The importance of prenatal health is very apparent. There are prenatal vitamins, prenatal check-ups, prenatal tests, prenatal yoga and prenatal massage. Pregnant women are told to watch what they eat, get enough rest and take precious care of themselves. But, what about what happens before you get pregnant? Why is it that no one ever talks about that?
The truth is your health before pregnancy can be much more important than during. Huh? That’s right, according to Dr. Roy Dittman, author of Brighton Baby, what you do before pregnancy can be 100 to 1000 times more powerful! Experts even say that an older woman who has prepared for pregnancy is much more likely to give birth to a bright, happy and healthy child than a younger woman who’s not prepared.
The big reason for this is because of what we now know from study done by the Environmental Working Group on umbilical cord blood. The study found 287 chemicals in the cord blood of the babies studied! 180 of these chemicals are known to cause cancer in humans or animals. 217 are toxic to your brain and nervous system. 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.
What this means is that all of the pollutants in our food and environment are permeating our next generation and many experts agree that this is one of the main reasons for infertility and even autism. The thing is, once you’re pregnant it’s not easy to rid your body of the toxins because they’ll go right into your blood stream and into your baby. Heavy detoxing and lifestyle change should be done way before getting pregnant.
Here are 5 ways you can prepare for pregnancy…
1. Clean out your cupboards!
Believe it or not, your home is probably more toxic than the world outside. Those cleaning products in your cupboard are emitting toxic fumes that are finding their way into your blood stream. Throw them out and make your own! You can clean just about anything with equal parts vinegar and water. Add some baking soda for those areas that need a good scrub and a few drops of essential oil as a natural deodorizer.
2. Eat organic whole foods!
We live in a world of fast living and fast eating, but food wasn’t meant to be eaten on the go! Cooking is an amazing way to spend time with your family and friends. Start to love your kitchen and work with foods in their natural form. And yes, organic can be a bit pricier, but with the recent studies on GMOs, how can you afford to eat conventionally grown food? GMOs and pesticides cause inflammation in your gut and will send you on a pricey path to disease.
3. Add fermented foods to your diet!
Much of your immune system is housed in your gut and fermented foods are the perfect way to keep it healthy. They add happy and healthy bacteria that eat away all the pollutants that make you sick. You can start with something easy like sauerkraut and work your way up to things like nato, which are fermented soy beans. You can even try fermenting your own veggies!
4. Dry brush your skin every day!
Your lymph is the major sewer system of your body, but it doesn’t have a pump of its own. Dry brushing is an excellent way to help move it along. The lymph is located right under the skin, so you don’t have to use much pressure. Start with your feet and work your way up your legs toward your heart. Then you can do the same starting at the tips of your fingers and up through your arms.
5. Breath and sweat!
Your lungs and skin are detoxing themselves all the time, but they also can use your help. Try some deep breathing exercises to help your lungs with respiration. The more carbon dioxide you get rid of, the better. Also, you want to be sure to sweat every day. Breathing and sweating can be done in combination by doing exercise and other fun activities.
Jessica Carter is the Owner & Founder of Zen Mama (a mobile massage spa that specializes in prenatal!) and a California State Certified Massage Therapist & Health Coach.