Preconception Health
Having a healthy baby starts before becoming pregnant. š¶ š¼ .
A lengthy pre-pregnancy prep times (6 months-1 yr) gives the body a fair change to detox and heal as well as to consume the right nutritional resources to grow a thriving, healthy baby. There is a growing body of evidence that womenās, and also menās, health and lifestyle before conception can affect pregnancy outcomes. Focusing on improving the health of both potential parents to prevent disease and management of risk factors that affect pregnancy outcomes can aid in healthier future generations.
In Chinese viewpoint on pre-conceptual care, eastern thinking has always maintained that a woman should take special care of herself during her periods and after childbirth. Doctors of the Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644) has developed many important gynaecological books during that time. For example, āStandards of Diagnosis and Treatment of Womenās Disease (Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng - Nu Ke, 1602) by Wang Ken Tang summarized the experience of doctors from previous generations in the treatment of gynaecological diseases and contains an extensive section on obstetrics.
In our practice, Chinese medicine is more than just achieving a healthy pregnancy - it's about cultivating fertility within your life. We can provide pre-conceptual care for both men and women through an array of modalities that may include acupuncture, cupping, Tuina, moxibustion, and/or prescribed Chinese herbal medicine. As TCM prioritizes on proactive lifestyle, very often a list of nutritional advice and self-care tips would be provided for their patients between treatments. Below are some suggestions we would ask:
For women, what is your period cycle like? Do you get PMS or spotting in between menstrual flow? Do you get cold feet?
Is your diet nourishing you and contributing to your ability to achieve? Are you getting the most our of your medical care? Have you truly created space in your life for a new little being?
Give yourself permission to put your own needs first - things like gifting yourself an extra hour of sleep, getting a massage, going to acupuncture, and taking time for daily meditation and moderate exercise will all play dividends in reducing your stress and supporting your fertility
Meditation and slowing down - improves health, deeper sleep, improved cognitive function, and improved mental and physical performance
Build a strong support team - for cultivating emotional support such as support groups, individual and couples therapy. Itās important to enjoy your life with diversity and take caution that your mind donāt wander into having a child as a ādestination for happinessā.
In Chinese medicine, food contains energy vectors/directionality and thermodynamics that are used to explain why certain food is good for you. In our clinic, we like to combine TCM nutrition and the Weston A. Price Foundation fertility recommendation: promotes a diet high in good-quality saturated fats from pasture-raised animal sources, wild caught seafood, and other nutrient-dense, properly prepared foods such as eggs, seafood, full-fat dairy, liver, bone broth, beef or lamb, coconut oil, fermented foods, drinks, and condiments, fresh fruits and veggies, and grains.
Eat as much unprocessed and seasonal organic food as you can - organic food can be expensive and that most of us canāt afford an exclusively organic diet. But eating as much organic food as you can help you to avoid pesticides and agricultural chemicals some of which can disrupt your hormones.
Are you planning to get pregnant within a few months? Call your local TCM practitioner and ask how they can help you. Not only will you be helping the health of your child, your future-self will reap the benefits as well.
Resources:
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Weston A. Price.