What if you could improve your fertility naturally? What if you could influence the health of your child? What if you could help prevent disease in your child as it grows up?
Some of these “what if’s” are possible – some to a greater extent than others.
In my book I explain the role of diet, lifestyle and environmental toxins on fertility. Much research has gone into this area but mainly for women. This is why I also address men’s fertility and reproductive health. In Australia one in six couples are experiencing fertility issues and up to 25% of all pregnancies are ending in miscarriage. Men’s sperm counts have dropped by 50% in the last 40 years – that’s more than a 10% decline each decade. You do the maths.
We need to take a good look at what we are doing, using, exposed to and how this is affecting our fertility and we need to do it now. All the information you need – what, how to identify, how to avoid exposure, and what to do is in my book.
The “What If” that I’d really like to delve into today is that of babies and young toddlers being diagnosed with serious health conditions – including cancer.
Ray Hadley revealed in an interview with Angira Bharadwaj last month that his 3-year old granddaughter is battling leukaemia. The little girl has faced a 2-year battle including seven lumbar punctures, biopsy and bone marrow all under general anaesthetic. Wow! That would be a tremendous strain on an adult, let alone a toddler. At the day of writing this test results weren’t “as good as hoped”.
A mother shared the story about her 3-month old son being diagnosed with an infantile fibrosarcoma – a soft-tissue cancerous tumour that grows rapidly; his was located on one of his kidneys. He was treated with powerful medication resulting in the tumour now being “undetectable.” Let’s hope he makes a full recovery never to face this disease again. Why are we not asking “why?” are young children getting these conditions?
I could list (far too) many more reports, including “off the record” stories inside hospitals regarding just how many babies are born with heart defects and cancer.
So, what if we could prevent such occurrences?
Perhaps we can – to a degree. There are no guarantees when it comes to pregnancy, but there are things you can do to ensure it is as easy as possible, and that your baby gets everything he or she needs to develop optimally. This type of preventative health begins prior to conception – an aspect of reproduction that is rarely mentioned. It is important to prepare your body (both men and women) BEFORE trying to have a baby. This applies to both natural and assisted conception.
With IVF I would comment that healthy sperm and eggs are a pre-requisite to a successful outcome, particularly if you intend to have your eggs frozen.
In my book I explain why pre-conception preparation is so important. It is not only about making sure you have a good diet but all the factors that influence the health of a woman’s eggs and a man’s sperm. With qualified support, testing and guidance you can be sure that you have taken all steps to give your baby the best possible chance at a long healthy life.
A mother’s nutrient intake during pregnancy affects the development of her baby which includes the formation of all its organs and tissues – thousands of new cells every day! I explain this process in detail in Chapter 3 of my book where it may become easier for you to understand the importance of everything a woman does throughout pregnancy.
If you knew that eating the right foods now could prevent your baby from developing diabetes or struggling with obesity or having chronic skin rashes, or other diseases either after birth later in life, would you eat differently?
I often hear this in clinic when parents come in to discuss having a baby. Often it is the woman who comes in even though the man contributes 50% of genetic material to his child. There’s also more in my book regarding the health of sperm and how this relates to early pregnancy loss or miscarriage.
Hearing that preparation may take up to several months, I understand that you just want to start trying now. I have seen the outcome of both scenarios – those who take the time to prepare and those who do not. When you consider that several months is a small investment in the life-long health of your child, surely it must be worth it.
You can learn more by reading my book – available in paperback and e-book format – from Amazon, or you can contact me.
