Conception Prep For An Easy Pregnancy

Okay, ladies (and men!!), this is going to be a BIG one. I honestly feel like I need to make this a whole series because it’s one of my most FAQs and it’s something I’m living in very real-time right now as I prepare to get pregnant soon!

 

The reason I say this is for MEN as well, is because we often put all of the pressure on ourselves as women that we have to do all of the work pre-conception since we’re the ones who will be carrying and growing the baby.

 

But there is a LOT that men have to do with this as well, which I talk about extensively in THIS podcast episode - Episode 381 if you want to search it wherever you listen to podcasts.

 

So let’s get into the nitty gritty! Here’s what my husband and I are doing, and have been for the past almost year now, to boost our own fertility, egg & sperm health, and make sure we feel our absolute best going into our baby-making era next year! 🌶️ (I recommend doing these things for a MINIMUM of six months, but even longer than that is ideal.)

 

Quick side note for those who are interested in Queen Alchemy and/or those who have done it in the past (because you get full access to the portal for life as a client) - I actually added a  full conception guide in there recently. This will be a bit of a fuller, more robust plan than what I can cover in an email, so another reason to join QA if you’ve been sitting on the sidelines! 😉

 

Also, the reason why I put it in QA, and I haven't just put it as something you can purchase on the website, is because I am sooo big on making sure that energetically your body is actually in a place where you not only want a baby, but you feel you can hold a baby - knowing your energy field is open, your womb space is open, you’ve healed a lot of your sh*t, and so on. 

 

*** A little disclaimer before I keep going, too, because the internet these days is a wild place. All of this information I share with you here and on the podcast is to be used for informational purposes only. This is obviously general advice that I am giving based on my own research. I will always urge you to go and do your own research if you want to and come to your own conclusions, and of course, contact a holistic health professional or naturopath for further bespoke support on the physical things. ***

 

Remember, too, even if you’re NOT looking to get pregnant any time soon - our fertility is one of our vital signs of true health. If we are not fertile (in our fertile years, of course), then our body is signaling that something is OFF. It could be physical, it could be energetic, it could be a mixture of the both. But this is a great starting point for everyone. Make it your own!

 

So here we go:

 

• Clean up your environment. This means your household products, makeup, skincare, the water you drink, your gut health, your diet, etc.
• CLICK HERE for my favourite products page to see my fave non-toxic makeup, the household products I use personally, my skincare, supplements, etc.
• You want to be careful to not just get something that says “eco-friendly” or “natural” at the grocery store because greenwashing is a real thing and the regulations, especially here in the U.S., are total crap and don’t mean anything unfortunately. You need to do the research to ensure that what you’re buying doesn’t have any endocrine disruptors, is non-toxic, no phthalates, NO fragrances, etc.
• Stop drinking tap water - and stop bathing in it too. Get a good water filter ASAP because the amount of microplastics and heavy metals, etc. that are in our water is sickening.
• So, cleaning things up before you get pregnant is going to be HUGE because I'm very big on if you want to be a parent, you need to step up and take responsibility. You have an obligation to give your child the healthiest environment for him or her to thrive because they have no say over what happens in utero.
• Clean up your diet. I think this goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyway. This means organic, no f*cking pesticides, home-cooked, no vegetable oil, like all of those things. Clean, clean, clean. Grass-fed, grass-finished meat. Organic, pasture-raised chicken. Wild-caught fish. Organic produce. All these things are really essential as well, not just taking all the supplements, but then eating whatever the f*ck that you want. Remember, this isn't just about you. This is about your baby. This is about the health and the metabolism of your future child.
• Get your labs tested so you have some DATA to go off of and you’re making this personalized for YOU and your partner. Look for heavy metal issues, look at the state of your adrenals and your thyroid. My go-to at-home test is LINKED HERE.
• Use GLASS over plastic whenever possible. Food storage, bring your own thermos to the coffee shop, use loose leaf tea instead of tea bags, etc.
• Boost your nutrients the second you read this… even if you’re years and years out from conceiving!! The sooner you start, the better stores you’re building up and the easier it will be. Obviously the best case scenario is that this is coming from actual food, but we also need to remember that the food quality in America is really s*it these days. So, supplementing is something you need to consider for sure. Again, SUPPLEMENTATION is going to go hand-in-hand with what your individual labs come back with, and then your partner needs to follow his as well

 

Nutrients that are really important to increase are:

• Fat is essential for mitochondrial health in your eggs. Cholesterol plays a very important role in the development of your baby, and it's required for hormone synthesis in your body. It’s vital in every single cell of your body and your baby's body, so making sure that you are actually eating cholesterol (because your body doesn’t make it) needs to be on your “boosting fertility to-do list!”
• Choline: found in liver, eggs, Cod, salmon
• Vitamin A: The BEST best best way is to get this from liver. It’s a vital nutrient for the growth of your baby, so it’s a MUST in pregnancy for me. But do your own research if you feel nervous about it, but just know that the 'research' of liver being dangerous has been de-bunked. It's actually quite the opposite. Plus, when you're getting vitamin A from your food, you aren't going to over-do it.
• Glycine: This amino acid is very important in the formation of DNA, healthy organs, connective tissue, bones, blood vessels, skin, joints, literally everything. Plus, it is required to fuel the growth of your uterus, your placenta, and your stretching skin. The most reliable sources of glycine are bone broth and slow-cooked meats with the bone in an skin on (like red meat and poultry).
• Vitamin C: Taking them in a liquid form so that it’s more bioavailable to your body and you’re actually going to have a better chance of absorbing more of it. I use Cymbiotika (click HERE for a discount). I also use their Magnesium, Super Greens, Elderberry, Charcoal, Vitamin D3 & K2.
• Zinc: This is super important for sperm health and egg health.
• B Vitamins: Use the prenatal supplement from Fullwell,
• Iodine: Best food source is seaweed.
• Iron: Eating plenty of red meat, even better if it’s slow cooked. Chicken liver will help with both your Vitamin A *and* your iron so win-win there.
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids: We take Nordic Naturals.
• CoQ10: Boosts egg and sperm health - Get the fertility booster from FullWell
• NAC - this is a precursor to gluthaoine which is your body's master antioxidant. Increasing NAC has been shown to help with egg health and sperm health. Get the fertility booster from FullWell
• Glutathione: Preserves egg health, improves sperm motility, and reduces oxidative stress.
• Fertility Boosting Herbs: We take Peekay’s Herbs (click here for a discount and use the code MONICA20).

 

It’s important for me to mention that just taking a random prenatal is NOT it. They just don’t have the proper amount of each nutrient in them, and they’re not going to give you what YOU need for the most optimal fertility and pregnancy. The one prenatal I do recommend is Fullwell, but you still need to take other supplements on the side if you are deficient in some nutrients (which is why getting a comprehensive nutritional panel is so informative), and I still HIGHLY recommend getting blood work done so you can tailor your supplements to your body.

 

• GET A SLOW COOKER and eat all of the slow-cooked meats to cover a tonne of your nutrients that I mention above. I recommend THIS slow cooker because it’s stainless steel and isn’t going to leech sh*t into your food. That’s, obviously, very important here.

• Red light therapy!! The frequency of a red light helps boost mitochondrial function, reduce inflammation, increase cell turnover, and the list goes on. All the good things, right? I have started using red lights a few times a week on my womb space which feels sooo good. Total vibes. THIS is the one that I use (and use the code MONICAYATESHEALTH for $260 off). The warmth is also super great because you want to make sure there is blood flowing to your womb space, which in turn supports the health of your womb and ovaries.

• Note: Your man can use RLT too! BUT he cannot have it sitting on his skin because the heat is really bad for sperm. There is a lot of research that shows how amazing red light therapy is for sperm they just need to keep is 7 inches or so away from their package ;) Men do need to to reduce heat int that area, because it kills off sperm and it can cause things like DNA fragmentation (so good to avoid saunas or jacuzzis as well or have an iceback on your balls whilst in the sauna and cold shower after- not joking)

For more context, especially around each nutrient, make sure to listen to episode 381 of the podcast because I get a bit fiery and give you very, very practical advice.

 

Then, for more, you’ve got the full conception guide in Queen Alchemy or my 1:1 packages.

Remember this is just a TASTE as I’ll be diving deeper into this topic in future emails and podcasts, and I know a lot of you are requesting a program on this one day! We’ll see!! 😉 But for now, start here. Commit to this. Don’t stress about being perfect, but make one small change every day and it’ll add up over time.

Happy baby-making, my friend! Be sure to send in any questions you have on this topic, and I’d love to have those on hand for another podcast episode on fertility in the future! I’m excited for you!!!