Wellness

Good nutrition has a favorable effect on both male and female fertility. It has been proven that maintaining a healthy lifestyle along with the incorporation of specific nutrients reduces obstetric risk factors. Our Wellness Unit counsels patients on how to maintain a healthy, nutrient-rich diet to support their fertility and future pregnancies. Among the foods that our specialists recommend are:

• Carrots, tomatoes, squash, green leafy vegetables, and whole milk; they are sources of Vitamin A.
• Animal protein-containing B vitamins that help balance hormones, such as fish, chicken, beef, eggs, and dairy products.
• Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and peppers; they are a source of Vitamin C that improves immunity and influences ovarian health and sperm quality.
• Wheat germ, olive oil, and nuts that contain Vitamin E to reduce the effect that stress can have on eggs and sperm.
• Whole grains, legumes, bananas with folic acid that is necessary before and during pregnancy.
• Seafood, lean meats, and legumes, which contain Zinc, an essential mineral for protecting the egg and sperm.
• In addition, our team of professionals recommends acquiring Vitamin D through controlled sun exposure. This practice increases the chances of achieving a pregnancy after In Vitro Fertilization because it improves insulin secretion and ovulation.

As mentioned earlier, being overweight can negatively impact fertility by increasing conception complications. It’s important for overweight women who want to get pregnant naturally or through assisted reproductive treatments to follow a comprehensive weight reduction plan. Adopting better nutritional habits several months before attempting to conceive (between 3 and 6 months) helps improve outcomes drastically.

Overall, overweight patients who undergo assisted reproductive treatments tend to have a less favorable response to medication used. They also experience lower rates of successful implantation and gestation in fertilization treatments. Unfortunately, being overweight increases the chances of miscarriage or fetal and maternal complications during pregnancy.

The weight reduction plan should be developed by a team of professionals who will adapt it according to each individual patient. The plan consists, in general terms, of a healthy diet accompanied by physical activity. A sport that has a wide variety of benefits and is often chosen by patients is running, as it burns more calories, helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, improves lung function by 50%, and increases good cholesterol. Additionally, running is an activity that allows individuals to release pressure, reduce stress, and strengthen their mind.

Part of providing comprehensive care to our patients is recognizing that the pregnancy process affects many different aspects of a person, beyond the biological level. That’s why our Wellness Unit incorporates the concept of “Mindfulness” into the care we provide. Mindfulness is the mental and introspective process where a person can focus their attention on the present moment with acceptance.

Mindfulness is a way of reframing experience and identifying the body, mind, and emotions; it’s a practice of awareness. Many women often have negative feelings and emotions linked to frustration when they can’t achieve a pregnancy. When going through the process of assisted reproduction treatment, it’s important that women have the chance to heal and process their emotions.

Our psychology specialists maintain that there are certain Mindfulness exercises, or thought logging techniques, that are useful for those undergoing assisted reproduction treatments. These techniques help reduce anxiety and increase the ability to cope with fertility problems in a different way.

The Daily Thought Logging Technique involves identifying emotions and being able to modify the thoughts that impact our emotions and behaviors. Our minds, without training, tend to generate thoughts that cause us anxiety, stress, and have a negative impact on our well-being. Emotions don’t stem from a specific situation, but rather from how our minds interpret that situation. To avoid thoughts that trigger negative emotions, it’s important to log which thoughts arise automatically in certain situations and try to modify the way we react and interpret those scenarios.