A fit and healthy pregnancy; before, during, and after.
Way before I even thought about having children, I started taking better care of my health. It is never too early to start preparing your body to have a healthier pregnancy, especially since unplanned pregnancies happen often.
My husband and I knew we wanted kids in the future and we had plans to do by the time I turned 30. So, naturally I was pregnant right after my 28th birthday, however we were very excited and blessed. We weren’t planning for that but in our eyes, we felt it was meant to be. I am grateful we were both at our healthiest during that time. Coincidence?
Here are my top 3 must reads to enhance your health & fertility for both you and your partner!
- Deep Nutrition
- The Better Baby Book
- Ina May’s Guide to Child Birth
DEEP NUTRITION by Catherine Shanahan, M.D.
I began reading Deep Nutrition 5 years prior to becoming pregnant to better my health, so that is the one I would recommend to you first.
This book explores how our lifestyle choices, including eating habits, greatly impact our health on a cellular level. They discuss the four pillars of health: diet, movement, sleep, and community.
It also dives into the significants of nutrient dense food, traditional eating and the importance of epigenetics in shaping overall health and well-being as humans.
THE BETTER BABY BOOK by Lana Asprey M.D. and Dave Asprey
I started this when I found out I was pregnant. I would recommend starting it at least 6 months to 1 year prior to trying. Thankfully I was already doing the majority of things that I thought were best for me.
This book focuses on optimizing your chances of fertility, pregnancy, and the health of both partners before conception. They are husband and wife (doctor) who had their own challenges with fertility and they share their advice and experience.
They also discuss lifestyle habits, including proper nutrition, supplementation, and environmental factors. All that can all contribute to a fertility and the potential for have a “better” baby with cognitive development, physical development, and overall well-being.
This book challenges a lot of current recommendations, so if you’re looking for more “up-to-date” and “holistic” health recommendations, then this the book for you.
*I want to note that I loved this book, but did not agree or follow EVERYTHING that was recommended. I did what I felt comfortable with, as every individual should.
INA MAY’S GUIDE TO CHILDBIRTH by midwife Ina May Gaskin
This book is another one I began reading after the first couple of months of pregnancy. I would recommend it at the start if possible, especially if this is your first pregnancy or you want to learn about alternatives to labor and delivery.
This book empowers women and their spouses to become more confident by providing information, stories and advice as it relates to “natural” or unmedicated vaginal childbirth and care of true midwives.
There are real childbirth stories from women who had home births to hospital births.
The importance behind this book is to highlight the importance of positive mindset, relaxation, and the natural ability of the body to have a natural childbirth. It also has amazing information on how to advocate for yourself during labor and delivery.
I hope you find this post helpful and that these 3 must reads enhance your health and fertility. Again, not everything needs to be done exactly as told. These are books I found helpful to better my health and the health of my baby. Like I mentioned before, I didn’t follow everything from these books, but I did learn and apply a lot of the given information that I felt comfortable doing.
Everything you do or say is your choice. I hope you see these as an investment into your health and the future health of your baby.
Click here to read more about daily lifestyle habits and tips to increase fertility.