Preconception Health. How important is it?
Have you seen the latest BIZ magazine floating around town? You can find it in your local cafes and small businesses in Warrnambool and surrounding towns. It is a great mag and this month the town is buzzing with the local Racing Carnival taking place the first week in May.
The subject I chose to write about in this month's "Chat with a Naturopath" is about pre-conception health and the role it plays in improving conception.
Check out the article below. Be sure to send through any questions you may have, or if you would like, give the clinic a call and book an appointment to see me.
Yours in health,
Sarah Porter
Published in BIZ Magazine:
One of my absolute passions when working as a Naturopath, is working with couples who are looking to conceive. It is the most rewarding experience, both for the couple achieving their goal of starting/extending their family and for me working with them as their healthcare practitioner.
When I was in Melbourne, I worked at a clinic which specialised in women's health particularly with couples struggling to conceive. The clinic taught me so much in terms of individual treatment protocols and options for these couples. It also taught me about the real struggle that many couples have with infertility and the battle to conceive.
When it comes to conception, there are so many links that need to fall in place; egg maturation, hormonal changes, sperm survival, fertilization, embryo development. Any weak links in the chain will cause failure to conceive - from that perspective, every baby really is a little miracle!!
With all of this in mind, pre-conception care is imperative for achieving optimal health and improving the chance of conception. Generally, a Naturopath would like to work with the couple for 3-4 months prior to conception, as it takes this long for egg and sperm maturation. The idea is that during this time, you are working on getting the egg and sperm to be as healthy as possible, as well as supplying the body with the nutrients that are required for fertilization and successful implantation - resulting in a pregnancy.
Many studies have shown the importance of nutrition in increasing your chance of pregnancy. With this in mind, one of your Naturopath’s focus will be on your diet and lifestyle ensuring essential vitamins and minerals are being consumed and in the right amounts. Your pre-conception consultation will consist of both partner’s health being assessed and an individual treatment plan being established.
My priority in terms of treatment, is to determine the cause of pregnancy delay and then the possibility of overcoming this through specific Naturopathic treatments. In many cases, this is possible, however a realistic approach needs to be taken, and I will happily refer to an appropriate area of care if required.
Pre-conception care offers better outcomes for a healthy baby, as well as providing the cornerstone of preventative care to ensure healthy adults!
Sarah Porter
