Big changes are coming here at Body By Gia and I’m excited! As I shared in this video, I am finally at a place in my life where I am ready to get pregnant. (Ahh!!!) Since my goal is to be authentic in all I do, I want to share every step of this journey with you. At 38 years old, I know that maybe this won’t be easy, but it is also definitely not impossible. I also know that there is a lot I can do to grow a healthy baby. If you want to prepare your body for a baby too, or just cleanse your body to start the new year off right, these tips to get pregnant after 35 are just what you need.

Keep in mind that this is a list of suggestions. We all have our own unique circumstances, bodies, budget and lifestyles. The more you can do, the more you increase your chances of getting pregnant after 35, but there’s no need to drive yourself crazy. Do what you can and enjoy the journey.

Tip 1: Plan Ahead (if you can)

There are many benefits to planning your pregnancy. Planning a pregnancy allows you to give your body, and mind, a little extra TLC to prepare for this new life-changing adventure. Plus, if you are actively trying to get pregnant, you will be more attuned to changes in your body, which means you will be quick to check for that positive pregnancy test and begin getting prenatal care.
I know that sometimes life gives us an “oops” and you cannot plan a pregnancy. However, I also believe that the Universe makes everything perfect and there really are no “oops” in life. If the Universe gave you an unexpected pregnancy, that means it wants you to grow.

If you can plan for a baby, these tips to get pregnant after 35 can help you reach your goal. It is important to focus on caring for your body and your mind.

When should I start preparing my body to get pregnant?

Most experts recommend giving your body at least three months of preparation before trying to get pregnant. If you were planning to do an intense pre-baby detox though, some doctors recommend six months of preparation. 

As a personal trainer, I recommend getting your body ready at least 12 months before trying to get pregnant, especially if you are over 35 or struggle with obesity. 

Obesity makes it harder to conceive a baby. I work with my clients to change just one habit a week. I call it habit stacking! We focus on movement, water intake, and then food choices. A healthy lifestyle you can sustain is important to create before getting pregnant. True lifestyle changes take time. 

Tip 2: Take Care of Your Body

Obviously, it is a good idea to take care of your body all of the time. However, when you are preparing to grow a whole other human, it’s a good idea to pay even closer attention to what you are putting into and doing with your body. Here are some things to consider:

See Your Doctor

It is a great idea to see your doctor before trying to get pregnant. Your doctor will probably run some basic lab work to make sure that you are healthy. It is important to make sure that all your systems, especially your thyroid, are running well so that you can increase your chances of conceiving.

Cleanse Your Digestive System

Did you know that babies are born with toxins already in their little bodies? Doing a detox before you add a baby into the mix is a great way to lessen the number of toxins entering into the baby’s world.

If you want to do an intense detox, like a heavy metals cleanse for example, Dr. Aviva Romm recommends doing that at least six months before trying to get pregnant. If not, your body may still be detoxing when you get pregnant and putting more of those toxins into the baby’s home, the opposite of what you want!

Eat Clean

Eat as much organic food as possible to lessen your exposure to the chemicals in pesticides. You also want to include many natural detoxifiers, like leafy greens and high-quality proteins and fats in your diet.

You want to decrease the amount of sugary processed foods you ingest. The less processed the better. You literally are what you eat. The food we consume becomes our body’s cells and our eggs. Studies show that the egg that ovulates is the egg that was created three months prior. Read that again! This is exactly why it is so important to begin preparing your body before trying to get pregnant.

Get Rid of Vices

I hope you’re not like those women who say I’m going to stop drinking when I get pregnant or I’m going to stop smoking when I get pregnant. That, my friends, is a mistake.

Your body needs time to cleanse itself of these toxins. Stopping when the baby is already in your body is giving your baby a contaminated home. Plus, when you’re pregnant, your body is already going through tons of changes. Do you want to add giving up smoking or drinking on top of that?

I know I don’t. I have been preparing my body for a while now. I quit drinking a year and a half ago to help get myself ready for this new chapter.

Check Your Cosmetic Drawer

While we are on the subject of detox, it’s time to take a look in your makeup drawer. Our skin is our biggest organ and yet the makeup industry is a pretty “dirty” one as far as toxins are concerned. Check your products to make sure they are free of the dirty dozen. The Think Dirty App is an easy way to check and see what is really inside your products. I love using the Hear Me Raw products. Just like my foods need to be clean, so do the products that go on my face and body. Go raw! 

Take High-Quality Supplements

Taking a prenatal vitamin may be the easiest tip to get pregnant after 35 on this entire list. However, you want to make sure it is a high-quality vitamin that has all of the important vitamins and minerals you and your baby will need to stay healthy on this journey.

Learn About Fertility

If things are taking a little longer than you’d like, it can be helpful to learn about fertility and try to plan sex around your most fertile days. However, if the phrase “plan sex” sounds like a mood killer, remember it’s just a suggestion. Do what works best for you.

Modify Your Workout Routine

It is no secret that I LOVE to exercise. It helps me stay calm, look great, and feel amazing. However, when you are trying to get pregnant, you want to make sure you aren’t doing too much exercise. One study found that for women with an already healthy body weight, doing high impact vigorous exercise five days a week cut the probability of getting pregnant in half! 

You want to stay active so that your body is strong enough to grow and carry a baby. You just don’t want to overdo it. Try to add pilates, yoga, or a brisk walk into your routine instead of going super hard every day. I enjoy spinning and low impact strength training for my pre-pregnancy workouts. 

However, there are exceptions to every rule. If switching up your workout routine is going to cause you stress, you might want to hold off on making that change for a few months to see what happens.

You don’t have to follow all the tips to get pregnant after 35 from day 1. It is your body and your journey.

Tip 3: Take Care of Your Mind

Your mind is so, so important in all aspects of your health. Preparing your body to get pregnant is no different. Here are some tips to make sure your mind is just as prepared as your physical body.

Be Patient

This one is so very important my friends. Instagram makes it look like women just snap their fingers and viola, they are pregnant. That is not the case for everyone. For some women, it can take months, even years to get pregnant. Six months to a year is considered a normal range. Be patient. When the time is right, that baby will come.

We’ve been trying to get pregnant for three months now and I am not stressing about why it hasn’t happened yet. It will all fall into place in time. The Universe is perfect in every way and we are made up of the same magic as Mother Earth. 

Find Peace With Your Past (with therapy if necessary)

One of the things that has been holding my boyfriend/ex/husband (it’s a long story) back from wanting to be a father is his own childhood. He was afraid that his childhood experiences would make him a bad father.

To help him overcome those fears, we have been going to therapy individually and as a couple so that we can both come to terms with our past and not take those bad experiences with us into parenting.

Did you know that a child’s mental health is directly related to the parent’s mental health? And chronic stress during pregnancy can damage your baby’s stress management system before they are even born.

So, although it’s super important to take care of your physical body, it’s just as important to make sure your mind is in a good place. Your child deserves mentally healthy parents and you deserve mental peace. Don’t be afraid to get professional help.

Try Meditation

I love meditation. It helps me calm my body and mind and focus on what is here and now. Stay tuned for some Body by Gia meditation videos soon :).

Rest Often

If you are running on fumes, your body is not going to have the energy it needs to create a human. Make sure you are getting enough sleep at night and adding plenty of calm moments to your daily routine.

Say Goodbye to Stress (as much as you can)

As I mentioned above, stress and baby-making just don’t mix. Try to get rid of as much stress as you can during this time. That may mean slowing down, working less, or saying no to extra commitments.

You need to make space for your own physical and emotional health. It is also a good idea to get used to doing less. Pregnancy takes a toll on our bodies, mentally and physically, so it’s important to lessen your load now so that you have room for the changes to come.

If you want to get pregnant, no matter your age, subscribe to my channel and we will take this journey together. We were not created to live life alone. Let’s do this together, in community. Let this list of tips to get pregnant after 35 be your guide to start your own parenting journey. We will be diving deeper into all of these topics so stay tuned! If you already have children or are pregnant, I would love to hear your tips for getting pregnant. Add them to the comments below!