Birth & Beginnings: childbirth conversations

Hello mothers and mothers-to-be! This blog focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, children, and parenting. Along with providing helpful information and resources, it is also a place to discuss choices and trends in these areas. The blog will inform and encourage mothers as we share and learn from each other. It is not a place to say that one opinion is better than another; instead it is a forum for camaraderie and for sharing personal experiences. So feel free to read, respond, and absorb information on a daily basis as together we traverse this world of motherhood.


Laura Tolman, CCE, LSP

Photographer

Laura Tolman is a local certified childbirth educator and labor support professional. She also works as a postpartum doula. She and her husband are long time Alaskans and are the parents and forming relationships with families while learning about other cultures. In her free time Laura enjoys writing freelance articles, poetry, and the performing arts. Her favorite pastime is being with family and coaxing uproarious laughter out of her young son.

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Archive

Baby Showers - 11/30/2008 10:51 pm

The Baby Voodoo of Calming a Crying Infant - 11/21/2008 10:16 pm

Don’t let Mommy Get Sick - 11/11/2008 2:26 pm

Your Birth Team - 11/1/2008 10:51 pm

Childbirth/Parenting Blog Discussion - 10/28/2008 9:17 pm

In the News - 10/19/2008 11:55 pm

Vitamins - 10/12/2008 9:24 pm

Getting From Here to There - 10/1/2008 9:14 pm

Birth on T.V. and in Movies - 9/27/2008 11:22 pm

Birth: the Play - 9/24/2008 6:54 pm

The Zombie Zone - 9/24/2008 4:43 pm

Birth Survey - 9/21/2008 9:17 pm

They are What We Eat - 9/16/2008 10:58 pm

Unwanted Advice - 9/9/2008 10:50 pm

Hello Baby, Goodbye Pregnancy - 9/2/2008 11:31 pm

Pre-natal Exercise - 8/22/2008 10:35 pm

No Fear - 8/17/2008 12:02 am

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) - 8/14/2008 10:20 pm

Connect With Moms - 8/7/2008 10:40 pm

The Chronic Whiner - 8/6/2008 10:55 pm

Last month of pregnancy - 8/1/2008 10:41 pm

Baby’s sleeping arrangements - 7/21/2008 11:02 pm

full archive »

The Dad’s Pre-Conception Role

Posted by mamas

Posted: March 17, 2008 - 10:34 pm

This is an excerpt from an article on babycenter.com that I found interesting.

“When it comes to fertility and diet, men don't get off scott-free. Lisa Mazzullo, an ob-gyn and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, recommends that fathers-to-be take a daily multivitamin that contains zinc and selenium for at least three months before conception. Studies suggest these minerals aid in healthy sperm development. Why the three-month lag time? It takes that long to develop healthy sperm. The sperm your partner ejaculates today was actually created 90 days ago, says Amy Ogle, a registered dietician in San Diego, California, and co-author of Before Your Pregnancy: A 90-Day Guide for Couples on How to Prepare for a Healthy Conception. "Genetic preparation is going on during sperm development, so that's pretty heavy stuff."

The subsequent article continues to outline ways that the dad can maintain a diet to encourage fertility with the understanding that “up to 40% of fertility problems can be traced to men”. Wow, I guess it really does help to have your partner on-board with wanting children. It is also easier for women to make the necessary changes to our diet/lifestyles in preparation for pregnancy when our man is making changes or preparing as well. Even the emotional support can make a difference when it comes to fertility problems. Team up, communicate and work together are you prepare to get pregnant.


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