The importance of taking vitamins before trying to get pregnant
Taking vitamins before getting pregnant is something that many women do... but others are unaware of.
The reality is that currently there is still little talk about the importance of acquiring healthy lifestyle habits, including taking vitamins, before of looking for a pregnancy or in the previous months to start assisted reproduction treatment.
There are many women who begin to take better care of themselves when they are already pregnant or have already started fertility treatment.
Is this correct?
Is it important (and why) to take vitamins before the long-awaited positive?
We analyze it.
Review your vital habits before looking for pregnancy
Daily habits have substantial importance for all of us. If we talk about women who are looking for pregnancy or want to start assisted reproduction treatment, healthy habits acquire even more value.
It is really interesting for women to review their basic living habits: sleep, exercise, eat correctly and start vitamin supplementation.
Acquire an optimal level of all these habits before getting pregnant (minimum 2 months before, although ideally 3), has a very positive impact on the process of gestation of a baby.
In the case of assisted reproduction treatments, it is just as important to prepare in the same way, even knowing that pregnancy is not going to occur naturally.
A single mother or a couple of women who want to start fertility treatment usually have this process very internalized.
However, the same does not happen with heterosexual couples since, upon realizing that they cannot have children naturally, they stop reviewing their living habits until they have already started treatment.
What vitamins to take before trying to get pregnant
“What types of foods and vitamins are most convenient?”
This is a very common concern for women before trying to get pregnant. You must be attentive to the nutrients you take and pay attention to those that are most convenient to help conceive the baby.
Vitamins are essential since they are responsible for regulating many of the functions of our body. Not taking them can mean a decrease in fertility.
It's about preparing your body to shelter a creature for nine months. Eating a healthy and balanced diet is more essential than ever at this stage.
These are the vitamins and foods that you should take more into account:
Vitamin B
Within vitamin B there are different types of vitamins that are very important when you are trying to get pregnant:
- Vitamin B6: Its function is to maintain progesterone at optimal levels in order to avoid complications that can cause miscarriages.
Meat in general, fish, eggs and dairy products are foods that contain high doses of vitamin B6.
- Folic acid: Doctors especially emphasize starting to take folic acid about 3 months before getting pregnant. It is extremely important when it comes to preventing complications, such as defects in the neural tube of the embryo (spina bifida), and malformations in general.
Foods that contain folic acid: vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, chard or spinach), whole grains, legumes (lentils, beans), fruits (banana, grapes, papaya, strawberries), eggs, vegetables (pumpkin, carrot), nuts ( nuts, peanuts, almonds), cheeses (cottage cheese).
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an important nutrient that helps maintain optimal progesterone levels. Citrus fruits, parsley and peppers are foods high in vitamin C.
Vitamin D
It is the only vitamin that can be acquired without having to eat any food or supplement. It is synthesized naturally when exposed to sunlight.
Even so, there are foods that contain vitamin D, such as oily fish, canned sardines, nuts (almonds, walnuts), milk and its derivatives, butter, eggs, watercress and oranges.
Vitamin D helps to have strong bones, through the absorption of calcium. It could also influence the levels of sex hormones, and regulate ovulation, as well as reduce possible complications during childbirth.
Vitamin E
It is very important in the regulation of the hormonal system since:
- Improves the function of the reproductive system.
- Protects the eggs from mutations.
- Avoid alterations in menstrual cycles.
Foods that include vitamin E: olive oil, egg yolk and nuts.
Fertilovit: the benefits of folic acid for couples seeking pregnancy
Other essential nutrients and supplements in the search for pregnancy
In addition to vitamins, there are other nutrients and supplements to reinforce our diet to be able to conceive with the minimum possible risks:
Zinc
Zinc is a metal that helps a woman's body use estrogen more effectively. Seafood, dairy products and legumes are foods high in zinc.
Omega 3
They are beneficial fatty acids for the correct eye and brain development of the embryo. It also helps prevent preeclampsia and high blood pressure.
Foods that provide omega 3: seafood in general, salmon, tuna, sardines, walnuts and avocado.
Iron
Fundamental element in our body as it helps produce red blood cells. When our body does not produce enough iron, we suffer from anemia. Anemia, in terms of fertility, can lead women to suffer anovulation, and can be detrimental to pregnancy and childbirth, causing blood loss.
Red meat, lentils, spinach, egg yolks, amaranth or quinoa are foods rich in iron.
Selenium
Metal that helps the correct development of the fetus. Eggs, meats and fish, and nuts such as Brazil nuts are rich in selenium.
There are many other supplements that help regulate the entire hormonal cycle, and contribute to pregnancy, such as Fertilovit PCOS.
Other supplements such as Fertilovit ENDO, they help reduce menstrual pain and intervene so that the cycles are more harmonious and you do not have discomfort during ovulation.
How men can contribute to the search for pregnancy
Women are not the only ones responsible for taking care of themselves and consuming vitamins to cause the conception of a baby. Diet is a key factor in fertility for both women and men.
Men also have an important role since, through vitamins, they help keep sperm alive and increase the number of sperm. Especially the vitamins A, B12, C and E.
Other important nutrients are zinc and selenium, as they increase testosterone levels, or iodine, which promotes sperm mobility.
Supplements like Fertilovit M Plus, provide the necessary nutrients for the correct development of sperm, thus improving a man's fertility.
