Practice these daily routines to help with managing depression

Sometimes, it’s easy to be harder on yourself than you’d ever allow or want yourself to be with someone else, especially when you’re dealing with depression. When you feel like this, picking some of the people in your life who you love, and who love you, and trying to talk to yourself the way you’d want someone to talk to those people if they were having a hard time can be a good frame for speaking generously to yourself. Like “fake it till you make it,” the way people speak to themselves inside their heads can have a huge impact of the way they think about themselves, and the way they feel, and can easily turn into feedback loops of bad feelings. Making a point to speak to yourself kindly can help to pull you out of the loop of speaking unkindly to yourself in a way that you internalize and feel worse because of.

Some suggestions for dealing with depression – or even most of them – can feel too simple to make much difference, or so often-repeated that it can feel like they can’t possibly make a difference. It’s true that no single one of these strategies may bring an end to depression, but finding the combination that works for you, in conjunction with the type of treatment that works best with your body chemistry and lifestyle, can make a big difference in helping you start to feel better.

Get it out there

Writing in a journal can offer an outlet for getting emotions out without opening them to any judgement, and can give you a way to keep track of your thoughts and notice any patterns in them. For example, do certain thought-patterns seem to go along with more severe depressive symptoms? That’s good information to have, and so is any strategy you might notices for steering your thoughts in other directions.

For endorphins’ sake

Getting into a regular exercise schedule is one of the most common pieces of advice when it comes to managing depression, and in turn, it’s one of the most dismissed pieces of advice. It’s true that exercise isn’t a magic bullet for depression, but getting outside and moving around on a regular basis has a whole host of benefits that can contribute to starting to feeling better. Between the sun, the change of scenery, the endorphins, and the fresh air, anything from a walk around the block to training for a marathon can be a healthy part of managing depression.

Treatment

Depression is a medical condition, but there’s a lot of stigma around it. Some may mistakenly characterize it as a personal problem, and to be resistant to seeking out treatment from professionals. If depression is negatively affecting your quality of life, seek help. Medication, psychotherapy, or some combination of the two, can have a huge positive impact on your life. Just like with these informal strategies, finding the treatment plan that works well for you can take some trial and error, and figuring out how to be patient with yourself and your medical team will be an important part of the process.

Setting up a pattern

Having a strong routine in your life  can help you demonstrate to yourself what you’re capable of, especially when you’re having an especially hard time. It can help to keep self-care tasks from slipping during difficult episodes, and when depression does become severe enough to interfere with routines, having those routines set up to begin as a control can show how much is changing.

General physical health

A lack of physical health doesn’t cause depression, but it can certainly contribute to it. Making sure to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep (but notice if you find yourself sleeping more and more often), avoiding alcohol and street drugs can help keep you in your best shape possible to combat depression.

Reach out

Often, during periods of strong depression, spending time with people can be one of the early things that gets cut out. Isolating yourself can create a feedback loop of bad feelings, though, whereas spending time with someone, even if the sound of that feels exhausting, can be a way to get out of your own head a bit. Making a point to reach out to people who feel restful or helpful to you during this time, instead of the people who may ask more from your energy reserves, can help to make social experiences during periods of depression more meaningful and positive.

Fake it till you make it

Sometimes, especially during a spell of depression, putting on a can-do attitude – even if it’s not how you feel – is a great way to get through a difficult or challenging day, from a huge family gathering to coordinating with an electrician or landlord over an unexpected wiring problem in your house, to a normal day of work at a time when you just don’t think you can do it. One of the reasons faking it till you make it works is that putting on an attitude can help to infect you with some of the feelings you’re putting on, but that benefit also comes with a caution. It’s also key for you to know and understand how you’re really feeling. Denial about depression can mean putting off making the changes that can help you feel better.

Other things to consider

Depression can make even the simplest tasks feel more challenging, and managing changes to your life, routine, and comfort zone when you’re experiencing depression can feel like an especially dangerous game. Making changes can help you feel out the shifts in your routine that can better support your changes in mood, attitude, and mental health, though. Dealing with depression means that you may be able to benefit from a certain amount of extra support, but by making changes in your own life, some of that support can come directly from you.

But while BMI is one of the most commonly accepted measurements of health, this calculation has a problematic history and a flawed application. Let’s break down the fraught history behind BMI.

BMI: The backstory

BMI (first called the Quetelet Index) was invented by a Belgian mathematician named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet in the early 19th century. He set out to find the “average man” by studying the height and weight of (mostly) European men. His work did not include women or people of color. 

A century later, BMI — a calculation of weight (in kilograms) divided by height in (meters squared) — was picked up by health insurers and medical providers in the U.S. They used BMI to create weight categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese) in order to determine individuals’ insurability.

Okay, this sounds questionable, but does it work?

BMI is not a very useful health indicator. There are a few reasons why.

1. BMI was originally created to indicate population health, not to determine individual health.

Quetelet was a statistician. His intention was to collect large amounts of data to uncover population-level trends, not to assess an individual’s health or risk factors.

2. These categories are problematic for individuals who were left out of the original studies

Given the fact that so many groups were excluded from the development of BMI in the first place, it doesn’t make much sense to apply it to them retrospectively. Further, BMI suggests that there is an ideal height/weight ratio. This is simply not true.

3. BMI equates muscle, fat, and bone

The body is made up of (among other things): bones, muscles, and fat. BMI groups all these categories together into one, treating bone, muscle, and fat the same. Not only that, but which out of these three parts of the body weighs the most? Bone. The least? Fat.

So is there a better way to calculate health?

There are alternative calculations of health informed by weight, but the issue at play here goes far beyond the biased history of BMI or its misguided application to individuals. Even weight itself is not a strong indicator of health and research has shown that simply changing one’s body weight is not a reliable measure of improvement in one’s health. 

If you’re looking to feel stronger and healthier, there are things you can do, like starting a health promoting behavior. 

Here are a few examples of health promoting behaviors

• Setting a goal to drink more water
• Figuring out what type of exercise you enjoy and doing it consistently
• Finding a mindfulness practice that helps you tune into your inner needs
• Intuitive eating: listening to your body’s requests for nourishing food

Setting goals like these – that are based on how you feel, how your body functions, and what you personally need to be living in a healthier body – is more reliably associated with improvement in overall health. 

Providers that rely too heavily on BMI might be missing the whole picture of your health. If you’re concerned that your provider isn’t understanding the whole picture of your health, seek out a HAES (Health At Every Size) aligned healthcare provider. There are therapists, body image coaches, doctors, nurses, and dietitians who are all trained in HEAS. You deserve to feel seen and cared for by your provider, regardless of your BMI or the size of your body. 

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

Read more

• TTC in a bigger body
• Body acceptance when TTC

Sources

• Brazier, Yvette. “How Useful Is Body Mass Index?” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International. September 6, 2021. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/255712.    
• Jackson-Gibson, Adele. “The Racist and Problematic Origins of the Body Mass Index.” Good Housekeeping. Good Housekeeping. November 1, 2021. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a35047103/bmi-racist-history/. 
• “Adult BMI Calculator.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 21, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html. 
• “About Adult BMI.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 27, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html. 
• The MNT Editorial Team. “BMI calculations and charts.” Medical News Today. Medical News Today. May 3, 2021. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323586. 
• Devlin, Keith. “Top 10 Reasons Why the BMI Is Bogus.” NPR. NPR. July 4, 2009. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439. 
• Eknoyan G. Adolphe Quetelet (1796-1874)–the average man and indices of obesity. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2008 Jan;23(1):47-51. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfm517. Epub 2007 Sep 22. PMID: 17890752.

Some of the tell-tale signs of menstruation include cramping and bloating — but there’s much more to it than that. Yes, the menstrual cycle affects your body, but it also affects your immune system too.

Your cycle and your immune system

Women may experience a cold, cough, throat ache, or other flu-like symptoms before their period. Sex hormone fluctuations, in part, are to blame for why you may be feeling crummy. 

According to a 2018 study published in The Autoimmune Journal, these drastic changes to progesterone and estrogen before menstruation can affect your immunity before and during your period. Plus, as you experience more inflammation (AKA cramping and bloating), your immune cells might be lower. As a result, it will be harder for your lower immune system to fight off a virus or bacteria that’s already brewing. Additionally, because your menstrual cycle affects your circadian rhythm (the natural process that regulates sleep patterns, hunger cues, hormone release, and period), this can also throw off your immune system. When your circadian rhythm is disrupted, your health may suffer as a result. 

For more about how the four phases of your period cycle affect your immune system and how to manage your health, read below. 

Changes in the immune system

Menstruation Phase

With a rise in estrogen and a drop in progesterone, your immune system will decrease and inflammation will increase. 

Follicular Phase

As your body prepares for an egg release, levels of estrogen will increase to thicken the uterus lining for a possible pregnancy. Your immune system will be stronger, thanks to the increase in estrogen. In general, women have higher immunity than men because of how estrogen impacts their bodies. However, estrogen can also pose the opposite effect on the immune system and cause women with high levels of estrogen to become more prone to autoimmune disorders.

Ovulation Phase

Estrogen levels and your immune system decrease to accommodate the possibility of sperm entering your body for a possible pregnancy, according to research from the Journal of Leukocyte Biology. But at the same time, it allows bacteria and viruses to attack the body. 

Luteal Phase

Progesterone rises and peaks to prepare for your period when a pregnancy doesn’t occur. As a result, your immune system may decrease. According to a 2017 study in Mucosal Immunology, progesterone can lower the ability to fight infections. 

How to boost your immune system

According to Harvard Health Publishing, you can strengthen your immunity by eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, not smoking, washing your hands, getting adequate sleep, and trying to minimize stress. “Healthy immune system warriors need good, regular nourishment,” they state. So, if you don’t like eating fruits and vegetables,taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement can strengthen your immune system too. 

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

Read more

• The menstrual cycle and your hormones
• How the menstrual cycle impacts your mood

Sources

• Sabine, Oertelt-Prigione. “Immunology and the menstrual cycle.” The Autoimmune Journal. (6-7): A486-92. Web. May 2012. 
• Khan, Deena. “The Immune System Is a Natural Target for Estrogen Action: Opposing Effects of Estrogen in Two Prototypical Autoimmune Diseases.” Frontiers in Immunology. 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00635. Web. January 2016. 
• Williams, Sarah. “Why Women Are More Prone to Infections When Ovulating.” Live Science. May 30, 2013. https://www.livescience.com/36067-women-prone-infections-ovulating.html
• Hall, O., Klein. “Progesterone-based compounds affect immune responses and susceptibility to infections at diverse mucosal sites.” Mucosal Immunology. 10, 1097–1107. Web. April 2017. 
• “How to boost your immune system.” Harvard Health Publishing. February 15, 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

Stress and fertility

Stress interferes with fertility because when you’re experiencing chronic stressors, your brain produces more hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, which can interfere with your ovulation. More importantly, stress can impact other factors such as weight problems, sleep deprivation, and lack of sex drive. All of these can significantly interfere with fertility and make conception more difficult, which is where yoga comes in play.

Yoga and other athletic pursuits are an important part of weight and stress management, which in turn, can lead to higher fertility rates and greater chance at conceiving. The stretching and breath techniques practiced during yoga can help relieve stress by releasing endorphins, your body’s “feel-good” hormones.

Physical benefits of yoga

• Slow your mind and release stress and tension: Practicing gentle yoga such as Hatha or Kripalu once a day, alongside other activities such as meditating, allows your body to get rid of all your daily stressors and increase wellness.
• Strengthens your pelvic floor: These muscles are essential for pregnancy and even your sex life. Squats are a good way to help tone these integral muscles.
• Aligns your hips, pelvis, and lower back: Positions such as bridge facilitate lower body alignment and stimulates your endocrine and immune systems.
• Brings you closer to your partner: Yoga can wring out your insides and release emotion, helping connect and build emotional and physical strength with your partner.

Read more

• 5 herbs to boost fertility
• Can fertility supplements help me conceive?

Sources

• Smith C, Hancock H, Blake-Mortimer J, Eckert K. “A randomised comparative trial of yoga and relaxation to reduce stress and anxiety.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 15(2):77-83. Web. June is 7, 2015.
• Gyorgy Csemiczky, Britt-Marie Landgren, Aila Collins. “The influence of stress and state anxiety on the outcome of IVF-treatment: Psychological and endocrinological assessment of Swedish women entering IVF-treatment.” Acta Obstetrica et Gynecologica Scandinavica. Volume 79, Issue 2, pages 113-118. Web. December 24, 2001.
• Louis GM, Lum KJ, Sundaram R, Chen Z, Kim S, Lynch CD, Schisterman EF, Pyper C. “Stress reduces conception probabilities across the fertile window: evidence in support of relaxation.” Fertility & Sterility. 95(7):2184-9. Web. June 11, 2015.

The details behind conceiving after an ectopic pregnancy

There are several variables that factor in to a parent’s chance for conceiving after an ectopic pregnancy.

Physical recovery

Different healthcare providers may have different recommendations depending on each woman’s individual health history, but many healthcare providers suggest waiting at least three months before trying again after an ectopic pregnancy. This allows the body to heal from the following potential effects of an ectopic pregnancy:

• Disrupted menstrual cycle: Menstrual periods will have stopped during pregnancy, and can take a few weeks or months to restart after the pregnancy ends. Once the hormones that control the menstrual cycle are back to their pre-pregnancy levels, the menstrual cycle will resume, and conception is once again possible.
• Scar tissue in the fallopian tube: Though not always, an ectopic pregnancy often involves the egg implanting in a fallopian tube, rather than travelling down the tube and implanting in the uterine wall. Because of this, after an ectopic pregnancy there can be damage to the fallopian tube, whether it’s from the pregnancy’s growth, the procedure to remove it, or from something that contributed to the ectopic pregnancy such as an untreated STD. Scarring in the fallopian tube can interfere with future attempts at pregnancy, so it’s important for these scars to heal before a woman tries again.

Mental recovery

Women vary greatly in their response to pregnancy loss. Some women don’t need any time at all before attempting pregnancy again, while others need time to recover mentally after a loss. It’s not uncommon for the expectations of pregnancy combined with the pain of loss to make women hesitant about trying again. In these cases, it’s wise to take some time off before trying again.

Part of mental recovery involves knowing that after experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, the odds of having another ectopic pregnancy are slightly higher – about one in 10. Many women go on to have a healthy pregnancy, but it’s important to know that your risk of future ectopic pregnancies may be higher than the average woman’s risk.

Even after your healthcare provider gives you the go-ahead on the physical side, it’s very normal to want to wait a bit longer before trying again.

Before you start

The success of a future pregnancy depends on what caused the ectopic pregnancy, as well as your medical history. Before you start trying again, you will want to see your provider for a checkup, where he or she can confirm that your body is ready to sustain another pregnancy.

You might be advised to try conceiving naturally, or your provider might recommend that you try in vitro fertilization (IVF) or another form of assisted reproductive technology, particularly if you have tubal damage or have experienced multiple ectopic pregnancies. If your fallopian tubes aren’t damaged and your ectopic pregnancy was treated early, the odds of a successful and healthy pregnancy are roughly 66%.

The importance of staying healthy

The causes of ectopic pregnancy still aren’t completely clear, and it may be that multiple causes combine to contribute to the development of an ectopic pregnancy. In most cases, an ectopic pregnancy happens due to factors that are out of a woman’s control. But as is the case for all women who are trying to get pregnant, when you’re ready to start trying again, make sure that you take care of yourself and your health. This includes eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, decreasing your stress as much as possible, and getting regular exercise. These behaviors can all improve fertility and help reduce some of the risk factors that contribute to pregnancy complications.

Sources

• Richard Sherbahn. Pregnancy After Tubal Ectopic Pregnancy: Getting pregnant after an ectopic.” AdvancedFertility. Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago, 2016. Web.
• Judy Bliss. “Healthy Outlook: Don’t give up after tubal pregnancy.” CCHealth Contra Costa Country Health Services, Jun 6 2012. Web.
• Marissa Selner and Rachel Nall. “Who is at risk for an ectopic pregnancy?” Healthline. Healthline Media, Oct 13 2015. Web.

Therapy options to help with fertility

Though largely unproven, a few of these methods actually have some scientific evidence backing them up that suggests they might still be relevant in your own journey to conception, so check them out!

Acupuncture

As alternative fertility therapies go, acupuncture is fairly mainstream, and is even covered by a lot of health insurance plans (though sometimes not for fertility treatment in particular, which is worth looking into before you book an appointment). This ancient Chinese practice is thought to date back at least a few hundred (and probably several thousand) years, and has been used in the US off and on since the mid-nineteenth century. The basic theory around acupuncture involves inserting thin, sterile needles into different parts of the body to regulate channels of energy running through the body.

Acupuncture may be recommended for both male and female fertility, though it cannot be used to treat certain conditions, like endometriosis. It also produces beta endorphins that help decrease pain and stress, and could help regulate the flow of other hormones in the body.

Some medical professionals suggest continuing acupuncture through the early weeks of pregnancy, but it’s particularly important that acupuncture during this timeframe be done by a certified acupuncturist, as there are certain areas of the body that should be avoided in acupuncture after conception.

Yoga

Most of the scientific basis for yoga as a fertility aid is based around the importance of stress relief in terms of fertility. When yoga is recommended for fertility by medical professionals, it is generally as some kind of supplement to fertility treatment, or as a replacement for a more high-impact daily exercise routine, like jogging, that might not be the best idea in conjunction with IVF or with fertility-raising drugs. Staying fit is great for your fertility, but some fertility treatments can make high-impact exercise risky.

Herbal remedies

The first thing to remember about using herbal supplements as therapy to improve fertility is that the qualities that make them useful are also qualities which could lead to side effects if they’re used at the same time as certain medications. Because of this, you should check with your healthcare provider before starting an herbal regimen to make sure that it won’t unexpectedly interact with a medication you are already taking.

Red raspberry leaf, red clover, stinging nettle and dandelion are among the most commonly recommended herbs for fertility. Of the four, red raspberry leaf, which is high in calcium, has no major known side-effects or interactions with medications, but dandelion has been known to interact poorly with several medications. Stinging nettle is not recommended for use after pregnancy, and may contribute to miscarriage, as well as interacting badly with several medications. Red clover should not be used with blood thinning recommendations or by people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Sources

• Jani R Jensen, MD. “Fertility herbs: Do they enhance fertility?” MayoClinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Aug 6 2015. Web.
• “How Acupuncture Can Relieve Pain and Improve Sleep, Digestion and Emotional Well-being.” UCSD. Regents of the University of California, 2017. Web.
• “Yoga: In depth.” NCCIH. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Sep 26 2013. Web.

The fertility talk with your male partner

It’s believed that about 1/3 of the problems couples have trying to conceive can be traced back to male fertility, and roughly twenty percent of men have a low sperm count, so it’s a good idea to work on boosting his sperm count at the same time that you’re trying to maximize your fertility. Approaching the question of his fertility at the same time that you talk to him about changes in your own diet and lifestyle can be a good way to both keep from putting him on the defensive and stress the fact that you’re in this situation together, the same way you’ll parent together. Both of your efforts count.

Animals, vegetables, minerals

Just like with your body, what he’s eating plays a huge part in his fertility. In fact, both of your bodies will benefit from adding a lot of the same nutrients to your diets, which means that improving what you eat is something you can work on together. Not having enough folate (folic acid), omega-3 fatty acids, or vitamins A, C, D, E or B12, zinc or selenium could all hurt his sperm. A balanced diet and a multivitamin can go a long way!

Baby-making sex, hold the drugs, your call on the rock ‘n roll

A 2003 study shows that smoking cigarettes can cause damage to sperm, and a Danish study suggests drinking alcohol on a regular basis can decrease sperm count, which makes the combination of the two not a great one for fertility. Certain recreational drugs can also interfere with fertility, on top of their other health risks.

De-stress to impress

A study in the journal Fertility and Sterility suggests that stress can lead to a lower sperm count. Many doctors recommend adopting a regular but moderate exercise routine to keep stress low and body healthy, but other ways of de-stressing are great as well.

Sources

• Mayo Clinic Staff. “What’s the best way to produce healthy sperm?” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. June 2, 2015. Web.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. “Male infertility.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. August 11,, 2015. Web.
• Feltman, Rachel. “Even a few drinks a week lower sperm quality, study finds.” The Washington Post. October 2, 2014. Web.
• Bani Meri, Zakarya; Bani Irshid, Ibrahim; Migdadi, Mohammad; Bani Irshid, Ayat; Mhanna, Somia A. “Does Cigarette Smoking Affect Seminal Fluid Parameters? A Comparative Study.” PubMed. U.S. National Library of Medicine. January 28, 2013. Web.
• Mendiola, J.; Torres-Cantero, A.M.; Vioque, J.; Moreno-Grau, J.M.; Ten, J.; Roca, M.; Moreno-Grau, S.; Bernabeu, R. “A low intake of antioxidant nutrients is associated with poor semen quality in patients attending fertility clinics.” PubMed. U.S. National Library of Medicine. January 14, 2009. Web.

The hydration and fertility connection

One of the big, underlying themes of almost any fertility tip you get is that you’re much more likely to get pregnant if you’re just generally as physically healthy as you can be. Fertility is a big part of general health, so if all of your other systems are running smoothly, your reproductive system is likely to function well too. That’s why you’re encouraged to cut down on smoking, drinking, and caffeine, why your nutrition is so important that there are a host of different theories about how it should be balanced, and why it’s suddenly so important that you get a moderate, but not excessive amount of exercise.

The added stress on hydration is, largely, just more of that theme, but that doesn’t make it less important. If anything, it makes it even more crucial – being properly hydrated is meant to be nothing more than a part of the foundation for basic, healthy fertility, and if you don’t have that, trying to increase that baseline of fertility is going to meet with some problems.

Dehydration can lead to low sperm count as well as decreased egg health, so it’s not just important for you to stay hydrated, but for your partner or donor as well. Hydration also plays a role in the hormonal regulation that’s key to fertility, and in the production of cervical fluid.

Other hydrating things to consider

Hydration doesn’t need to come from drinking water alone, if you’re not a big water fan. Lots of fruits and raw vegetables are water-rich, and adding more diverse fruits and vegetables to your diet can also help you get a head-start on boosting your fertility through nutrition. Even coffee and tea are sources of hydration, though they’re not ideal.

Many experts recommend getting at least 64 oz. (about 2 L) of water each day. You should speak to your healthcare provider if you need help with strategies for getting more water.

Sources

• Barry M Popin. “Water, Hydration, and Health.” Nutr Rev. 68(8):439-458. Web. Aug 2010.

Consider this when preparing your body for pregnancy

Overall physical health during a pregnancy matters. Here are other things to consider when preparing the body for pregnancy.

Medications

Stopping birth control is the obvious one, since a baby isn’t going to come along until after you stop taking it, but other medications you might be taking could have an effect on him or her before you even know you’ve conceived. Your healthcare provider should be able to tell you if any medication you’re taking has the potential for side-effects, and to suggest an alternative if something does. If there is a medication that your healthcare provider suggests you stop taking, it may take a few months after stopping for it to fully leave your system, which may push your conception timetable back a little. This is also a great time to start taking prenatal vitamins, so that when you do conceive, you’ll already have a healthy level of all the nutrients a baby will need.

Pelvic preparedness

If your pelvis is out of alignment, it could limit the amount of space a baby has to develop in, and interfere with his or her position, which could lead to labor complications. If your healthcare provider thinks your pelvis might be misaligned, they might recommend a visit to the chiropractor.

Exercise

Childbirth is an intense physical experience, and now that you’ve decided it’s one you’re taking on, it’s never too soon to start preparing for it. Strong abdominal muscles going into your pregnancy will give you a better chance that they’ll heal normally after labor, and pelvic floor exercises like kegels can help you out both with labor and with a faster recovery and less likelihood of incontinence afterwards.

On the other hand, if you already work out, and especially if you follow a fairly intense exercise routine, now might be a good time to tone down your workout a bit, since particularly stressful and intense exercise can hurt your chances of conceiving and carrying to term. If you aren’t sure whether you should take a step back from your regular workout, ask your healthcare provider.

Nutrition

Getting your diet on track is a great way to both improve your fertility and prepare your body to be the healthiest environment for a child that it can be at the same time. Many providers suggest bettering your diet at least three months before trying to conceive. Luckily, the changes they recommend making aren’t complicated, and shouldn’t come as a surprise, since they mostly consist of following a balanced diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and other healthy sources of protein, and dairy products. There are certain nutrients, like zinc and folic acid, it’s important to get enough of, but prenatal vitamins can also help with that.

Sources

• Mayo Clinic Staff. “Preconception planning: Is your body ready for pregnancy?” MayoClinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Jul 7 2015. Web.

How hydration can affect fertility

Our basic health is crucial for fertility. Having a healthy baseline makes a world of difference as you try to get pregnant and staying hydrated is one of those healthy habits that can make a difference. Dehydration can lead to low sperm count as well as decreased egg health, so it’s not just important for you to stay hydrated, but for your partner or donor as well. Hydration also plays a role in the hormonal regulation that’s key to fertility, and in the production of cervical fluid.

Hydration doesn’t need to come from water alone, if you’re not a fan of the plain stuff. You could try adding flavor to your water through a squeeze of lemon or other fruits, which can make your hydration much more tasty. Lots of fruits and raw vegetables are also water-rich, so adding more diverse fruits and vegetables to your diet can also help you get a head-start on boosting your fertility through nutrition, as well.