GREEN GUIDE - Markham Publishing

Get healthy – the benefits ofplanning for pregnancyGetting married, moving house, starting a job and even going onholiday – can all be life changing experiences that people can spendmonths, even years planning.So why is it that when most couples make themomentous decision to start a family very few thinkwhat they can do to prepare themselves mentallyand physically for having a baby?Other cultures have long established traditions ofpre-conceptual care. The Chinese talk of a 12month pregnancy, taking into account the three tofour month period of time for the egg to mature andthe sperm to develop. Other communities preparedifferent foods for the prospective mother, includinga special nutrient-rich diet to boost her health inorder to meet the demands of the pregnancy.Why is it that in the UK women rarely plan for pregnancyand yet 44,000 desperate couples each yearseek help for fertility problems and 24,000 will endup resorting to IVF? One in four women miscarry,sperm counts have dropped by 50 per cent in the lastten years and sperm abnormalities are on the increase.It was this question that led health professional JaneSheldon Clarke to develop a unique approach topregnancy for both men and women to give theirchild the best start in life. The Nourish programmehas already brought happiness to many couples whohad abandoned hopes of having a baby and helpedothers make the lifestyle changes guaranteed toimprove their chances of conceiving.‘From my own experience I know how important itis to prepare the body for pregnancy,’ says Jane, wholives in Jersey, the Channel Islands. ‘I conceived ourfirst daughter very easily but I suffered a couple ofmiscarriages when we planned for our second child.’Nourish, is the first product of its kind in that itencourages couples to think about the health oftheir baby before it is even conceived. Although theprogramme can help couples with fertility problemsit is recommended for any prospective parents whowant to ensure a healthy pregnancy and invest intheir child’s future health.Research from Southampton University shows thatbabies are more likely to be healthy if both parentsare in good physical condition and eat a sensible,well balanced diet before and after their conceive.Parents who prepare physically for having a babyalso reduce the risk of their child developing adultdiseases such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosisin later life. 30 per cent of babies in the UKare small enough at birth to be at risk.‘I researched my own condition extensively and withthe help of vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies,as well as lifestyle and dietary changes I now havethe healthy family I dreamed of,’ explains Jane.‘We all know that smoking is bad for you but manypeople don’t realise that making simple adjustmentsto their daily diet can dramatically improve theirchances of having a child. How many women forexample realise that drinking just one cup of coffeea day can halve their chances of conceiving?’However a good diet isn’t just important to conceive.Once pregnant, the foetus is totally dependenton its mother to provide all the nutrients itneeds to develop healthily. In cases where the Research from Southampton Universityshows that babies are more likely to behealthy if both parents are in goodphysical condition and eat a sensible,well balanced diet before and after theirconceive.205