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Preconception: The Often Overlooked Phase That Helps Boost Fertility and Shape Your Baby’s Future

Preconception: The Often Overlooked Phase That Helps Boost Fertility and Shape Your Baby’s Future

Are you thinking about starting or growing your family?

If so, you need to know that a healthy pregnancy doesn’t begin the moment you get a positive test; it begins long before that.

After working with couples over the past 25+ years, I’ve found that most of them are surprised to learn how much both of their lifestyle choices leading up to pregnancy can impact their fertility and the long-term health of their future child.

In a world where infertility and developmental concerns are increasingly common, this is empowering news.  

Once this revelation becomes clear, everything shifts. This is often the moment when couples begin to take intentional steps with their health. 

The steps or phases take a bit of effort and patience, but they are so important and so worth it. 

This article focuses on the first two key phases before pregnancy, the Preconception and Ready to Conceive phases. 

Specifically, you’ll learn:

  • The red, yellow, and green stages of the Preconception and Ready to Conceive phases

  • The science of epigenetics and how it impacts fertility and a baby’s health

  • How men’s health impacts fertility and child development

  • Top supplements to support both partners during the Preconception and Ready to Conceive Phases

The Functional Medicine Approach: Why Timing Matters

When it comes to preparing for pregnancy, the months leading up to conception offer a powerful opportunity to influence both your fertility and your future child’s health.

In my approach to preconception care, I guide couples through a strategic process to prepare the body for pregnancy, not just to improve fertility, but to give future children the healthiest possible start. 

During the first phase, Preconception, it’s essential to pause and assess your current state of health before trying to conceive. This is where the red and yellow light framework comes in. 

A red light means your body is not ready, and that there’s work to do in lowering your toxic load, reducing inflammation, and correcting nutrient deficiencies. 

 A yellow light means you’re close. Your fertility is active, but your body still needs some foundational support and clean-up, and your internal environment may not fully support optimal development for your future baby. During this phase, it’s important not to conceive until you get the green light. Detoxification is often underway, and attempting pregnancy too soon could expose a developing embryo to toxins your body is still working to eliminate. 

This careful, intentional process helps ensure your body is truly ready for a healthy pregnancy and a thriving baby.

Epigenetics and Your Future Baby

We now know from the science of epigenetics that your environment and your lifestyle choices, including nutrition, stress, and toxin exposure, can influence how your genes are expressed. These changes can affect not only your health, but also the health of your future child and even your grandchildren. 

This is why your choices before pregnancy matter. For example, eating a nutrient-rich, whole foods, and low-inflammatory diet can help support egg and sperm quality. Getting consistent, restorative sleep helps regulate hormones, while chronic stress and sleep deprivation may disrupt ovulation or sperm production.

Your exposures to everyday toxins, including everything from plastics, pesticides, and conventional personal care products, can also interfere with hormone balance and increase oxidative stress. Each of these factors plays a role in shaping your reproductive health and the quality of the egg or sperm you contribute to conception.

On top of that, research continues to show that a parent’s lifestyle before and during pregnancy plays a role in the child’s risk for chronic conditions like ADHD, autism, allergies, asthma, and metabolic issues. While these conditions aren’t caused by one single factor, the environmental factors matter, and begin well before pregnancy even starts.

By taking simple, powerful steps to support your body in the months before conception, you have a unique opportunity to improve fertility and give your child the healthiest possible start.

Why Men Matter, Too

Before we dive into the phases leading up to conception, it’s important to understand that both partners play a crucial role. Preparing for a healthy pregnancy isn’t just the woman’s responsibility; men need to prepare, too. Men’s health has a direct impact on the couple’s fertility and the future baby’s well-being.

It’s a common misconception that preparing for pregnancy is solely the woman’s responsibility. The reality is that paternal health is equally critical. 

If you started trying to conceive but you faced challenges, it’s important to know that men contribute to about 50% of fertility struggles.

Women are typically investigated first with tests and sometimes even invasive procedures. While men often don’t even have a basic semen analysis until the couple has tried to conceive for a year. 

A host of factors contribute to male subfertility, including:

  • Poor diet quality and nutrient deficiencies
  • Alcohol, smoking, and substance abuse
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome
  • Chronic disease
  • Hormone imbalances
  • Medication use
  • Toxic exposures and accumulation

Sperm quality is influenced by nutrition, oxidative stress, toxic exposures, and lifestyle habits in the months leading up to conception.

Studies have also shown that paternal factors can influence not only fertility outcomes but also the health of the child, including birth weight, immune resilience, and neurodevelopment. 

Sperm carry not just DNA but epigenetic information that can impact gene expression in the developing embryo.

Key areas of concern for men:

  • Oxidative stress and DNA damage in sperm

  • Nutrient deficiencies (zinc, selenium, CoQ10, folate, and omega-3s)

  • Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, alcohol, smoking, and excess heat

This is why lifestyle choices and nutrient support are just as important for men as for women. 

Fertility is a shared journey, and when both partners optimize their health, outcomes are significantly better.

Phase 1: Preconception — How to Navigate the Red and Yellow Stages to Get to the Green Light 

It’s not always easy to hear, especially if you’re eager to start or grow your family, but the Preconception phase is about taking the time necessary to prepare your body, not rushing to conceive. 

Depending on your current health, this phase can take anywhere from three to twenty-four months. It’s a time to detoxify, rebalance, and rebuild so that your body can offer the healthiest possible environment for conception and your baby’s development.

Even if you lead a healthy lifestyle, this step is still essential. It’s nearly impossible to avoid exposure to all chemicals and environmental toxins.

Over time, small exposures accumulate in the body and contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, and hormone disruption, all of which can impact fertility and your future baby.

The encouraging part is that your body has an incredible ability to heal and restore when given the right support. With intentional care, you can reset and create a strong foundation for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Why the time for the Preconception phase matters:

When you begin to detoxify, stored toxins like heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, and persistent pollutants can be released into circulation before they’re fully eliminated. 

Antioxidants like glutathione, CoQ10, and vitamin C are crucial during this time because they help neutralize free radicals and protect your reproductive cells.

Conception while detoxing could expose a developing embryo to these harmful substances. That’s why pregnancy should be intentionally avoided during this phase, so your body has time to fully eliminate toxins and build the safest, healthiest environment possible for a future pregnancy

The Preconception phase is the time to assess whether you fall into the red, yellow, or Ready to Conceive (green light) phase.

  • Red Light: Your body is not ready to conceive. You have significant work to do to lower your toxic load, address inflammation, and correct deficiencies.

  • Yellow Light: You’re close! Your fertility is present, but your body still needs some foundational support and more clean-up before trying to conceive.

  • Green Light: You are Ready to Conceive (more on this phase below)

How do you know where you fall? 

Ideally, you work with a functional medicine or other healthcare professional who orders labs to assess:

  • Micronutrient status
  • Hormonal balance
  • Gut health and microbiome
  • Heavy metals and environmental toxins
  • Methylation and detox pathways

Using this data, you work to:

  • Reduce your toxic burden
  • Heal your gut
  • Address any nutrient deficiencies
  • Optimize your metabolic and hormonal health

Or, you enroll in The Every Baby Well® Preconception + Fertility Program, where you have access to the tests and guidance.

Recommended Support for Women and Men:

To support the Preconception Phase, there are several key nutrients to consider:

  • Liposomal Glutathione – A critical antioxidant that supports cellular detoxification, protects against oxidative stress, and promotes healthy immune and liver function.

  • Choline—especially in the form of phosphatidylcholine—is one of those nutrients that does so much for your body (and your baby’s). It helps your liver detox, keeps hormones in balance, and supports the structure of every single cell in your body. It’s also key for methylation, which influences how your genes are expressed and how well your detox pathways work—both important for fertility. It helps the placenta function properly, protects against neural tube defects, and supports your baby’s brain and memory development—benefits that can last well into childhood and beyond.

You’ll find choline in foods like egg yolks, liver, salmon, and cruciferous veggies, but here’s the thing: most people still don’t get enough from diet alone. That’s why I recommend making sure your preconception supplements include a high-quality, bioavailable form of choline.

  • Preconception Detox (Zeolite) – A gentle yet effective binder that helps trap and eliminate environmental toxins and heavy metals from the body, reducing toxic burden before conception.

  • Clean Beginnings – This formula includes a powerful blend of detox-supporting nutrients, including milk thistle, artichoke leaf, turmeric, methionine, choline, inositol, garlic, and dandelion root extract—all known for their ability to enhance liver function, neutralize toxins, and promote cellular health. This is a foundational detox supplement to support liver and cellular detox pathways.

  • Women’s Wellness + Fertility Force - a comprehensive formula designed to nourish the body during the preconception phase. It delivers foundational nutrients to support hormone balance, egg quality, and reproductive function, while liver-supportive herbs like milk thistle, turmeric, and dandelion root aid detoxification and hormonal clearance. This formula helps to create a strong foundation for conception and a healthy pregnancy.

  • Men’s Wellness + Fertility Force is formulated to target the root factors that impact sperm quality, motility, and fertility. It supports mitochondrial energy production with acetyl L-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, and NAC—nutrients essential for sperm motility and endurance. Antioxidants like resveratrol and green tea extract help protect sperm DNA from oxidative stress, while detoxifying ingredients such as broccoli seed extract and NAC promote toxin elimination. Complete with vital vitamins and minerals for daily reproductive support, this formula helps optimize sperm health and fertility potential.

  • Probiotics – Balanced microbiomes support hormone health, immunity, and fertility in both men and women. Preconception Probiotics (for women) - Promotes a healthy vaginal microbiome, key for fertility and conception, and helps maintain healthy vaginal pH and flora.* Daily Probiotics (for men) to support gut health, hormone balance, and sperm quality.* Together, these probiotics support optimal fertility by strengthening foundational systems in both partners.

  • CoQ10 – This powerful antioxidant is essential for mitochondrial energy production, which is especially important for egg and sperm cells, both of which rely heavily on healthy mitochondria for proper function. CoQ10 supports ATP generation, helps maintain egg and sperm quality with age, and protects reproductive cells from oxidative damage.

  • Astaxanthin – One of the most potent antioxidants known, astaxanthin helps neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in reproductive tissues. It supports healthy cellular membranes, improves sperm motility, and may enhance ovarian function by protecting eggs from inflammation and oxidative damage.

  • L-carnitine - An amino acid-like compound that plays a vital role in energy production at the cellular level, particularly within the mitochondria (the energy powerhouses of the cell). Studies have shown that L-carnitine supplementation may improve sperm count, motility, and morphology in men with subfertility. It’s also being studied for its role in improving ovarian function, particularly in women with PCOS or diminished ovarian reserve.

Phase 2: Ready to Conceive (Green Light)

You know that you’ve reached this stage after you’ve done the work needed during the Preconception Phase. As mentioned above, it is ideal if you are able to do specialty labs that measure your micronutrient status, your toxin burden, balanced hormones, and your gut health, along with other key lab markers.  

If you don’t have a healthcare provider to work with, the Every Baby Well® Preconception + Fertility Program provides access to the labs, support with lifestyle strategies, as well as the opportunity to recheck your progress, allowing for a definitive green light. 

When you do get the green light, not only is this a great achievement, but it also offers more peace of mind as you and your partner move into the Ready to Conceive phase. You now have the green light to start trying!

This phase is often the most exciting, but it's important to approach it with the same level of intention. By now, your body is in a place to:

  • Support implantation and early fetal development
  • Maintain hormonal and immune balance
  • Carry a healthy pregnancy to term

But it doesn't mean that you stop the healthy habits that you followed while in the Preconception phase. You should continue to eat whole organic foods, maintain supportive supplements, and avoid processed and inflammatory foods. Managing stress and getting good sleep are equally important. 

Recommended Support:

At this point, it’s time to transition from detoxification to nourishment and optimization. While foundational supplements should continue, detox-specific supplements should be discontinued to avoid mobilizing toxins once you’re actively trying to conceive.

Discontinue (Detox Support):
These supplements are essential during the Preconception (detox) phase, but should be paused now to avoid releasing stored toxins during conception:

Continue (Foundational + Fertility Support):
These supplements help build and maintain the nutritional and cellular environment needed for conception and early pregnancy:

  • Preconception Probiotics – Supports a healthy vaginal and urogenital microbiome in women

  • Daily Probiotics – Promotes gut and immune health in men

  • Omega Balance / Preconception Omegas – Delivers essential fatty acids for hormone balance, egg/sperm quality, and fetal brain development

  • Women’s or Men’s Wellness + Fertility Force – Comprehensive micronutrient support for hormonal balance, mitochondrial health, and reproductive function

  • Astaxanthin + CoQ10 – Potent antioxidants that support mitochondrial energy, protect egg and sperm cells, and reduce oxidative stress

  • Phosphatidylcholine – Supports cellular membrane integrity, liver function, and early fetal development

Protein Powders (Nutrient-Dense Nutrition):

  • Preconceive Nutrition Protein Powder – A clean, bioavailable protein formula with added nutrients to support egg and sperm quality during the transition from detox to conception

  • Fertility Fuel Protein Powder – A comprehensive blend of protein, vitamins, and functional nutrients to nourish both partners during the Ready to Conceive phase and early pregnancy

This is the time to focus on optimizing cellular health, supporting hormone production, and creating the most welcoming environment possible for conception.

Protein is especially vital for hormone production, tissue repair, egg and sperm quality, and supporting your body’s changing needs. 

These protein powders can be used daily and help support blood sugar balance and satiety while delivering essential nutrients.

Why It’s Worth the Wait

You may feel like prolonging trying to conceive when you are anxious to start or grow your family, or you feel like your biological clock is ticking, but taking the time to prepare your body is essential. 

Here are Some of the Benefits of Focusing on Preconception Health:

  1. Enhance fertility. By focusing on your health and addressing the root causes of subfertility (hormones, toxin exposures, nutrient deficiencies, poor gut health).

  2. Improve pregnancy outcomes. By making improvements in your lifestyle and health, you support a reduced risk of miscarriage, preterm labor, and pregnancy complications.

  3. Support baby’s long-term health. By improving your health and reducing your toxic load, you help to reduce the risks of neurodevelopmental concerns like ADHD, autism, and metabolic issues.

  4. Positively influence generational health. When you improve your health, you create epigenetic benefits that ripple forward to future generations.

  5. Empowering. Knowing that your investment in improving your health will have powerful dividends.

Final Thoughts

Would you build a house without starting with a strong foundation? Why begin the journey to parenthood without one, either?

The Preconception and Ready to Conceive phases are your opportunity to align your health with your goals to grow or start your family and give yourself and your baby the strongest start possible.

Through healthy detoxification, optimal nutrition, and functional assessments, these stages offer a powerful opportunity to shape your family’s future.

Whether you’re just beginning to plan or actively preparing, Every Baby Well® offers thoughtfully formulated supplements to support you at every step of the journey.

Your healthiest baby begins with you.

References:

Written by Ann Shippy MD

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