Written by Maddison and Karina, the Holistic Dietitian + Naturopath duo behind @womenswisdomco.

Is trying for a baby in the cards for you in the near future? Perhaps in the next 6 months, one year, or even two years?

Or maybe you’ve made the exciting decision to start trying now. If so - good on you! With a little forward planning and consciously embarking on this next chapter, you are in fact giving your future little ones the best chance possible. We’re going to share with you our top 5 tips to begin preparing your body to be your bubs first home! 

But first, let's start here. Something you may not know is growing a baby starts months before the moment of conception. Yes, read it again: your little one is being formed and already developing before the moment of conception. Approximately 3-4 months beforehand to be precise.

This crucial time is referred to as the preconception phase. This is a major window of opportunity when it comes to influencing the health and development of your future children.

Did you know it takes one woman's egg follicle 90 to 120 days to become fully mature before it is released during ovulation? And did you also know each woman is born with every egg she will ever carry?

This means the foods your mother ate, the products she used on her body and in her home, and even her stress levels and emotions during this 3-4 month window all contributed to who you are today! Our power, influence, and potential here is huge.

By this point you’re probably wondering what can I be doing to make sure I pass on the best of me to my future children? Here are our top 5 tips: 

1. Get to know your cycle

We believe this knowledge a necessary foundation. Your monthly cycle and hormonal rhythms are the exact system responsible for creating life. So why wouldn’t you take some time to get to know the process? For so many of us, we have been focusing on preventing pregnancy and suppressing menstrual symptoms for the majority of our lives. Not many women actually know their cycle. We recommend that you start paying attention to your cycle, how many days it is, how it feels, and overall what is going on in your body. We love tracking our cycles and our favourite support tool is Tempdrop. Our question to women is - if you don’t know your cycle, how are you meant to know if something may be off or out of balance? 

TIP: Start tracking your cycle and keeping a cycle journal or diary. Day 1 is the day you start your period. Note how you’re feeling physically + emotionally each day and what might be going on for you. Better yet, start adding your temperatures into this too with a Tempdrop so you can see when you ovulate! 

2. Ditch the toxins 

It probably comes to no surprise that our world is far from clean anymore, with toxins being present in nearly every aspect of life. Despite our best efforts, many of us are likely coming into contact with some pretty nasty chemicals each day. From the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, what’s available in the supermarkets to clean our homes with, what we put on our skin, and what we wear each day. The average woman is exposed to 168 chemicals before she leaves the house each day! Our liver and kidneys can only filter out so many of the toxins we are exposed to before they are overloaded, and then chemicals can cause internal chaos and wreak havoc on our hormonal systems. Fortunately we can control the majority of these and limit our exposure to unnecessary chemicals as best we can to prevent our bodies becoming overloaded. It all starts with knowledge and awareness!

TIP: Try eating organic produce wherever possible. Never heat plastic containers (better yet, swap to glass, stainless steel or silicone for food storage). Download the Think Dirty app on your phone and start looking at your personal care products and seeing if you can find some healthier alternatives! Ditch the generic store bought cleaners and try making your own from vinegar and some lemon essential oil. Avoid any products that contain “fragrance” or “parfum” - because these could be a concoction of absolutely anything! 

3. Focus on real foods 

Nutrition should always be a priority as it contributes to optimal health at any stage of life. When it comes to conception, fertility and preparing for pregnancy, proper nutrition is more important than ever. The food you eat is what created the building blocks for your child. When your body has the nutrients available that it needs to thrive, you are giving your future children the best start possible, and it makes the already tremendous transition into motherhood a little bit easier. 

Let’s take a look at some of our fertility superfoods:

• Salmon - a boost of healthy fats, those desired omega 3s, DHA, and protein that improve foetal development throughout pregnancy.
• Oysters - packed with zinc which supports libido and increases the production of good-quality eggs.
• Berries - rich in natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients improving fertility for both sexes by protecting eggs and sperm from damage.
• Avocado - Offering a power punch of vitamin K and potassium while being full of healthy fats and fibre required for hormonal balance, fertility, and pregnancy.
• Eggs - fuelling your body with vitamin B’s and omegas and choline. Choline has shown to have significant positive effects on foetal development.
• Leafy greens - our favorites, kale and spinach, contain many essential prenatal nutrients including calcium, iron, and folate.

TIP: Source organic and local wherever possible. We love shopping at local farmers markets. Our only “diet” we recommend is real food - think as close to the source as possible.

4. Stress less

We all likely know by now how detrimental stress can be on our health, but did you know that stress can stop you ovulating all together? Stress can come in many forms - whether it’s pressure from your boss, arguing with your partner, worrying about a big meeting at work, running late for an exam, or even having really late nights, it all starts adding up. Humans weren’t designed for this extremely fast-paced world we all live in, which means it’s up to us to take measures into our own hands and start giving our nervous system some much needed downtime to reset and recharge. How exactly you do this will differ for everyone, whether it's meditation, breathwork, journalling, or even going for a long walk. The key is to flip yourself out of the fight-or-flight mode so many of us are stuck in. 

TIP: Find whatever it is for you that makes you feel most calm and grounded. Pay attention to your breath. Feel your heart-rate slowing down. Start by spending at least 10 minutes every day actively trying to flip into rest and restore mode. Trust us, your body and mind will thank you for it! 

5. Connect

No matter what belief system you prescribe to, I’m almost certain we can all agree there is more to this world than our eyes can see and the very act of conception is a miracle in itself. As humans we are much more than just our physical bodies. We are energetic beings, with more lying under the surface than we have yet comprehended. The sheer fact that our wombs act as vessels for life affirms this. Throughout his work, Roy Dittmann often says you and your partner attract the being that will manifest as your future child. So whether you spend time connecting with your future child, maybe energetically clearing your womb space or connecting to whatever feels true to you, the point here is to hold that connection close as you embark on arguably one of the most spiritual journeys life has in store for us. 

TIP: Write a letter to your future child, spend time in meditation. Work with an energy healer or reiki practitioner. Or maybe just spend more time outside in nature, whatever feels most true to you. 

The time to make the biggest impact on the health and intelligence of your future child is before he or she is even conceived.
~ Roy Dittmann

Our mission at Women's Wisdom Co @womenswisdomco is to support future mothers consciously prepare their bodies to become the most nourished versions of themselves prior to conceiving. This optimises the DNA they are passing on to their future generations and is rewriting our current health narrative. You can reach us on Instagram, Facebook, our website, or send us an email at hello@womenswisdomco.com!

Need a guided roadmap for your preconception/fertility journey? Join us now on our 12 week Conscious Conception Journey ~ this online course guides you through all the prep required to conceive. Click here for more information.