She believes every patient has their own unique health journey, which influences her personalized treatment approach. She has a passion for helping women, mothers and families heal and thrive, all while uncovering the root cause of whatever ails them. Her goal is to empower and guide her patients on the path towards healing the mind, body and soul through natural methods of healing. Dr. Hannah sees patients locally in Portland, Maine. Through telehealth, she is happy to serve the people of Lewiston, Ellsworth, Belfast, Bangor, and all the towns in between! She now sees Massachusetts patients through telehealth as well!

Disclaimer

The information provided on or through this website is for educational and informational purposes only. This information is not a substitution for proper and personalized medical diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or trusted healthcare provider before making an adjustments or changes to your healthcare regimen. Natural medicine is not inherently harmless, and therefore it is important to speak with your healthcare providers for personalized medical advice.