PRECONCEPTION DIET

"Diet? But I'm not even pregnant yet!?"

Starting a family is both an exciting and scary step for some soon-to-be parents. Various planning is involved in the process - an important factor being lifestyle choices. Diet can play a major role in this planning. Management and changes to lifestyle can maximise the health of parents prior to pregnancy, provide the best conditions for conception, support health throughout pregnancy and in turn, the recovery period after birth.

Changes should start to take place from three months prior to pregnancy, by firstly visiting your local General Practitioner (GP).

BODY WEIGHT AND FERTILITY

Body weight has been found to impact perinatal outcomes. If weight is too low or too high, there is a greater risk for complications and health concerns. The body's balance of hormones can be a factor that is impacted. This imbalance in hormones can cause complications, including difficulty in conceiving and increase the risk of infertility in both males and females.

DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHOICES

A well balanced, nutritionally adequate diet will provide the body with the nutrients it needs for a healthy pregnancy. In conjunction with a well balanced diet, a pre-pregnancy multivitamin supplement daily (containing folic acid) is recommended in a pre-conception diet.

Diets that eliminate whole food groups are not recommended.

Folic Acid

Folic acid helps with the development of new cells and it helps prevent neural tube defects (birth defects in the baby's brain, spine and nervous system). It is recommended to take a folic acid supplement for three months prior to conception, and up to 12-13 weeks of pregnancy.

Alcohol

Reducing the amount of alcohol when planning pregnancy and trying to conceive is recommended. Alcohol use is found to be associated with reproductive complications. In females, this may include changes to menstrual cycles, ovulation irregularity and can impact stimulating hormones. Alcohol intake can impact the baby's growth and can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, increased risk of fetal loss or still birth. In men, alcohol use can decrease testosterone production, sperm health and sexual function.

Smoking and Illicit drug use

It is not recommend for women and men planning pregnancy to smoke and use illicit drugs.

WANT TO GET STARTED?

To get the ball rolling, begin by visiting your GP. From there, your GP will formulate the best plan and options for you and/or your partner.

REFERENCES Van Heertum K, Rossi B. Alcohol and fertility: how much is too much?. Fertil Res Pract. 2017;3:10. Published 2017 Jul 10. doi:10.1186/s40738-017-0037-x

Shin D, Lee KW, Song WO. Pre-pregnancy weight status is associated with diet quality and nutritional biomarkers during pregnancy. Nutrients. 2016 Mar;8(3):162.

Shapiro, A L B et al. “Maternal diet quality in pregnancy and neonatal adiposity: the Healthy Start Study.”International journal of obesity (2005)vol. 40,7 (2016): 1056-62. doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.79

Gopalakrishnan GS, Gardner DS, Dandrea J, et al. Influence of maternal pre-pregnancy body composition and diet during early-mid pregnancy on cardiovascular function and nephron number in juvenile sheep.Br J Nutr. 2005;94(6):938–947. doi:10.1079/bjn20051559