For many people the word ‘detox’ is a dirty word. The very thought of consuming raw, vegan food; starting each day with a drink of hot water flavoured with cayenne pepper; or drinking cold-pressed juice for days on end, is more than they can contemplate. And who can blame them? And while these trendy detox programs may be popular on Instagram and other social media platforms, they’re not particularly enticing, and they’re certainly not recommended for anyone trying to conceive. This is a time for nourishing your body in readiness for pregnancy.
Detox, Cleanse, and Declutter
Detoxing doesn’t necessarily mean depleting your body of all the foods you enjoy. There are plenty of ways to detox your body, cleanse your surroundings, and declutter your mind, whilst still focusing on your main goal of conception. They’re all extremely worthwhile, and they’re all easy to do!
No. 1: Start with Meditation
If you’ve never meditated before, this is the perfect time to start. According to recent research, the cortisol and prolactin hormones released by your body when stressed make getting pregnant so much harder. Start meditating for just a few minutes every morning and you’ll soon notice a lowering of these stress hormones. As an added bonus, depression and anxiety symptoms will reduce, both believed to negatively affect fertility.
Meditation is the perfect start to anyone’s day! The simple acts of relaxing your body and quieting your mind trigger the part of your brain known as the parasympathetic nervous system, producing a sense of peace and calmness. Teaching yourself how to meditate before getting pregnant will provide you with a wonderful tool that will assist you not only during your pregnancy, but for the rest of your life.
Another great choice, alongside exercising when to trying to get pregnant, is yoga. Closely tied to meditation, Yoga offers a great way of relaxing and calming the mind, with some yoga poses possibly helping you get pregnant.
Yoga helps to release tension and stress from the body, similar to meditation. But it also has physical benefits that can aid in fertility. Certain poses, such as the butterfly pose and the cobra pose, improve blood flow and stimulate hormone production in the body. Additionally, practicing yoga can help regulate menstrual cycles and balance hormones.
Incorporating meditation and yoga into your daily routine is a great way to reduce stress and improve your overall well-being, whether you’re trying to conceive or not. It’s a simple step you can take to prioritise your mental and physical health, and potentially improve your chances of getting pregnant.
No. 2: Go ‘Natural’ With Your Make-Up and Personal Care Products
The Environmental Working Group conducted research on infants and discovered that babies are born pre-polluted with more than 200 toxic chemicals in their bodies. This is certainly no one’s fault because pollutants are everywhere, including in our water and air. So, you can’t completely avoid exposure to toxins, but you can certainly ensure that the personal care products, including make-up, that you use are free from dangerous ingredients. Always try to avoid lotions, face washes, and particularly make up, that contain ingredients like parabens, phthalates, and toluene, and switch to a menstrual cup or organic tampons while you’re trying to get pregnant. It’s so easy to do online research these days, so spend the time to locate viable alternatives for conventional products you use. When you detox your body from these ingredients, you’re going a long way to reducing the damage done to your body.
No. 3: Check Your Food Carefully for Antibiotics and Hormones
It’s important that you check your exposure to antibiotics and hormones found in your food. While we would never suggest that you go on a cleanse or a diet while trying to get pregnant, we do suggest that you introduce whole, organic foods to your eating regime. Consuming antibodies and hormones found in food, particularly in dairy and meat, can not only make it hard to conceive, it can adversely affect foetal and child development.
Hormones are a vital part of fertility, so ensure your hormones are functioning at their highest level. When grocery shopping, choose local, antibiotic and hormone-free food as often as possible. Making these healthy choices will help your body reset and start to heal. You don’t necessarily need to give up ice-cream and cheeseburgers altogether, but be aware of what you’re consuming, because everything you eat works either against you or for you. While you’re trying to conceive it’s very important that your lifestyle works for you!
No. 4: Declutter Your Home
Decluttering and tidying up your home can have the most amazing effects on your life. A tidy, uncluttered home results in not only freeing up physical space, it also frees up mental space. There’s so much going on in your mind when you’re trying to conceive, from fertility treatments, pregnancy tests, the possibility of a child taking over your life, and so on, it can become overwhelming trying to stay in control and process everything that’s going on in your life. That old saying “a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind” is absolutely true, so start decluttering your home right now. There is heaps of advice available these days on how to go about decluttering, including books, TV series, and online podcasts, so all you need to do is make the time and get started. A decluttered home will make an enormous difference to your state of mind. Once you start decluttering you won’t be able to stop. Start by donating or giving way one item per day, or alternatively, spend 5 minutes each day organising just one area of your home. It’s addictive, and when you realise just how wonderful it feels to be clutter free you won’t be able to stop!
No. 5: Time to Start Working on Your Social Circle
Decluttering household items that you no longer need or want is the ideal way to prepare your home for a new addition to your family. It is also very important that you declutter your social circle. When a couple are trying to have a baby it can often feel like a rollercoaster ride; at times exciting, at times emotional, and at times scary, so if you have friends, work colleagues, family members, or acquaintances in your circle who are negative and unsupportive of the journey you’re on, it may be time to let them go.
It can be difficult to let go of a friend, and we’re certainly not suggesting that you cut them out of your life entirely. However, it’s time to put yourself and your future child first, so maybe it’s time to spend less time around those who are not supportive of your plans to have a baby. Now is the time to surround yourself with people who are excited and 100% supportive of the journey you’re on.
Keep in mind that your mind, body, indeed your life, are all interconnected, which means that when one is healthy, so too will be others become healthy. Be very kind and gentle with yourself and live the cleanest life you can by making simple changes every day. Every small change you make adds up to a healthy lifestyle for both you and your child. It won’t be long before all three aspects of your wellness, namely your mind, body, and soul, are glowing with good health.
Remember, these five steps are just a starting point. There are so many ways to detox your life and prepare your body for pregnancy. Make sure to listen to your body and do what feels right for you. Whether it’s adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, getting enough rest, or practicing self-care, every little step counts towards a healthier you. Take care of yourself, and before you know it, you’ll be holding your precious little one in your arms.
Photo Credit: “meditation” (CC BY 2.0) by Spirit-Fire
This post first appeared in January 2019. It was last updated in June 2023.
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