Should I Have A Baby, Or Should I Wait

The question of, “Should I have a baby” is asked more often than you think. If you’re an aspiring parent—or perhaps even thinking about upping the numbers in your own family a bit—you may be struggling with the same question. There actually is an answer out there. It is supported by science, and interestingly . . . it’s cooler than you think!

I spoke with Dr. Alejandra (Alex) Ruani of The Health Sciences Academy and found out some truly interesting things. For those of you that may not know, she studied nutrition at Cornell and genetics at Harvard. So when she speaks, those in the know—and even those of us who are not yet (that’s me)—listen. Here just a taste of what she has said on the subject. It’s paraphrased because she’s a doctor and I am a mere mortal (but I took notes as we spoke and wrote this immediately afterward, so yes . . . it’s accurate). Now on to the coolness.

Exclusive Interview: Should I have a baby —what the pros say?

Apparently, the more we improve our own lives, the better adapted our children can become. Sure. You know that. But get this: The changes aren’t just superficial. They’re cellular.

In fact, this goes far beyond the obvious “if I make more money, then my children will go to a better school.” Yes, that’s true. And therefore you may want to maximize your earnings (or at least your earning potential) before conceiving, but the possibilities go way beyond something so shallow.

Did you know that if you learned to play a musical instrument—for example the piano—this becomes imprinted first in your own makeup and then imprinted onto your unborn child? You don’t even have to be a famous concert pianist. You simply have to learn to play it. Obviously the more often and better you play it, the more powerful the effect, but it doesn’t take years. It just takes practice.

The takeaway: Play now, then conceive and the baby is genetically better!

As amazing as that is, the insights continue. Even the very foods you eat can switch on (or off) specific genes in your body. The takeaway: If you’re planning on having a child, eat better right now; today! If you can make substantive changes before conception, you can ensure that the highest levels of—well, yourself—make their way into your blessed event.

The same thing is true for where you live and the environmental stressors you currently have to deal with.

Let me restate that: You can improve your as-yet-unconceived child’s chances at life, simply by being better to yourself now; today.

Okay so like what, for example? What can you do today if you don’t have a piano? Simple things like:

Remove the toxins.
Expand your mind.
Inspire yourself.
Become more creative.
Eat better foods.
Reduce your stress.

Each of these things will impact your child at the cellular level. The concept blew my mind.

Once the baby is in the womb, and this part I think you know, the foods the mother eats can impact the baby’s health. Sure. We’ve all heard that before, as well. But did you know that certain foods can literally switch off or switch on certain genes inside the baby!? Yep. She hit me with that, too. The food the mom eats can change, impact, or improve the literal makeup of the baby itself. And wait for it . . . by as much as an astounding 50%.

If I were a rapper, I would give you the obligatory “Mic Drop” right now. But it’s a blog post not a concert, so you’re stuck with me for a few more sentences. Don’t worry. They’re not boring ones.

When I told my wife this, she said, naturally, “Oh. So it’s better to wait then, until we have become more evolved before getting pregnant.” Originally I thought the same. As Dr. Ruani points out, however . . . No. This isn’t always the case. Why? Because people can devolve as well.

In other words, Yes . . . we always plan on making more money tomorrow, and we always dream about living on a beach somewhere, maybe independently wealthy . . . playing the piano for our friends over some red wine. But we may not always have better tomorrows than we had yesterdays. There’s a reason someone invented the phrase, “the good old days.”

So what should you do?

The only advice I can really give you, based on what I have learned from her is this: take care of yourself today. It truly does make a difference. It truly does make everything better. Both today and forever. And if you’re reading this, congratulations on your new baby . . . Whenever it arrives.

So now that you know what you should be doing, maybe you need a pointer or two on how to do it. Well, you’re in luck. The Health Sciences Academy has agreed to give our readers a free basic nutrition course!