Pre-Natal and Post-Natal Nutrition
Before conception, you have time to prepare the body. You have time to work on egg and sperm health, which will impact not only your baby's health but the pregnancy itself and your health in general. Equally, the post-natal stage can benefit hugely from nutritional guidance and support to ensure the body is nourished well and the mother is in optimal health for body and mind.
Pre-conception starts twelve months before you fall pregnant, with the 3-4 months before conception being the most crucial phase. This period lays the foundations for a healthy pregnancy. But it also lays the foundation for the health of the baby, and in the case of a baby girl, it also impacts the health of the children of that baby girl! And this is because a baby girl is born with all the eggs she will have. Such a fascinating piece of information, and it stands to reason that the healthier you are, the healthier your grandchildren will be, too!
Getting pregnant is not about luck. It’s about being as healthy as possible and in an optimal state for conception and pregnancy. This means taking action daily to become the healthiest we can be to support a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Plan ahead
Most couples overlook the importance of being nutritionally fit before they start planning a family. I work with couples to increase the probability of a successful conception through carefully planned nutritional guidance.
I see many clients with many different diagnosis - for example PCOS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and menstrual disorders. All of these conditions and issues can be supported through a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Male health and preconception health is often given little attention; most of the focus is on the woman’s health. If lucky, a semen analysis may take place, but not much more and not always. Males are 50% of the equation, and their health and sperm are as crucial as a woman’s eggs in the fertility journey. There is much that future Dads can do to help improve semen quality, and it should be equally part of any couple’s pre-conception journey. Optimising diet and lifestyle is vital for both future parents.
“Because of my own experience going through IVF (ICSI), I really want to help other women to prepare their bodies to be OPTIMAL and whether that is for a natural pregnancy or via assisted methods.”
- Marika Walker
Post-natal health is all about the mum. The more you are looked after and the more healthy foods you can eat, the better you will feel and the happier this time is for you. Breastfeeding requires adequate hydration for mum, and it’s important to note that your baby gets all its nutrients from breast milk. A healthy diet is essential to provide optimal nutrition for your baby through breastfeeding.
In modern-day Western culture, a lot of burden is laid on the mum. There is the baby to look after and many other responsibilities in the home.
Did you know that in Japanese culture, it’s pretty usual for a pregnant wife to go home to her own mother about a month before her due date, have her baby there, and then stay for another month or two before coming home to her husband? There are several reasons for this, an obvious one being that the custom allows the mother to rest and recover. And rest and recover is what any new mum needs!
Look forward
Navigating your post-natal health and happiness can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to feel insurmountable.
If we look back to the past when we lived differently, there may have been a whole village to care for a new mum, the community would come together to provide support. But it doesn’t work like that now and we have to do much of it ourselves these days.
It’s therefore, not always easy to look after ourselves as a new parent, but with support, we can enjoy this precious time very much.
A woman’s nutrition needs to change and evolve after she has her baby and also with breastfeeding. Postpartum depression is more common than we would like to see, but the key to remember is that solid nutrition and good health can be extremely helpful.
Book a post-natal session to get yourself back on track.