Preparing For a Healthy Baby
Dr Rowena Nicholson

We all tend to assume that we can conceive when we decide to, and produce a healthy baby at the end of nine months. However, the reality is that at least one in seven couples now have fertility problems, with both male and female infertility rates climbing year on year. In addition, one in four or five pregnancies end in miscarriage. Either of these are devastating, and many couples seek medical help. Drugs, IVF and other techniques can help some couples who are having problems conceiving. However, miscarriages are more usually dismissed as nature's way of sorting things out, unless a woman has had three or more miscarriages in a row.
Standard pre-conceptual advice is usually limited to ensuring the woman is immune to rubella (vaccinating if not), and advising about folic acid supplements, stopping smoking and alcohol, and avoiding soft cheeses and cat faeces. This is extraordinary, given the amount of evidence available on the effect of nutrition, lifestyle and environment on fertility and pregnancy outcome. Even the novice gardener will know that you can't expect good vegetable crops without ensuring that the plant has the correct environment and nutrients. So it is therefore surprising that we would expect differently for human beings. In the distant past, it would not have made sense for women to have babies during times of famine, malnourishment or extreme stress. So, it is only natural that in this modern day stress, adverse environments and poor nutrition result in reduced fertility and rising pregnancy and neonatal problems. Infection is also a major and increasing cause of infertility, and in many cases there are no symptoms to alert the couple.
Foresight is a charity which promotes pre-conceptual care. Their pre-conceptual programme may include: a whole food organic diet; avoiding smoking, alcohol and recreational drugs; using natural family planning; excluding genitourinary infections; the treatment of allergies or intestinal problems; mineral and toxic analysis and appropriate nutritional supplements. They have kept careful audits of all the couples enrolling in their programme for many years. Their published audit figures show that 78.4% of couples enrolling in their programme had a healthy baby, despite the fact that the majority had had fertility, miscarriage or neonatal problems previously. Currently about 22.2% of couples undergoing IVF treatment have a healthy baby. Those couples who combined IVF with the Foresight programme had a healthy baby in 47.1% of cases. Foresight's audits also show that only 3.5% of women had a miscarriage whilst on the programme; in addition, of those women who had previously had a miscarriage only 7% experienced a further miscarriage, comparing very favourably to the 33% average for this group nationally. Only 0.47% of babies born to couples on the Foresight programme had birth defects, compared to a 6% national rate. Foresight also carried out a study of male infertility, looking at 272 couples who had been advised that due to male infertility their only option was sperm donation or adoption. The programme was followed in full by 139 of these couples, and 66.2% went on to have a healthy baby.
I believe that all couples should pay attention to their health before even considering trying to conceive. There is so much that can be done to improve health, both to aid fertility, but also to prepare the couple for the demanding time of parenthood. Most experts in this field advise couples to spend at least six months improving their health before conception. This is because it takes time to improve nutritional status, eliminate toxins, improve fi tness and treat any infections, allergies or gut problems that may be present. In addition, an egg and sperm take about three months to mature, so the improvement in nutrition and environment need to have taken place before the egg and sperm begin to mature. Fertility problems aside, pregnancy is a demanding time for the woman, physically, mentally and spiritually, so it makes sense to begin this process in optimal health.
The necessary life changes are not difficult, but do require a little effort and persistence. However, compared to the trauma of infertility, fertility treatment, or the pain of miscarriage or other neonatal problems, I think most people would consider it a small price to pay. For a generally healthy couple, planning for a healthy pregnancy should be an easy matter. Switching to an organic whole food diet, taking specifi c pre-conceptual supplements (from Foresight or Biocare for example), exercising regularly, and cleaning up the home environment can be done without professional help. An infection screen at the local GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinic is also worth considering. However, for couples who have had difficulty conceiving, (which is defined as not having been able to conceive within one year naturally), or who have experienced problems such as miscarriage, it would be better to have professional advice and support.
As an integrated doctor who has trained in General Practice, Allergy, Nutritional and Environmental Medicine as well as in Complementary Medicine, my approach to couples experiencing fertility problems is similar to the approach used for any other health issue: individualised, holistic assessment and treatment planning. It is absolutely vital to see both partners involved, and for both to engage in the health programme. I use the Foresight programme as the basis of my Balanced Medicine approach to pre-conceptual care, and in addition include a wide range of tests and treatments as appropriate to the individuals, whether for infections, allergies, gut problems, or any other health problems which may have been identified. Some clients may also have Progressive Counselling and learn appropriate techniques to help them deal with stress. Infertility is in itself a very stressful situation, and I have encountered many couples who have unfortunately separated whilst undergoing fertility treatment. I have also lost count of the number of couples I have seen over the years who have conceived naturally after giving up on IVF or other fertility treatments, as well as couples who have had a baby through IVF, and then gone on to conceive naturally soon afterwards; this in itself illustrates the huge effect that stress can have on fertility and pregnancy. A number of complementary therapies have also been shown to improve fertility. Some of my clients wish to follow an entirely natural approach, and others combine this with medical interventions including IVF, with the age of the woman often being a deciding factor.
I believe that we owe it to the next generation to give them the best possible start in life. The first twelve weeks in pregnancy are particularly important, as this is the time when the major organs and systems are formed. Therefore, what happens in the first twelve weeks has huge implications for the child's future health. Small prepregnancy changes made by the parents can make a big difference to the child’s later health. What do you have to lose? At the very worst, you will improve your own current and future health, but at best, you will have the healthy baby you have longed for.
Dr Nicholson has trained in General Practice, Allergy, Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and in Complementary Medicine. She is a partner at The Centre for Balanced Medicine in Chudleigh, Devon and can be contacted on 01626 854743 or via www.balancedmedicine.co.uk