Prepregnancy & Preconception Health
Preconception Health: Preparing for Pregnancy
Your journey to a healthy, growing family begins with the health and well-being of you—both of you. Your fertility is the barometer of your health.
Optimize your health. Improve your fertility.
At SuMa Medicine, I believe the healthier the tree, the healthier the fruit. My practice takes a whole-body approach to preconception health and preparing for pregnancy.
I help parents-to-be who are ready to:
- Elevate their health and nutrition,
- Eliminate environmental toxins that impact fertility, and
- Invest in a whole-body, natural path to a healthy, vibrant family.
SuMa Medicine has helped couples
overcome these reproductive health issues:
- Chronic Inflammation
- Fatigue
- Hormonal Imbalances (in men and women)
- Abnormal Menstrual Cycles
- Low Sperm Count and/or Motility
- Hypothyroidism
- Gastrointestinal Issues
- Poor Diet and Lifestyle
- Low Stress-tolerance and Emotional Resilience
Book a Preconception Health Consultation Today
Our Functional Medicine Approach to Preconception Health
Functional medicine restores health by addressing the root cause of illness.
With reproductive health, I look for potential issues that may impact conception or lead to health issues for your baby. I seek to optimize your health and improve your fertility. The healthier the tree, the healthier the fruit.
Whole Health Assessment
During your initial consultation, I’ll take two hours to get to know both of you and your reproductive health, your pregnancy goals, your nutrition, your diet, and the stressors impacting your well-being. You’ll leave that first appointment with immediate action steps to improve your preconception health and prepare for pregnancy.
In-depth Diagnostics to Evaluate Your Reproductive Health
I’ll test for nutritional factors, genetic variances, and environmental toxin burdens that may impact your reproductive health. We’ll work to overcome these stressors so you can optimize your health and improve your fertility.
Personalized, Preconception Health Plan
Get a personalized health plan for both parents-to-be. Your plan will account for your unique health histories, current preconception health, and family planning goals. Follow-up consultations will help you both move towards improved health as you prepare for pregnancy and grow a healthy, vibrant family—naturally.
COMMON CAUSES OF POOR PRECONCEPTION HEALTH
Chronic Inflammation
Research indicates chronic inflammation is a common cause of infertility in both men and women. It can impact ovulation, hormone production, menstrual cycles, testicular health, as well as sperm count, motility, and shape.
Chronic inflammation in the mother may also lead to health concerns for the baby. These may include allergies, asthma, mental health problems, and impaired brain development.
As part of your preconception health journey, we’ll test for and treat the source of inflammatory disorders to give your family a healthy start.
Poor Nutritional & General Health
In both men and women, poor diet and nutrition lead to poor preconception health. I’ll examine your diet and lifestyle to see where we can optimize your eating habits to include the building blocks of new life.
Ideally, you’ll want to commit to healthy eating habits at least a year before you plan to get pregnant. But, if you’re struggling to conceive now, the second-best time to optimize your eating habits is today.
Environmental Toxins & Heavy Metal Exposure
Exposure to environmental toxins and heavy metals can have a significant impact on reproductive health for men and women, as well as the health of your unborn baby.
These toxins can compromise egg quality, leading to fertility problems and complications during pregnancy. Additionally, they can negatively affect fetal development, causing a host of developmental issues. In men, toxic exposure can reduce sperm count, affect motility and shape, and even cause sexual dysfunction.
This is why I’ll assess both parents for exposure to numerous dangerous chemicals and environmental toxins that may be impacting your reproductive health.
With this information, we can take proactive steps to reduce your exposure and increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Falling Testosterone Levels and Sperm Counts
Sperm counts have fallen by 54% since the 1980s. And, one in four men over the age of 30 have low testosterone levels.
In addition to exploring exposure to environmental toxins and heavy metals, I’ll evaluate for potential lifestyle choices that may lead to falling testosterone levels and sperm count.
Emotional Health & Resilience
A body under stress is much less likely to conceive. Why? The hormones required for conception get hijacked by stress hormones, like cortisol.
A functional medicine approach to your preconception health is a holistic approach—mind, body, and spirit.
We’ll examine the impact stress may have on your chances of conception. We’ll explore lifestyle changes, counseling referrals, and other resources to help you mitigate stress, create balance, and optimize your health and fertility.
Special Preconception Health Note on Spectrum Disorders, Allergies, Autoimmunity, and Health
While there are a variety of causes for spectrum disorders, allergies, and autoimmunity among babies, many functional medicine doctors believe the most significant causes include
- Environmental toxin exposure,
- Diminishing diversity of our microbiome, and
- Nutritional deficits.
The SuMa Medicine Functional Approach to your preconception health directly addresses each of these concerns. Your personalized health plan will reduce or eliminate their impact on your fertility and the health of your baby. The healthier the tree, the healthier the fruit.
Book a Preconception Health Consultation Today.
Optimize Your Health & Fertility for a Fruitful Pregnancy.
