If you plan to get pregnant, you want to maximize your chances of conceiving as soon as possible. Still, the question begs to be answered: how can you boost female fertility? Does the fertility diet help? How can prenatal vitamins help you to get pregnant?
In this article, our experts in obstetrics and gynecology in South Miami, Florida, have created a comprehensive list of nine tips that can help you boost female fertility naturally.
After reading the article, feel free to contact our experts if you want to learn more about these tips.
Boosting Female Fertility
The Fertility Diet
If you want to boost female fertility, most experts recommend sticking to the fertility diet; this means eating leafy greens, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fresh fruits, i.e., wholesome foods. Eating whole foods can boost reproductive health and may help overcome any issues with ovulatory infertility, which is rather prevalent in fertility complications.
Eating the proper diet can also promote consistent egg production. Experts also recommend substituting red meat for beans, tofu, or other legume types at least one meal a day. It’s also advisable to eat full-fat dairy products like regular yogurt and whole milk and avoid skimmed varieties.
On the other hand, avoiding refined carbohydrates and keeping carb intake generally lower can help a great deal in terms of ideal weight management. This can also lower insulin and testosterone levels, contributing to female fertility.
Fatty fish, like salmon, cod, and mackerel, can provide your body with omega-3 fatty acids, nuts, and eggs. Your body is unable to produce this compound on its own, and it also encourages egg production and improves the blood flow to the female reproductive system.
And when you are pregnant, you should remember that your body will need more iron than usual because of the larger blood supply. Consider eating more beets, pumpkins, beans, and tomatoes to combat anemia and improve oxygen circulation.
Consider Taking Prenatal Vitamins
These supplements are designed specifically to provide the growing fetus with everything it might need. They tend to have more folic acid, allowing the neural tube of the baby to fuse properly during the first few weeks of pregnancy.
At this point, most women aren’t even aware that they are pregnant, so it’s always a good idea to take folic acid even while you’re trying to conceive.
Also, another essential compound you might want to take to boost fertility would be vitamin D. This aids in the production of sex hormones both in females and males. Vitamin D deficiency may lead to low estrogen levels, which can cause infertility issues down the road.
Stress Management
Most women might not be aware, but psychological and mental health are linked to reproductive health. The added pressure of trying to get pregnant can lead to hormonal changes that may signal the body that this isn’t a good time to become pregnant. More precisely, stress hormones like cortisol can disrupt the communication between the ovaries and the brain, which may lead to menstrual irregularities.
To boost fertility, besides cleaning up your diet and taking prenatal vitamins, consider learning mindfulness techniques like deep breathing exercises, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy to combat stress-related problems.
Keeping Your Body Weight Within Healthy Limits
Being over- and underweight can lead to fertility problems and difficulties in conceiving. Experts state that having a BMI or body mass index between 20 and 24 is optimal for pregnancy. Also, underweight and obese females may have irregular periods, or they might have none at all.
On the other hand, it’s possible to become pregnant even when you’re outside the range mentioned above; both being underweight and overweight can pose unnecessary challenges.
In the case of obesity, the excess fat tissue produces more estrogen, which can affect pregnancy and ovulation. For instance, the higher estrogen levels can work as a specific type of birth control, tricking the body into thinking it’s already carrying a fetus, making it skip ovulation altogether.
Also, being obese can raise the risk of PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome, which may also lead to infertility.
Lastly, obesity can pose serious health risks for the baby as well, as there might be a larger risk for the baby to develop heart defects, spina bifida, high cholesterol, and type two diabetes.
On the other hand, being underweight can make the body produce less estrogen, which can trigger problems with regular menstrual cycles and can interfere with fertility.
Quit Tobacco and Alcohol
If you want to improve your fertility, quit tobacco, alcohol, and recreational marijuana use, as they can all have a negative impact on your overall reproductive health.
For starters, binge drinking can increase the risk of irregular ovulation, and even frequent light drinking can lower your chances of falling pregnant.
Needless to say, once you are pregnant, quitting tobacco and alcohol is a must as they are both severely harmful to the developing baby and can cause irreversible damage leading to congenital disabilities.
On the topic of tobacco, the chemicals found in cigarettes can reduce the number of eggs a woman may have. As you may know, women are born with a specific number of eggs, and once they are gone, they can’t be replaced. Also, tobacco smoke can affect ovulation, so quit tobacco if you are considering pregnancy.
Staying Hydrated
Drink clear fluids such as water and avoid sugary beverages to boost your fertility. Being adequately hydrated can improve blood flow and ensures easy cervical sperm penetration because it adds a more viscous character to the cervical mucus.
If you are constantly dehydrated, you can harm the health of your eggs, lowering the chances of fertilization.
Have Sex Regularly
Regular intercourse can improve blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, upping the chances of fertilization as it keeps both sperm and the egg viable longer.
Keep Track of Your Ovulation
Another excellent tip if you want to get pregnant, is to track your ovulation cycle. Eggs will usually remain viable for twelve to fourteen hours. On the other hand, sperm can live inside a woman’s body for around five days. If you make an effort to ensure they are both present in the uterus, you can greatly increase the chances of fertilization.
There are several ways you can track your ovulation or calculate the days when you’re ovulating. Apart from using several online calculators, you can always reach out to your provider to establish when you are most likely to ovulate.
Schedule Regular OBGYN Visits
OBGYN visits are also crucial, especially if you are having trouble conceiving. During these OBGYN visits, your provider can run several fertility tests and other assessments to see whether you need specific treatment or just need to make a few lifestyle changes.
Expert Advice Goes a Long Way
Experiencing difficulties while trying to conceive can be a very stressful experience. Still, most OBGYN experts state that most couples should only be patient and make a few simple lifestyle changes to improve their chances. And even if difficulties persist after that, several methods are still available to help couples reach their family-planning goals.
On that end, contact us if you want to learn more about boosting fertility naturally or if you want to learn more about specific treatment options.