Someone said that "the education of children begins ten years before their birth, with the education of their parents" (unknown) and this is absolutely true. In order to conceive, to give birth and to create smart babies, expectant parents should be prepared not only in their best physical and emotional health, but also in their education that should be sufficient to play fully their new role as parents in the best possible way. It is certain that parents who have the best information, education and parenting skills acquired before conception will have greater opportunities to breed and raise healthy babies more intelligent. And we say that because we consider that the parents should be properly educated, and they should have full information with regarding the process of conception, gestation, stimulation, nutrition, etc. It is the main goal of this ebook to help you to be prepared for a pregnancy of a baby that you are expecting.

4.1 PREPARATION OF THE MOM

Planning ahead the situation of pregnancy and taking care of herself before conception, is the best thing a woman can do for herself and her unborn baby. The mother should be in optimal health of both psychological and physical conditions before getting pregnant. At first, before conception, the mom and dad should do their homework in the best way possible, in order to prepare of your ideal sperm and ovum cells.

Before pregnancy, expectant mother should consult a physician in case you have any major health problems such as epilepsy, diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia, allergies, arthritis, lupus, cancer, deep vein thrombosis, epilepsy, heart disease, hepatitis, herpes, hypo- or hyper-thyroidism, kidney disease or urinary tract infections. If necessary, it is better to have medical treatment before or after pregnancy.

In fact, studies on the effect of prenatal stimulation on babies post birth only began in 1986 with Rene Van de Carr where significant differences were reported in earl speech, growth, bonding and success of breastfeeding in babies who experienced prenatal stimulation as compared to babies who had not. In 1988 a similar study conducted by obstetricians found that higher Apgar scores were associated with babies who had experienced prenatal stimulation. Furthermore, the mothers also reported an “easier than expected” birth in cases where prenatal stimulation was involved. The latest version of this program – “While You’re Expecting: Create Your Own Prenatal Classroom” has been available since 1997.

One of the most important steps in the preparation of the mother for a healthy pregnancy is a thorough examination of your health before pregnancy often called preconception care. This professional examination should include but not limited to the items as follows:

- Family medical history. An evaluation of family medical history, in order to determine whether family members had any medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and/or mental retardation.

- Genetic tests. An assessment of any possible genetic disorders due to some genetic disorders can be inherited, such as sickle cell anemia or Tay-Sachs disease. Some genetic disorders can be detected by blood tests before pregnancy.

- Evaluation of maternal medical history. To test of medical conditions that require special care during pregnancy, such as epilepsy, diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia and / or allergies. It is also important that your physician is knowledgeable about previous surgeries or previous pregnancies.

- Evaluation of vaccination. To assess the maternal immunity to rubella (German measles), since this disease can cause birth defects or spontaneous abortion of the baby during pregnancy. If the expectant mom is not immunized to this disease, the vaccine should be administered at least three months before conception.

- Infection control. To determine if the expectant mom has infections especially sexually transmitted infections or urinary tract infections that could be harmful to the fetus and the mother.



In addition to the above medical evaluations, it is important to pay attention to the following aspects that may help reduce the risk of complications, and help prepare for a healthy pregnancy as well as a healthy delivery:

• To quit smoking. If you smoke, quit now. Studies show that babies born to mothers who smoke tend to be born prematurely and weigh less at birth. In addition, women with exposure to second hand smoke are more likely to have babies with lower birth weight. Smoking also increases the risk of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, cleft lip or palate, asthma, premature delivery and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It is better to quit smoking before getting pregnant, and not to wait until getting pregnant.

• Proper diet. Eating a balanced diet before and during pregnancy is not only good for the overall health of the mother, but essential for the nutrition of the fetus. A balanced diet is always important and you should try to make the right changes in your diet before getting pregnant. Think about reducing the consumption of empty calories, artificial sweeteners and caffeine. Balancing your diet with protein-rich foods, fruits and vegetables, grains and dairy products will improve your health before becoming pregnant. It is not recommended to lose weight during pregnancy, but being overweight is not recommended either because it can increase your risk of complications such as hypertension or diabetes.

• Proper weight and exercise. It is important to exercise regularly and to maintain a healthy weight before and during pregnancy. Women who are overweight may experience medical problems like high blood pressure and diabetes. If you are underweight or overweight, it is best to try to achieve your ideal weight before getting pregnant. Women who are underweight may have babies with lower birth weight and lower IQ.

• Preventive Measures. To prevent birth defects, doctors recommend that you take 400 micrograms or 0.4 gram of folic acid per day, a nutrient found in some green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, citrus fruits, fortified cereals and some vitamin supplements. Folic acid can help reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord (also called neural tube defects). Consult your doctor about this.

• To avoid alcohol and drugs during pregnancy. Make sure that you tell your doctor about all of your medications including prescription and nonprescription. Note that prescription drugs may have adverse effects on developing fetus. Alcohol also has harmful effects on developing fetus, even in small quantities. When you take a drink, alcohol reaches your baby quickly through the blood and the placenta. Women who drink two or more drinks a day are at greater risk of having a baby with severe and long-term intellectual disabilities, behavioral problems, learning disabilities and facial and heart defects. Finally, alcohol may lessen your ability to get pregnant as well. We do not know how much alcohol is safe for a pregnant you, so it is safer to not to drinking any.

• Exposure to harmful substances. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to toxic and chemical substances like lead and pesticides, and radiation like X-rays. Exposure to high levels of radiation and chemical and toxic substances may adversely affect developing fetus.

• Prevention of infections. Pregnant women should avoid eating undercooked meat and raw eggs. In addition, pregnant women should avoid all contact and exposure to cat feces and cat litter boxes, which can contain a parasite called toxoplasma gondii that causes toxoplasmosis. Other sources of infection include insects like flies that have been in contact with cat feces and should be avoided during pregnancy. Toxoplasmosis can cause serious illness or death of the fetus. A pregnant woman should reduce the risk of infection by avoiding all potential sources of infection. A blood test before and during pregnancy can determine if a woman has been exposed to the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
The future mother and father should be in optimal health of both psychological and physical conditions before conception

• To strengthen the body and health. Start taking a prenatal vitamin daily, prescribed by your doctor to ensure that your body gets all the nutrients and vitamins needed to nourish a healthy baby.

• To stop Birth Control Pills. Women who are planning a pregnancy should stop taking birth control pills before getting pregnant. When you stop taking the pill, you may have irregular periods for a while and this can make it difficult to know when you are fertile or ovulating. It might take longer to get pregnant, but the pill has no impact on fertility. The use of birth control pills before getting pregnant does not cause birth defects, no matter how close you use them before you get pregnant.

• Prevention of domestic violence. Women who are abused before pregnancy may be at risk of increased consumption during pregnancy. Your doctor can help you find community resources socially and legally to help you to deal with domestic violence

4.2 PREPARATION OF THE FATHER

According to Dr. Bernard Robaire, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at McGill University, men produce about 100 million sperm per day - about 1,000 sperm per heartbeat. So, in most cases, improving sperm count and quality has to do with the supply of nutrients to produce healthy sperm, and to make sure of the lifestyles of the sperm created. If putting it another way, men do not have to do much to increase sperm production in general, the focus should be on providing appropriate materials to produce and to maintain healthy sperm. if you want to get ready to bring in the conception of the future child your better and healthier cells, consider the following factors:

1. To improve the factor of fertility and sperm health, man is recommended to have a balanced and healthy diet with a good balance of fruit and vegetables, rich in antioxidants.

2. To eat foods and / or whole food supplements that are naturally rich in folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and zinc. Folate, selenium and zinc are particularly important for the production of healthy sperm. Vitamins C and E are thought to protect against sperm damage by environmental stressors that are included in the following section.

3. Alcohol factors. It is unclear whether having one or two glasses a day may damage sperm, but complete alcohol abstinence is the only way to ensure no adverse effects on the production and quality of sperm of a man. That said, studies have shown that sperm count can rise within 90 days of a man who gives up drink, because sperm needs 75 days to mature to the point where they are able to fertilize an egg.

4. Future Dads should also avoid snuff, anabolic steroids, heavy metals used in industries, solvents, chemicals and pesticides. Regular use of snuff including chewing snuff, and large amounts of alcohol are all strongly linked to low sperm count.

5. The use of marijuana and recreational drugs can increase the number of abnormal and low sperm count. There is some evidence suggesting that heavy snuff, marijuana, and alcohol can damage the DNA of sperm, which can result in abnormal fetal development and increased cancer risk for the next generation.

6. Men should be aware that personal lotions and perfums, because sperm can be especially vulnerable to environmental factors such as toxic chemicals.

7. To stay away from anabolic steroids, testosterone-based supplements, and anti-androgens. All these drugs can reduce fertility by interfering with sperm production. The anti-androgen drugs most commonly used are those prescribed to treat enlarged prostate, prostate cancer and male pattern baldness.

8. To reduce stress. Emotional stress leads to an increased production of cortisol, which in turn leads to a number of changes in the male reproductive hormones, resulting in lower quality of sperm. Strive to feel emotionally balanced.

9. To exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight, according to the structure, but do not over exercise. Physical activity is good for reproductive health, but the exhaustive exercise regularly can alter levels of hormones in a way that reduces sperm quality.

10. To avoid overheating the testicles. Avoid hot baths and hot tubs. Spend 30 minutes or more in water that is 102 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) or more can significantly reduce sperm count.

11. To avoid tight underwear, prolonged sitting, use of laptop computers directly in the first round, and warm working environment, these can all increase scrotal temperature and reduced sperm count.

12. To avoid cimetidine (tagamet). Cimetidine is a nonprescription drug that is used to treat heartburn and ulcers, regular use of cimetidine is strongly linked to low sperm count

13. To avoid large amounts of coffee. To drink several cups of coffee a day can certainly reduce sperm motility. A cup of coffee a day is unlikely to reduce fertility.

14. To minimize the exposure of toxic chemicals. In addition to paying attention to the suggestions given above, it is also important to minimize the exposure of toxic chemicals that could be linked to reduced fertility in men and women.



Finally, men should be aware that having too much or too little body fat may disrupt the production of reproductive male hormones as follows:

- Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) (released by pituitary gland in the hypothalamus), to stimulate the release of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone

- Luteinizing hormone (LH) (stimulated by the anterior pituitary gland), to enhance specialized cells in the testicles to produce testosterone.

- Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (stimulated by the anterior pituitary), to enhance the seminiferous tubules of the testicles to produce sperm.

- Testosterone (produced by specialized cells in the testicles), to stimulate the production of sperm in the testicles to increase sexual desire.



Since the body fat is closely related to the production of these male reproductive hormones, a man is more likely to produce healthy sperm when in a healthy weight.

4.3 POLLUTION AND SEX - MALES UNDER THREAT

Humans and wildlife are exposed to a greater or lesser extent to chemical contaminants in the environment. In recent years, we have found that many chemicals could be related or to be the cause of impaired reproduction, deformities, transsexuality, diseases, deficiencies in brain function, or other adverse health effects. Many chemicals, created with properties to alter hormones can negatively affect male characteristics of men and males of other species.

According to a report of the British charity CHEM Trust entitled "EFFECTS OF POLLUTANTS ON THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF WILDLIFE Vertebrate - MALES UNDER THREAT" chemical pollution in air and water can directly affect male reproductive organs of mammals including humans, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians in different ways.

The trend of "demasculinization" is observed in several species of mammals, reptiles, birds and fish from many places on the earth. The sperm concentration in males of some animals is so low that endanger reproduction. Scientists fear the extinction of some species in the near future defeating the natural process of evolution. The following are some of the problems reported by the CHEM Trust:

- Half of the male fish in British rivers land now have eggs in their reproductive organs.

- Two-thirds of the males of the species deer "white tail" in the state of Montana-USA have abnormalities in their genitals.

- Male toads in Australia, the males of some toad species are developing female reproductive organs.

- The South African male antelopes and Florida male panthers have sperm down to a level that is not enough for procreation.

- The male gulls and peregrine falcons are secreting female protein required for the production of egg yolk.

- According with the observations, it seems that the marine mammals are particularly vulnerable.

- Polar bears in the Arctic, belugas in the St. Lawrence Gulf, and orcas in the West Coast have reduced testosterone levels.

- Wild mink and otters in North America are found with feminized genitals in several forest reserves.

In Florida of the USA, it has been observed that a population of young alligators living in Lake Apopka that contaminated in the past with high concentrations of DDT used as pesticides show a significant reduction in the size of the penis about 24% in average and have 70% lower testosterone concentrations compared to animals of similar size in Woodruff lake. Some young alligators from Lake Apopka had testosterone levels similar to those of female crocodiles, which is three times lower than the level of a normal male crocodile in Woodruff Lake, located 55 miles away.



However, the effects of "dismaculinizacion" related to chemical contamination are not limited to the animal world. Several groups of people have been affected by this issue as well.

Recent studies in Arctic communities show unusually small number of children born. The longstanding relationship in the world is 106 boys for every 100 girls - the natural way to compensate the higher mortality rates in men.

In the circumpolar region, stretching from Russia to Norway and Canada, Inuit mothers giving birth are twice as many girls as boys. In some communities in northern Greenland, absolutely no children were born in the last years.

Perhaps the most widespread of the effects of chemical pollution on human group that has been affected by pollution is Aamjiwnaang community in Ontario, Canada, in the industrial corridor of Sarnia. In this area, located in the southern end of Lake Huron, on the Canadian border with Michigan, USA, is the First Nation’s Aamjiwnaang community. It is confined to be a small portion of their traditional territory that have been contaminated by pollutions from oil refineries, polymer plants and plants that produce enormous agricultural fertilizers, plastics and synthetic compounds. In this Canadian First Nation community, the number of girls is twice the number of boys.

But this is not the only issue. According with records, an abnormal number of them are born prematurely or with low birth weight. Scientists believe that chemical waste released into the atmosphere around Sarnia, are destroying the hormonal balance between the sexes of community members. Additionally, other studies, carried out in this same region, have found changes in the reproductive capacity of populations of fish, birds and turtles, and experts believe that it is due to the exposure of animals to chemicals disrupting endocrine.


In areas where with high levels of chemical contamination, mothers giving birth are twice as many girls as boys.
A wide variety of industrial compounds may be involved in these hormonal abnormalities, including PCBs. Some believe that birth control pills may also play a role in this case. DDT, DDE and DICOFOL are three of several dozen artificial chemicals that can mimic natural hormones, in this case, the female hormone estrogen. These substances were used widely in agriculture until a few years ago and are now deposited on the earth, and in the bottom of lakes and rivers.

The exposure of humans to some undesirable chemicals could alter your hormones, may arise not only from air and water pollution, but also from the food chain and the use of many daily products, such as computers, automobiles, perfumes, plastics, building materials, toys, toiletries, plastic bottles, cosmetics, etc. Scientists have found that sperm count of the average man of today (2013) in North America is half of what it was 70 years ago. Half of adult males in the U.S. tend to have erectile dysfunction problems. Birth defects of the testicles and penis undescended are increasing as well, so the problems are not just affecting older men.

The action of endocrine disruption has been described by experts as follows : “some synthetic chemicals share common structural features with sex hormones. These chemicals, or "xenoestrogens," imitate the action of certain hormones in the body, the hormone binding to activate the receptor”. Endocrine systems of the body are understood to be responsible for regulation of physiological processes so that the synthetic chemicals that interfere with these systems is believed to have profound and far-reaching health. Since hormones travel in the blood in very small concentrations, even at very low levels of xenoestrogens can disrupt the flow of internal communications, firing biological responses and functions in the processes of embryonic growth and development. Consequently, it is thought that susceptibility to xenoestrogens depends largely on sex and the frequency of exposure.

Many chemicals, created with properties to alter hormones can negatively affect male characteristics of men and males of other species.In short, the scientific findings have confirmed that chemical pollution can cause and produce permanent changes in male development of young males, at least in the crocodiles and other animals.

The growing concern about the effect of pollution on the hormone and endocrine system of man began between 1998 -2007, and the European Commission invested 161 million euros in the research on endocrine disrupting.

Note: Since 1945, DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was one of the chemicals widely used in agriculture as an insecticide and pesticide in many parts of the world including the United States and Latin America. After World War II, it was promoted as global use as a chemical wonder, and a simple solution to all problems from fleas and malaria to major pests. After tested as negative impacts on wildlife and humans (male infertility, and cancer), DDT was banned in 1972 for agriculture in the US and many countries worldwide. However, DDT has been widely used in many regions of the world for many years; and today, more than 40 years after its ban in America, many people still continue to suffer from its long-lasting effects in the food chain. In the US, for example, the USDA has found breakdown products of DDT in 60% of samples from heavy cream, 42% from green kale, 28% from carrots and lower percentages in many other foods. When human populations were tested, degradation products of DDT were found in the blood of 99% of people surveyed by the US CDC.

Summary   ● Parents should be properly educated, to have information of the process of conception, gestation, stimulation and nutrition, before the natural process of gestation and pregnancy. ● Mother should be in optimal health of both psychological and physical conditions before getting pregnant. ● A man is more likely to produce healthy sperm when in a healthy weight. ● The use of marijuana and recreational drugs can increase the number of abnormal and low sperm count. There is evidence that suggests that heavy snuff, marijuana, and alcohol use can damage the DNA of sperm, which can result in abnormal fetal development and increase cancer risk for the next generation ● It is very important to minimize the exposure of toxic chemicals that could be linked to reduced fertility in men and women ● Scientific findings have confirmed that chemical pollution can cause permanent changes in male development of young males, at least in crocodiles and other animals. ● Scientists believe that chemical waste released into the atmosphere are destroying the hormonal balance between sex groups of the community.