The Science of Preconception Wellness -
Scientific support for preconception health
Well-being for you and your future child.
The origins of chronic health issues can be traced to how we live our lives—and insightful research is now emerging about our lifestyle’s impact on preconception wellness, fertility and growing a healthy baby.
The Storka Preconception Wellness Programme takes a holistic look at ways we can positively impact fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Our modules are built upon research from the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), which studies how preconception health and the time in gestation influence a child’s health into adulthood. Storka explores the factors which, individually, have been proven to influence fertility, pregnancy and the well-being of the child, and, taken together, become a powerful toolkit for preconception health.
Research finds that making lifestyle changes in the months prior to conception can have an even greater impact than addressing the very same factors during pregnancy.
Preconception wellness
Preconception simply means before conception, or about three to six months before pregnancy. The latest research from the DOHaD field found that parents’ health before conception is important for pregnancy and birth outcomes. The critical period for fetal development falls much earlier than many believe, with rapid growth happening in the first few weeks after conception, when most individuals and couples don’t yet know that they’re pregnant.
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Preconception as an opportunity
Age is a primary determinant of fertility. But, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics promotes preconception care as an opportunity to prevent outcomes like involuntary infertility, miscarriage, preeclampsia, preterm birth, low birthweight, birth defects and certain developmental and metabolic disorders in the child. Within the fertile window, there’s an opportunity to improve the chances of a healthy pregnancy and a good start in life for the baby.
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Lifestyle factors
Research finds that making lifestyle changes in the months prior to conception can have an even greater impact than addressing the very same factors during pregnancy. While nutrition is well-studied in preconception, more attention is being paid to chemical exposure, regular physical activity and a balanced microbiome. New research also points to good sleep, a daily rhythm and stress resilience as protective factors in fertility and pregnancy.
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Epigenetics
Our gene activity or inactivity can change depending on how we live, move, sleep, eat, socialise and what we are exposed to, like stress and toxins. This concept is called epigenetics. For example, certain conditions in utero can induce epigenetic changes that contribute to a child's health into adulthood. Epigenetic patterns may even be transferred across generations, a phenomenon increasingly investigated by geneticists.
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Male contribution
Studies show that paternal lifestyle and health before fertilisation has a larger effect on fetal development than was previously thought possible. For example, male infertility can play a role in 50% of couples struggling to conceive. Lifestyle factors like obesity, sleep, diet, stress and physical activity are associated with low sperm quantity and quality, epigenetic changes in sperm and a higher risk of adverse outcomes for the child.
Preconception well-being
Data supports that preconception well-being can positively influence not only the health of the mother and child into adulthood, but possibly that of future generations. Storka's Preconception Wellness Programme adopts a holistic approach by looking at all of these lifestyle factors together, creating a healthy foundation for both the parents and growing child. Taking care of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health is the best way to prepare for pregnancy and the start of a healthy family, and we're here to support you on this journey.
Annie Pettersson, Ph.D.
MSc in Molecular Biology
Ph.D. in Medicine
Scientific Advisor
This article was reviewed for Storka by our Scientific Advisor, Annie Pettersson.
Annie is a Molecular Biologist with a Ph.D. in Medical Science. Her work focuses on lifestyle medicine and she is passionate about the interplay between prevention of disease & our modern lifestyles. Today she is a speaker & educator within lifestyle medicine and is a team member at a functional medicine clinic. Annie is also the co-founder of THRiVE Wellness Solutions, a digital health platform offering health solutions for corporations based on lifestyle medicine.