The entire body, not just the womb or eggs or sperm cells, is the single most important factor in the entire pregnancy journey. As a matter fact, the way you handle your body determines to a large extent how your health, and by extension your fertility, plays out.

So the million dollar question is *”How can I prepare my body for pregnancy?”*

There are three major ways by which we can prepare our bodies for pregnancy:

▪️PHYSICALLY

▪️MEDICALLY

▪️PSYCHOLOGICALLY

Whatever the method of pregnancy you are working towards, natural or assisted conception, keeping the body in its most optimal state by preparing ensures success for conception.

We will go ahead now to explain them.

*PREPARING THE BODY PHYSICALLY*

Like we have said, the entire body is involved in the pregnancy process. It must be in a state conducive for pregnancy to occur before we can achieve it. The areas of physical preparation includes;

▪️Nutrition

▪️Stress management

▪️Toxins

▪️Supplements

NUTRITION:

The quality of food eaten goes a long way to determine the quality of the reproductive cells produced either for men or women. Take for example the hen, the quality of feed given to the baby chick determines the quality of the eggs it produces. Finding and eating the right meals prior to pregnancy, helps put the body in the right state. You must tailor your diet to be suitable to your BMI, whether high or low. Talk with a counselor to help you know what is best suitable for you.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

The brain coordinates stress management in the body. The brain picks up stress signals from

• Sleep patterns
• Regulation of the circadian rhythm
• Physical activity
• Emotions
• General health.

When the body is under stress, it is not in the most optimal state for conception. Being able to ensure that stress is kept far from the body, or bringing the body out from a stressful situation as quickly as possible, helps the body stay in an optimal state. So to combat stress;

• Sleep up to 6hrs every night
• Get at least 20mins of sunlight everyday
• Avoid excessive physical exertion or a sedentary lifestyle
• Avoid negative emotions
• Maintain a healthy body.

TOXINS

The quantity of toxins we are exposed to in our generation is frightening. As these accumulate, depending on the quantity, they prevent the body from functioning properly as they tamper with the body’s natural chemicals and affect the quality of the reproductive cells. These toxins can come from certain foods (gluten containing foods and processed foods), some skincare products, some household products, etc. To rid the body of them, a person trying to conceive should detoxify the system in preparation. Talk with a fertility counselor to guide you on how to avoid these toxins and help you determine what your specific detox needs may be.

SUPPLEMENTS

In our time, the nutritional value of what we consume has reduced drastically. Most of our foods are grown with chemicals, the environmental conditions of our storage facilities can further deplete the value of what we consume. We have already established that our body is a reflection of what we eat. If that be the case, then it is expedient to supplement what we eat already with extra by taking supplements. The more natural the supplements are, the better their impact or effect on our cells. Your fertility counselor can best guide you on your supplement needs.

*PREPARING THE BODY MEDICALLY*

In many cases of infertility, a medical challenge is identified either in the man or the woman or both. These cases include:

1. Low sperm count
2. Erectile dysfunction
3. Poor sperm quality
4. Retrograde ejaculation
5. Hormonal abnormalities etc. in men,
6. Fibroids at compromising positions
7. Hormonal imbalance
8. Tubal problems
9. Ovarian conditions
10. Uterine conditions etc. in women,
11. Infection in both men and women.

When these are identified, they should be taken care of. They should be treated with drugs or surgery as advised by your doctor where necessary.

Treating identified medical conditions together with preparing the body physically, removes all the obstruction to achieving pregnancy as it were and like we have always taught, once there is no obstruction to pregnancy, it will happen under the right conditions.

*PREPARING THE BODY PSYCHOLOGICALLY*

The Psychological involvement of the body in the pregnancy process cannot be overemphasized.

What our mind is able to conceive, it can achieve.

Keeping a positive mindset during one’s fertility journey is the most important aspect of treatment. Overcoming any negative mindset in terms of fear, worry or guilt is an important tool in preparing the body. We have already mentioned that negative emotions can be a source of stress to the body, so keeping a positive mindset and speaking positive words helps aligns the body in preparation for pregnancy.

When undergoing the journey to parenthood, it is important to get help. Battling infertility is a challenging journey. Get *useful and correct help* to help guide and encourage you through the process. Don’t do it alone.

Engage in Fertility counseling to help you psychologically, help you identify medical challenges and help you prepare physically.

If it is more than 6hrs, better. Sleeping up to 8hrs is the best for the body.

But the demands of adulthood might make it difficult to achieve🙂🙂🙂