Preconception Planning
The journey to parenthood ideally begins with intention. The decision to create a new life and start your family is an important and wonderful one. Our aim is to support, educate and empower you through this process. Questions? Email us at info@montereybirthcenter.com or book an appointment online 24/7.
The Essentials of Preconception Planning
We recommend these guidelines to increase overall health for parent and baby, and to reduce the risk of birth defects and/or pregnancy complications.
Lifestyle Changes As Needed
~ Take a close look at over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs you are currently taking; consider natural alternatives to OTC’s and discuss your prescriptions with the prescribing physician and your midwife.
~ Get enough rest and decrease your stress level. Work toward stress reduction, and try to remove major stressors from your life. If that’s not possible, exercise and meditation can be very effective.
~ Limit your use of caffine, alcohol, ciagarettes, e-cigarettes and recreational drugs, as all of these can have detrimental effects on pregnancy and the conceptive process. For those who struggle with immediate sobriety, establish and make use of systems of support and accountability.
Nutrition for Preconception, Pregnancy and Beyond
The changes that are suggested here are not just important for pregnancy, it’s the way we should be eating and what we should be feeding our children.
~ Throw out the Food Pyramid.
~ The 80/20 or 75/25 rule is what we should be striving for; 80-75% veggies and 20-25% meat, dairy and grains.
~ Change your relationship to fat! Increase your intake of high quality fats – olive oil & coconut oil (cold pressed; extra virgin), grass-fed butter or ghee, to name a few – and avoid refined fats and fake fats like margarine and canola oil.
~ Cut out processed foods, white flour and white sugar. Fruit juices should also be avoided; eat whole fruit instead of fruit juice.
~ Strive for sweeteners that are lower on the glycemic index and cut out all fake, processed sweeteners (raw coconut sugar is a good alternative).
~ Consider adding more raw organic vegetables to your diet (many vegetables are most nutritious when raw).
~ Add “nutrient dense” foods like: nuts and seeds, wild salmon, blueberries, kale and other leafy greens.
~ Switch to grass-fed, pasture raised, wild animal products.
~ Omega 3 to 6 ratios in commercially produced/factory farmed animal products are out of balance; Omega 3’s are anti-inflammatory and very beneficial.
~ We will order blood work to check your thyroid, complete blood count, vitamin D levels, and lipid profile to give us a more complete picture of your health.
~ A complete list of recommended supplements is provided at the counseling session.
Schedule a preconception planning appointment today. Email us at info@montereybirthcenter.com, call 831.717.4723, or book online 24/7.
Take A Folate Supplement Daily
Folate has been shown to reduce the risk of severe birth defects such as spina bifida. Check your supplement label, if it says “folic acid” change to a brand that uses folate, L 5 methyl-tetrahydrofolate or 5 formyl tetrahydrofolate. These forms are more bio available in our bodies, and reduce the load on our liver. Recommended amounts for pre-pregnancy and pregnancy are 400-800 mcg of folate supplementation. Furthermore, you can get folate from eating plenty of high folate foods, like dark leafy greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, avocado, certain legumes, mangos, and oranges.
Get Moving
Find whatever physical activity you enjoy and do it; you’re more likely to stick to it if you enjoy it! Moderate exercise is best.
Rid Your Home of Common Toxins
Everyday substances in the home and workplace can impact your ability to conceive, and can harm your unborn baby. Avoid contact with lead, mercury, x-rays, pesticides, cleaners, paint and paint thinners, solvents and polluted air. We will provide you with comprehensive information on how to remove environmental and household toxins and xenoestrogens.
Receive Pre-Pregnancy Immunizations
If you are not already immunized against chickenpox and rubella (German measles) we recommend that you be vaccinated. You should then wait at least one month after vaccination before trying to conceive.
Communicate Any Pre-Existing Medical Condition
Your pre-pregnancy plan should acknowledge any conditions that might affect the health of your baby, including but not limited to high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and other psychological disorders, and any medications you might be taking.
Preconception Planning – A Holistic Approach
Our holistic approach to preconception planning may also includes the following:
· Blood work
· Health screening (blood pressure, weight)
· STI screening
· Access to genetic counseling
· Optimal fertility diet
· Exercise and lifestyle counseling
· Stress reduction and mindfulness counseling
· Complimentary therapies (acupuncture, functional medicine, yoga, cranial sacral)
· Mayan abdominal massage
· Gyrotonics
· Removing environmental and household toxins and xenoestrogens
· Hormonal testing, menstrual mapping
· Charting your fertility
· Herbal and supplement prescriptions
Contact the clinic to schedule your individualized, comprehensive preconception planning as you embark on one of life’s greatest journeys. We welcome LGBT and intersex families, single parents by choice and those that are conceiving over the age of 35.
Schedule your preconception planning appointment today. Email us at info@montereybirthcenter.com, call 831.717.4723, or book online 24/7.
INSURANCE
· Insurance billing, payment plan and financing available.
· Credit card and HSA card payments accepted.
· Ask us about our Birth Package, which includes prenatal care, labor care, postpartum care, and state-of-the-art birthing rooms with a water birth tub.
ACCREDITATION
The Monterey Birth & Wellness Center is one of only 18 accredited birth centers in California, and the only one in central California. Accreditation is a mark of quality and expertise achieved by relatively few freestanding birth centers in the U.S.A. Learn more about the standards for accreditation at the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers website.
Service Area
Providing midwifery care to Monterey County and some areas of San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties: Seaside, Monterey, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Pacific Grove, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, Salinas, Prunedale, Spreckels, Soledad, Gonzales, King City, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Moss Landing, Castroville, Watsonville, Freedom, Santa Cruz, Aptos, Soquel and Capitola.
Email us at info@montereybirthcenter.com, call 831.717.4723, or book online 24/7.