Nutrition and its importance in preconception
Nutrition should ALWAYS be a priority as it contributes to optimal health at any stage of life, and when it comes to conception and preparing for pregnancy, proper nutrition is more important than ever.
Today, it is harder to get a complete, nutrient filled diet, this is due to a number of reasons including limited access to fresh foods, soils being depleted of nutrients resulting in less nutrients in the food growing in it, seasonality or absorption issues.
Although it is preferred to get all the required nutrients from your food intake, it is not always possible, whether you have poor access to foods or absorption issues. This is where supplementation can be of great benefit, acting as a nutritional buffer to ensure you are covering your bases. The topic of supplements is a whole other blog post.
So let’s chat about the benefits of nutritional preparation for pregnancy
1. Optimises the building blocks for your unborn child
This one’s a biggy, everything we eat and do affects our eggs and sperm. By eating a nutritionally rich diet, we are enhancing the quality of our eggs and sperm which in turn enhances the quality of the DNA (building blocks) we are giving our child.
2. Sets your body up for the immense growth and change during pregnancy
A woman’s nutritional requirements increase so rapidly during pregnancy so it’s obvious we need to increase the nutrition quality going into our bodies. A good example is iron, this mineral is crucial in supplying blood and oxygen to your baby, and due to increased blood, twice the amount of iron is required during pregnancy! So that just shows how important it is to have adequate levels going into conception.
3. Reduces the risks of illnesses in your bub
You’ve probably heard of the importance of folate and its role in reducing risk of neural tube defects. This is just one example of the importance of a single nutrient on the long-term health of your child. Every nutrient plays a crucial role in our bodies.
4. Ensures a smoother recovery postpartum
Often many ongoing mood issues, postnatally can be contributed somewhat to nutritional deficiencies. So ensuring adequate nutrition levels, whether it be via food or supplementation in the preconception phase helps to set up mummas health the whole way through.
When your body has the nutrients available that it needs to thrive you are giving your future children the best start possible and makes the already tremendous transition into motherhood that bit easier.
So, are you not sure how to ensure you are having a wide variety of nutrients and covering all aspects?
In our Conscious Conception course we delve right into foods to eat, foods to avoid, we also include an in-depth nutritional table highlighting important nutrients and how to include them in your diet as well as a recipe eBook containing some of our most loved, nutritious and nurturing meals.
