kateandlisaLab Testing Before Pregnancy and 3 Ways to Support Your Body Before Pregnancy
Do you know what lab tests I recommend before you get pregnant and what the best values are for thyroid health?
Let’s explore!
We don’t talk enough about preparing for trying to conceive with targeted lab tests. The right lab tests can give you so much insight into your body and possibly uncover any pregnancy blocks.
Most often, doctors don’t offer these types of lab tests as part of a standard work-up. You probably will have to ask for them.
It’s no surprise that hormone balance is crucial for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, and optimizing hormone status before pregnancy is ideal. In addition to testing sex hormones in cases of irregular periods, PCOS, and other signs of hormone imbalance, testing thyroid hormones like T3, T4, TSH, and others, is important.
A complete blood count (CBC) helps evaluate overall health and detect infections or blood disorders. measures the health of your blood cells and includes a red blood cell count, white blood cells, and measurements of the cells.
A complete metabolic panel (CMP) looks at essential markers for metabolism, liver, and kidney function, along with electrolytes, protein, and other markers. Sometimes medication use will affect these labs, and monitoring CMP is a way to monitor your body’s response to medications.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are highly nutrient depleting events for the body—that is, unless you build your nutrient stores before pregnancy and continue them throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Nutrients you get from food and your prenatal vitamins support your baby’s health in the womb and beyond. In fact, because breast milk is void of substantial iron, your stores of this nutrient help your baby for the first 6 months of their life. Optimizing nutrition status before and during pregnancy supports a healthy pregnancy and lactation too.
Because optimizing your health before starting your TTC journey improves your chances of conception, a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby, let’s chat about some testing – what types of testing are available and why functional labs may give you some guidance. Together, we can review results and develop a preconception plan of action for you.
Even if you’re not trying to conceive, the lab information will help you to optimize your health.
Grab a complimentary discovery call here.
Three Ways to Support Your Body Before Pregnancy
Starting ideally a year and at least 90 days before starting on a pregnancy journey – here are three ways you can support your body before pregnancy:
- Support your gut health
- Make sure you’re getting plenty of Omega 3s
- Start taking a high-quality prenatal
Why focus on these top three first?
- Your microbiome becomes your baby’s microbiome. Supporting your gut health with plenty of fiber, probiotics, fruits and veggies now can mean a thriving microbiome for your baby later. Your gut health influences your baby’s immune health for their entire lifetime.
- Omega 3s are some of the most critical building blocks for your baby’s brain, nervous system and eyes. By consuming enough Omega 3s you can feel good about providing your growing baby with nutrients they need.
- Prenatal vitamins are one of the best things you can do to help give your baby the best start in life and help you have an easier pregnancy. These can give you the nutrients and minerals your diet may be lacking. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are highly nutrient-depleting times so building your nutrient stores well in advance is the best way to safeguard against getting too low.
Why at least 90 days before trying to conceive? That is the time your new eggs needs for ovulation to mature so you can hopefully become pregnant!
Let’s chat and come up with a preconception plan that helps you provide your baby and yourself with the best possible opportunities for health and well-being. Again, set up a complimentary consult to get started!
