Conception and Dieting

Guest Author - Tricia Bauman

Dieting has become very famous in our culture today. Everyone is struggling to meet their correct weight proportioned to their height. Heart disease and obesity become a major challenge in today’s world. Dieting can effect your body and health in a very good way but the question is can it effect fertility or pregnancy and is it a good effect?

Fertility
We all want a healthy body to grow a healthy fetus. Some women in the world have eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Others stick to popular diets such as Atkins or Jenny Craig. Extreme exercise and dieting can cause hormonal problems in women, which can lead to a missed period or infertility. Luckily, these extreme behaviors are not permanent and with a slight adjustment or treatment the body can be back to normal. Although eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia can have a longer effect than popular diets. Eating disorders affect the hypothalamus, which is what causes estrogen shifts in the body.

If eating disorders aren’t your main focus don’t think you’re out of the woods yet. The most popular diets such as the Atkins Diet is out there on the market. This “Low-Carb” diet gives off the impression it is healthy for the today’s woman. Taking on a diet like this can affect fertility and could cause genetic defects. There was a study done on “Low-Carb” diets using mice. The results did show a negative effect on conception and fetus genetics although not tested on humans. The fetus needs nutrition to grow. Extreme dieting has been known to cause low birth weights and increased risk for infant deaths and disabilities.

So keeping a healthy moderate diet will not do any harm to your fertility. It is okay to lower your carb intake but be sure not to cut it out completely or lower it too much. Carbs are found in foods rather than vitamins and they are needed for a healthy baby. Studies have shown what you eat before conception has a greater impact on a child than what you eat during pregnancy. Leaving the body short of nutrients can cause heart disease, hypertension and diabetes in the child. So make sure to start eating right three months prior to conception. When exercising don’t over do it. Make sure you can still talk while exercising, don't become breathless.

Pregnancy
If you exercised regularly before getting pregnant then you are keeping a healthy lifestyle. But knowing when to slow things down is an important role. It is shown that exercise can prevent miscarriage up to 40% but over exercising can cause problems. Pregnant woman should exercise at 50-60 percent of their maximal heart rate and exercise 3 times a week up to 30 minutes each. Keep hydrated while exercising as to not lose fluid. Never exercise to the point of breathlessness. Do not lift heavy objects. Try to avoid exercises that are strenuous or that could injure you or the baby. Also, in the second and third trimester of pregnancy try to avoid lying on the back because it does create less blood flow to the placenta.

Exercise can lessen pregnancy symptoms and discomforts. It can be beneficial if practiced the right way. Please remember to consult your physician when deciding to change your diet or exercise while pregnant. Not all women are the same and what could benefit one woman may harm another. Exercise is not recommended for those with a weak cervix or break through bleeding during the pregnancy.

Pregnant women shouldn’t be dieting, unless heavy intake of sugar or fat is consumed. They need a lot of vitamins to nourish the unborn child. The average pregnant woman needs 300 extra calories a day. Fewer calories can be tolerated in the first trimester but as the pregnancy progresses calorie intake should increase. To get a proper diet while pregnant, follow the food pyramid. Don’t cut out any nutritional value, especially carbs.

Final Thought
Obesity is a heart-breaking struggle to go through and while exercise and dieting can cause fertility problems so can excess weight. So if you are looking to lose weight, loose it before trying to conceive. Make sure you reach your weight goal by eating and exercising the right way. Don’t cut anything out! We need all the nutrients we can get from foods and vitamins. Once your desired weight is achieved a healthy pregnancy can take place.

Content copyright © 2008 by Tricia Bauman. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Tricia Bauman. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Stacy Wiegman for details.

Nutrition Needed For A Healthy Pregnancy/Baby
These amounts may change due to age, weight and trimester. Please consult your doctor.
Carbohydrate	45-65% of calories should be from these. Carbs contain 4 calories per gram
Protein	60 grams/day
Calcium	600 mg/day
Folic Acid	400 mcg/day
Oils/Fats	10 g/day
Fruits	2-3 portions/day
Vegitables	2-3 portions/day