Wellness Connection: Preparing for Pregnancy

It’s the most natural thing in the world, but if you’re considering conceiving for the first time then you probably have a lot of questions.

Reproductive Health
One of the first things to consider when contemplating pregnancy is your reproductive health.

• Do you have regular menstrual cycles?
• Are you seeing your chiropractor regularly?

Yes, the two are most definitely connected since a healthy nervous system may be directly related to a healthy hormonal and menstrual cycle, and a healthy menstrual cycle is key to conception.

A Wellness Prenatal Strategy
A true wellness prenatal strategy begins six to eight months prior to conception. Do not wait until after you’re pregnant to prepare for a healthy pregnancy. It’s important to make a conscious decision to prepare your body. The reality is that most prenatal care is started too late; and your first stop should be a prenatal wellness appointment with your chiropractor six to nine months prior to pregnancy.

Take fifteen minutes and discuss your desire to have a baby with a chiropractor. Allow them to help you consider things that you might never have considered otherwise. Such as:

• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Decreasing stress
• Prenatal Chiropractic Care

Nutritional Recommendations
You don’t have to eat tofu to be healthy, but what you do eat is important when considering pregnancy. Take the time to keep track of what you eat and drink the week prior to your prenatal wellness appointment and allow your chiropractor to make suggestions. It may be that you’re eating perfectly and that your nutritional needs are being met, but we’re talking about the nutritional needs of you and your future child here. It may be that a few minor adjustment need to be made and these can include:

• Decrease and eliminate caffeine, sodas, and artifical sweetners
• Increase water intake
• Decrease fast and processed foods
• Increase fresh organic fruits and vegetables
• Decrease junk food, white flour and processed or refined sugar
• Increase healthy snacks; including brown grains and whole bread
• Decrease skipped meal times
• Switch to six small meals!

Healthy eating habits are a vital part of a healthy pregnancy – you can’t have one without the other.

Exercise Plan
When monitoring your food intake for a week, take a moment to monitor your exercise as well. Write down what kind of exercise you are doing regularly. Pregnancy doesn’t mean that you have to make an extreme lifestyle change. If you exercise regularly the truth is that you can continue to do so up to within days of your delivery, depending on the kind of exercising you’re doing, of course. If you like to go for a walk three or four times a week then continue to do so.

If you aren’t into moving much then it’s time to change your prenatal lifestyle. Start with a short walk twice a week, twenty minutes is a great start. Then in a few weks increase it to three to four days a week. It may not seem like much but it will make a huge difference in the long run.

Walking 30-45 minutes three or four days a week can increase your stamina, raise your metabolism, lower your cholesterol and increase your overall health. Nothing is better for a woman preparing for pregnancy. Other great exercise ideas include:

• Upper body weight training – this will be helpful later for breastfeeding and llifting the baby carrier
• Yoga – flexibility and breathing control
• Water Aerobics

Dr. Davis’ Top Five Prenatal Tips
5. Journal your nutritional intake and exercise output.
4. Start a walking program (at least 20 minutes a day two days a week to start).
3. Decrease stress, consider joining a yoga class.
2. Begin taking prenatal vitamins prior to pregnancy.
1. Maintain regular chiropractic care prior to conception and throughout your pregnancy.