Fit Fare

Photo Courtesy California Department of Health

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve gotten married recently. Newlyweds like to mention this ad nauseam, and I am no exception. My wedded bliss is still in high gear, and I’m enjoying creating a home with my new husband. Sometimes, I admit, my mind wanders to when we are going to start a family. Although I don’t have an exact timeframe in mind right now, I have been thinking quite a bit about my health, and not in the “will I fit into those size 6 jeans” way.

I’ve discovered that if you finally decide to have kids and you are over 30 (like me), it’s not quite as easy to get pregnant as you may have thought it was when you were sitting in health class in high school. Being over 30, along with being underweight or overweight are two factors which decrease your chances of getting pregnant. Although you can’t change your age, getting within a target weight range can increase your chances of conceiving. Starting with eating healthy and exercising to get within a BMI range of 20-30 is the first step for most women when they are trying to conceive.

Lucky for me, I’m already within my target weight range. However, I have quite a few nasty habits and some nutritional sins that I’m going to try to kick in the next year to prepare for motherhood. First, let’s start with nutrition. One of the most well known nutrients essential for child development is folic acid. Most nutritionists will recommend a vitamin supplement, and their advice should be heeded. However, folic acid is found in good quantities in leafy green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, as well as whole grain cereals and breads. Getting enough folic acid lowers your chances of birth defects. So increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, along with taking a pre-natal vitamin or folic acid supplement is step one.

Step two would be to wean me from my caffeine addiction. Right now, I probably take in about 32 oz. of coffee in a day, which I know is WAY too much. I?ve gotten this bad habit from going to night school, but it has gotten out of control. I’ve read in several places that one cup of coffee (about 8 oz.) is okay. Obviously four cups is not. Caffeine can impede the absorption of iron also, and this is another essential nutrient you need in your body if you are thinking of getting pregnant.

Step three might be to step away from the sushi bar. Though recent studies such as this one have stated that the benefits of fish greatly outweigh the risks, watching for fish high in mercury is another important pre-pregnancy consideration. It can take many months for mercury toxins to make their way out of your body. Not eating fish which can be high in mercury is another important step to consider before you get pregnant.

If there was ever a time to treat your body like a temple, its right before getting pregnant. Doing so will make getting pregnant and being pregnant just a little bit easier - and if you take care of yourself, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to have the energy it will take to handle all the joys of motherhood!