Whether you’ve decided to have your first child or your third, it’s always difficult to predict how long it will take to become pregnant. For some people, it can take a year or more to get pregnant and the process can be a stressful time. There are a few things that you can try at home to help boost your chances of getting pregnent, here’s our tips on how to increase fertility naturally.
First step: Healthy nutrition
Choose healthy food enriched with essential nutrients (fresh fruits, vegetables, high-protein products, etc.). When it comes to nutrition that has a positive effect on fertility, it should be emphasized that carbohydrates play an important role – a low consumption of carbohydrates can help maintain an optimal body weight and reduce testosterone and insulin levels. Both of these hormones contribute to the promotion of infertility. And eggs, nuts and fatty fish (for example, salmon) enrich the body with omega-3 fatty acids, which the body does not produce on its own. It is omega-3 that stimulates the natural production of eggs and improves blood circulation in the genitals. These products can naturally increase your fertility.
Maintain a healthy weight
Women who are overweight often experience various pregnancy difficulties. Being overweight causes an excess of hormone production stimulated by adipose tissue, which has a negative impact on both ovulation and the entire course of pregnancy. For example, an excessive amount of estrogen in the body acts as a contraceptive – the body is forced to think that a woman is already pregnant and skips the ovulation process. In addition, obesity also increases the risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome, another possible cause of infertility.
Meanwhile, women who are underweight also often experience fertility problems. If your body mass index (BMI) is less than 18.5, it means that your body is producing too little or no estrogen. And this causes irregular menstrual cycles and fertility problems.
Forget bad habits
There is evidence that smokers (both men and women) are much more likely to have fertility problems than non-smokers. If you have been a smoker for several years or if you smoke a lot of cigarettes every day, the risk of infertility increases significantly. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, 40 of which are known carcinogens. Nicotine and tobacco-specific carcinogens are found in cervical mucus, so smoking can reduce the immune response in the cervix. This can lead to the following fertility-related problems: ovulation disorders, genetic problems, damage to reproductive organs, egg damage and premature menopause, increased risk of cancer, risk of miscarriage.
Track your menstrual cycle
Eggs remain viable for less than 24 hours, and sperm can live in a woman’s body (fertile-type mucus) for up to 5 days. So the fact that they are both in the uterus at the same time increases the chances of conception. The highest pregnancy rates are when join together within 4-6 hours after ovulation. So, track your menstrual cycle and be prepared when to take a pregnancy test.
Manage stressful situations
Mental health is strongly related to reproductive health. When trying to get pregnant, people feel stress, which can lead to hormonal changes that prevent you from pregnancy. Cortisol (the stress hormone) can disrupt both the brain and the ovaries – which often leads to irregular menstrual cycles. Many solutions are often offered to combat stress – meditation, yoga, various therapies, etc.
The bottom line
The causes of female infertility are usually related to ovulation disorders and fallopian tube pathology. However, fertility is also affected by constant emotional and psychological stress, tension at work, irregular diet, overweight or underweight, and bad habits, especially smoking. Try some of these steps to help boost your fertility.
References:
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007015.htm
- https://brighamhealthhub.org/fertility-nutrition-increasing-your-odds/
- https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/health-effects-tobacco-use/how-smoking-affects-reproductive-health
- https://www.lung.ca/lung-health/smoking-and-tobacco/whats-cigarettes/there-are-4000-chemicals-every-cigarette
Mountains, trails, paddleboards – if it’s outdoors, I’m probably obsessed with it! As an Outdoor Adventure and Travel Editor, I’m always seeking my next escapade. Through my blog, I share adventure stories, mountain-tested advice, healthy food inspiration, and training tips.
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