Getting your body ready for pregnancy

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Those chubby cheeks, tiny little hands and feet, bright curious eyes- a little angel in your home that brightens your whole world. How exciting, right? First of all, congratulations on making this exciting  decision, which is one of the biggest milestone in the journey of your life.

Since every body is different, so there are some of you who do not have any issues on getting pregnant, whereas some of you might be struggling or having difficulties in conceiving. But don’t worry, there are some tips and ideas which I learned and did before my pregnancy  and which you can also incorporate in your daily life that might help you in becoming pregnant.

Stop taking your birth control pills: Contraceptive pills prevents the release of an egg during ovulation which is responsible in pregnancy. So if you are planning to get pregnant, you should stop using any kinds of pills or any birth control methods to regulate your ovulation. I was also advised to use birth control pills for my hormonal imbalance and irregular periods for almost 2 years but I was also trying to regulate them naturally without medications but by changing my diet, exercise and doing lots of  yoga. So, I had stopped using the pills for almost 9 months before I got pregnant.

Eat a healthy and well-balanced diet: Your diet plays a huge role in conceiving. Avoid eating junk foods like soda, chips, candies, processed foods and meats, refined carbs or foods that are also empty calories and do not contain any nutritional value. Incorporate lots of organic fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables that contain lots of vitamins such as B vitamins which prevents neural tube defects in fetuses (birth defects of the spine, brain and spinal cord that usually happens during the first month of pregnancy, even before you know you are pregnant). Eat a well balanced diet of fresh vegetables, good quality protein which helps in improving your egg quality, as well as whole grains and calcium rich foods like dairy, cheese, yogurt etc. Not getting enough nutrients from well balanced diet can delay in your period which can also cause difficulties in ovulation responsible for pregnancy. Also, avoid exposure to pesticides and chemicals while trying to get pregnant and during pregnancy  as it can cause various harmful effects to unborn babies. According to the American Pregnancy Association (APA), studies have suggested that mothers who were exposed to certain pesticides during pregnancy were linked to earlier delivery, poor mental development and  also various risks to developing fetuses. Eating organic, clean and wholesome diet was already an integral part of our household. So it was not something I had to work on. I also used to take home cooked meals for lunch at work which I would prepare in the evening when I was free, so that I didn’t have to eat outside. During the days when I was super busy I would get lots of greens and fresh veggies from the salad bar with beans and chickpeas or eggs. I would also keep my body well hydrated by bringing a big bottle of water and refilling it with water all day. Nalgene Stainless Bottle 38 oz. was my favorite pick because it was large with high quality stainless steel. The best part was is its wide mouth, which was easier to clean compared to other narrow mouth, plastic bottles. When its in front of you, you will eventually end up drinking more water, trust me on this! This would also stop me from eating junk like candies and chips for my afternoon snack. I would also make organic popcorn(not the microwave ones) during the weekends and take it as my snack during my work days or pack some fruits depending on the season, or some raw nuts, super foods like  organic  raw goji berries ( I prefer raw as they contain more nutritional value) from Healthworks Goji Berries Raw Organic, 1lb , baked coconut chips from Terrasoul Superfoods Raw Coconut Chips (Organic), 12 Ounces, roasted seaweeds etc for munching on during my work.                                                                                                   

Achieve healthy weight: Being both overweight or underweight plays an important role in your fertility. Being overweight can lead to various issues like hormonal imbalance (high levels of estrogen), PCOS (poly-cystic ovary syndrome) which may result in infertility. Being underweight may also cause delay in chance of getting pregnant due to issues like hormonal imbalances such as very low levels of estrogen levels and irregular periods or absent of periods which can cause difficulty in conceiving.  Healthy weight ranges from BMI (Body Mass Index)18.5 to 24.9. Underweight : BMI is less than 18.5. Overweight: BMI is 25 to 29.9, and Obese is 30 or more. You can calculate your BMI depending on your height and weight. As I already had a normal BMI , I was not much concerned about my weight.

Avoid smoking and limit alcohol and caffeine: Smoking also affects in fertility by causing various reproductive health issues due to exposure of numerous chemicals and toxins present in tobacco and cigarettes. Excess alcohol and caffeine may also affect your fertility. Therefore it is best to limit your overall intake of alcohol and caffeine if you are planning to get pregnant. Besides alcohol, its better to avoid caffeine in excess amount especially if you are trying to get pregnant. Since I prefer herbal teas than coffee due to its low caffeine content, I would drink various types of tea.  High quality organic Rooibos tea is one of my favorite,  because it contains very high level of antioxidants compared to other teas. Besides being anti- inflammatory, improved heart health, improved digestions it also contains AHA, alphahydoxy acid which keeps skin and hair healthy. Yogi Tea, Chai Rooibos, 16 Count (Pack of 6), Packaging May Vary  is organic and also contains cardamom, cinnamon and clove which provides added benefits and you will love the taste especially if you like chai flavor. Regarding alcohol, I would drink occasionally wines but no hard liquors.

Detoxification: In today`s world, we are always being exposed to toxins, pollutants and chemicals. Therefore it is important to have a detox regimen to get rid of those toxic loads in your body before conceiving. Simple detox routine in your day to day life can be very beneficial on reaching your goal. Some of the few changes that I applied which were easy and did not required lot of work are drinking lots of water (prefered lemon water) for extra detoxification. Dry brushing  Fantasea Natural Bristle Body Brush is another way of detoxification through skin which is the largest organ of elimination and stimulates the lymphatic system to remove toxins and waste from the body. Its easy and I love dry brushing before hopping into the shower. After shower, I would also give self massage with body oil to keep my skin moisturized.

Supplements: Good quality prenatal multi- vitamin was something that I started taking 2-3 months before getting pregnant. I really liked the fermented prenatal vitamins from New Chapter Perfect Prenatal, 96 Ct. 2 Pack. It contains all the necessary vitamins, like B vitamins that supports healthy pregnancy and can reduce birth defects. Also since it is a multivitamin, it helps in getting essential vitamins required by the body that helps in conception. Maca powder from Healthworks Maca Powder Peruvian Raw Organic, 2lb  was another super food supplement that I used in smoothies or  oats which is believed to balance hormones, increase energy and improved fertility.

Castor oil fertility massage: I loved doing castor oil  fertility massage. Fertility massage or Maya Abdominal massage provides various reproductive health benefits like promoting hormonal balance, improved endocrine functions, helping body get rid itself of old and stagnant blood, increased blood flow to the reproductive organs and many more. But for this, always make sure you have a high quality castor oil . I loved the Heritage Store Organic Castor Oil, 16 Ounce as this was organic and did not have any chemical additives. To do this massage, rub some lukewarm castor oil in your palms and gently apply pressure across your abdomen along the uterus which is in your lower abdomen and start massaging gently in circular motion in clockwise direction moving all the way around your lower abdominal region.

Stay active and relax: Staying active with moderate physical activity that you love like walking, running, yoga or hitting the gym improves your overall health and quality of life. Improved fertility is also one of the many immediate and long term health benefits of physical activity. As a yoga lover, I always enjoyed doing it especially in the morning, if not, I tried doing it at least 4-5 times a week. This also helped my periods to regulate, improved reproductive health and also cleared my acne a lot, moreover I felt recharged after a good yoga routine. In this hectic lifestyle, everyone has certain kind of stress, anxiety, depression . Stress is also one of the factor that plays a huge role in infertility. Since stress produces various hormones like cortisol and adrenaline which may suppress your ovulation. Therefore, staying positive, surrounding yourself with people who uplift you and applying relaxation techniques in your routine like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, deep breathing etc may help in reducing your levels of stress and may help in getting you pregnant. Since happiness is a choice, you can choose to be happy by focusing on the positives or be unhappy by focusing on the negatives. There’s going to be stress in life, but its your choice whether you let it affect you or not. So sit back, relax and enjoy!!!