TsarTsar444
Asexual peaceful balkan monk
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- May 5, 2019
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I've been trying to compile a sheet on what to do during pregnancy to help maximize intelligence and overall health in the child to make a future chad/stacy. Here are some hacks
• General: for a list of tests to take, see here
◦ Tests: initially obstetric panel (particularly blood quality), thyroid (FT4, T3, TSH), and genetic screenings; potentially an ECG if you have heart problems. Later you'll need ultrasounds and tests for the baby itself.
◦ Keep core body temperature below 101°F (38.3°C). Avoid heat- no saunas, hot tubs etc.
◦ Blood glucose: 95-120 mg/dL (will vary based on when you eat your meals)
◦ Blood pressure: between 120/80 mm Hg and 90/60 mm Hg
◦ Heart rate: generally 79-87 bpm, though varies and depends on health, age, and pregnancy stage
◦ No smoking, alcohol, caffeine, or most drugs (including things like aspirin and ibuprofen; even Tylenol/acetaminophen seems to increase the risk of autism and ADHD).
◦ Avoid phthalates (note this is a bit of a rabbit hole as plastics are everywhere)
• Diet:
◦ 5-6 daily servings of fruit and vegetables, total calories should be at least 12% lean proteins and no more than 30% fat and 10% sugar. Make sure you have all the right micronutrients by eating lots of fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy, oil fish like salmon (pollution-free kinds) and superfoods like nuts, dark chocolate, and berries. Supplement where needed. (lots of good resources out there on this)
◦ Be careful with seafood, and don't eat large predatory fish like tuna, shark, and swordfish due to the mercury risk.
◦ Avoid processed meats due to nitrites/nitrates.
◦ 8-12 cups of water per day. Use a water filter to ensure purity- lead and heavy metals can be a serious risk, and fluoride seems to reduce IQ.
• Supplements/nutrients: (note its probably best to take nutrients as part of a healthy diet)
◦ Choline: 1,000+ mg per day (remember that only a fraction of choline supplements like choline bitartrate are actually choline) - note there's some controversy with choline bitartrate
◦ Calcium 1-2,000+ mg per day accompanied by Vitamin D (600+ IUs)
◦ Vitamin C: 80+ mg per day (but no more than 2,000 mg)
◦ Vitamin A: 800 mcg per day, though >2,800 mcg can be toxic
◦ Folate: 400-1,000 mcg per day- note l-methylfolate, the bioavailable form of folate, may be the more important nutrient to focus on
◦ Iodine: 220-250 micrograms per day
◦ Thiamine/B1: 1.8+ mg per day, though there doesn't seem to be an upper limit
◦ DHA: 1,000+ mg per day (combine with typical EPA amounts as well)
◦ Iron: 27+ mg per day
◦ Protein: 70-100 grams per day (source)- note this varies based on body weight
◦ Note prenatal supplements and a healthy balanced diet contain most of the above nutrients and some other essential ones, but probably insufficient DHA/EPA and choline.
◦ Avoid exotic supplements due to risk/lack of studies. The downsides seem to outweigh the benefits of resveratrol as well due to harm to the baby's pancreas. Glycyrrhizin, an ingredient in licorice, seems to present significant risks.
• Genetics: generally, very important; genetic factors seem to underlie about 50% of the difference in intelligence among individuals
◦ Diseases/conditions: Several things to test for.
◦ Epigenetics is a rabbit hole.
• Hormones:
◦ Take a thyroid test: thyroid function is key, as both maternal hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are associated with negative pregnancy outcomes and lower IQ in the baby. Therefore, maintain free thyroxine (FT4- the key measure) levels of 0.8-1.2 ng per dL during the first trimester, 0.6-1.0 ng per dL during the second trimester, 0.5-0.8 neg per dL during the third semester
◦ Others to monitor/test: estrogen, progesterone
• Stress: note maternal stress during pregnancy (MSDP) affects IQ
◦ Excercise: 30+ minutes of cardio per day (releases endorphins and cortisol and increases blood flow). (this seems to be a rough idea of whats healthy but there is a lot of uncertainty on what is optimal)
◦ Sleep: 7-9 hours per day (control noise, light, and temperature to optimize).
◦ Stay social.
◦ Meditation.
◦ Intimacy/affection with partner (releases oxytocin).
• Air/environment:
◦ Maintain good air quality (1-50 )- sleep with an air filter.
◦ Surround yourself with plants/greenery (both to reduce stress and improve air quality).
◦ Sun exposure- for several reasons.
◦ Soothing music.
◦ The baby can hear during development from week 20 onwards, and by week 25 the auditory system is fully functional- read and talk and read to him.
• Useful tools:
◦ A health monitor like a FitBit or Apple Watch to track heart rate, sleep, exercise, blood oxygen etc
◦ Air filters
◦ Water filter
◦ A comfortable bed with good temperature control and noise and light control for optimal sleep
◦ Pill organizer for supplements
◦ Blood glucose monitor (mainly if diabetes or hypoglycemia are concerns)
◦ Blood pressure monitor
• Ideal newborn outcomes: (be sure to test for thyroid function etc)
◦ Ideal weight at birth is 2,500-4,000 grams
◦ Ideal head circumference is a little over 13 3/4 in (35 cm).
◦ Best to wait at least 39 weeks and let labor work on its own (several risks for c-sections).
• General: for a list of tests to take, see here
◦ Tests: initially obstetric panel (particularly blood quality), thyroid (FT4, T3, TSH), and genetic screenings; potentially an ECG if you have heart problems. Later you'll need ultrasounds and tests for the baby itself.
◦ Keep core body temperature below 101°F (38.3°C). Avoid heat- no saunas, hot tubs etc.
◦ Blood glucose: 95-120 mg/dL (will vary based on when you eat your meals)
◦ Blood pressure: between 120/80 mm Hg and 90/60 mm Hg
◦ Heart rate: generally 79-87 bpm, though varies and depends on health, age, and pregnancy stage
◦ No smoking, alcohol, caffeine, or most drugs (including things like aspirin and ibuprofen; even Tylenol/acetaminophen seems to increase the risk of autism and ADHD).
◦ Avoid phthalates (note this is a bit of a rabbit hole as plastics are everywhere)
• Diet:
◦ 5-6 daily servings of fruit and vegetables, total calories should be at least 12% lean proteins and no more than 30% fat and 10% sugar. Make sure you have all the right micronutrients by eating lots of fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy, oil fish like salmon (pollution-free kinds) and superfoods like nuts, dark chocolate, and berries. Supplement where needed. (lots of good resources out there on this)
◦ Be careful with seafood, and don't eat large predatory fish like tuna, shark, and swordfish due to the mercury risk.
◦ Avoid processed meats due to nitrites/nitrates.
◦ 8-12 cups of water per day. Use a water filter to ensure purity- lead and heavy metals can be a serious risk, and fluoride seems to reduce IQ.
• Supplements/nutrients: (note its probably best to take nutrients as part of a healthy diet)
◦ Choline: 1,000+ mg per day (remember that only a fraction of choline supplements like choline bitartrate are actually choline) - note there's some controversy with choline bitartrate
◦ Calcium 1-2,000+ mg per day accompanied by Vitamin D (600+ IUs)
◦ Vitamin C: 80+ mg per day (but no more than 2,000 mg)
◦ Vitamin A: 800 mcg per day, though >2,800 mcg can be toxic
◦ Folate: 400-1,000 mcg per day- note l-methylfolate, the bioavailable form of folate, may be the more important nutrient to focus on
◦ Iodine: 220-250 micrograms per day
◦ Thiamine/B1: 1.8+ mg per day, though there doesn't seem to be an upper limit
◦ DHA: 1,000+ mg per day (combine with typical EPA amounts as well)
◦ Iron: 27+ mg per day
◦ Protein: 70-100 grams per day (source)- note this varies based on body weight
◦ Note prenatal supplements and a healthy balanced diet contain most of the above nutrients and some other essential ones, but probably insufficient DHA/EPA and choline.
◦ Avoid exotic supplements due to risk/lack of studies. The downsides seem to outweigh the benefits of resveratrol as well due to harm to the baby's pancreas. Glycyrrhizin, an ingredient in licorice, seems to present significant risks.
• Genetics: generally, very important; genetic factors seem to underlie about 50% of the difference in intelligence among individuals
◦ Diseases/conditions: Several things to test for.
◦ Epigenetics is a rabbit hole.
• Hormones:
◦ Take a thyroid test: thyroid function is key, as both maternal hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are associated with negative pregnancy outcomes and lower IQ in the baby. Therefore, maintain free thyroxine (FT4- the key measure) levels of 0.8-1.2 ng per dL during the first trimester, 0.6-1.0 ng per dL during the second trimester, 0.5-0.8 neg per dL during the third semester
◦ Others to monitor/test: estrogen, progesterone
• Stress: note maternal stress during pregnancy (MSDP) affects IQ
◦ Excercise: 30+ minutes of cardio per day (releases endorphins and cortisol and increases blood flow). (this seems to be a rough idea of whats healthy but there is a lot of uncertainty on what is optimal)
◦ Sleep: 7-9 hours per day (control noise, light, and temperature to optimize).
◦ Stay social.
◦ Meditation.
◦ Intimacy/affection with partner (releases oxytocin).
• Air/environment:
◦ Maintain good air quality (1-50 )- sleep with an air filter.
◦ Surround yourself with plants/greenery (both to reduce stress and improve air quality).
◦ Sun exposure- for several reasons.
◦ Soothing music.
◦ The baby can hear during development from week 20 onwards, and by week 25 the auditory system is fully functional- read and talk and read to him.
• Useful tools:
◦ A health monitor like a FitBit or Apple Watch to track heart rate, sleep, exercise, blood oxygen etc
◦ Air filters
◦ Water filter
◦ A comfortable bed with good temperature control and noise and light control for optimal sleep
◦ Pill organizer for supplements
◦ Blood glucose monitor (mainly if diabetes or hypoglycemia are concerns)
◦ Blood pressure monitor
• Ideal newborn outcomes: (be sure to test for thyroid function etc)
◦ Ideal weight at birth is 2,500-4,000 grams
◦ Ideal head circumference is a little over 13 3/4 in (35 cm).
◦ Best to wait at least 39 weeks and let labor work on its own (several risks for c-sections).
