8 Surprisingly Simple Tips to Boost Your Fertility and Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant
If you're trying to conceive, you may be wondering what you can do to increase your chances of getting pregnant and for better or worse, the internet is FULL of thoughts, opinions, and recommendations. While many factors can affect fertility, there are also some simple things you can do to improve your odds. Here are some tips to help boost your fertility:
1. Eat a healthy diet: The fertility world has a war on dairy and gluten which is a little surprising. Eating a healthy and balanced diet can help support reproductive health. Focus on whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. The most well-researched eating plan for fertility is the Mediterranean Diet which happens to be fairly balanced. Don’t feel like you must eliminate a whole food group to get pregnant unless you have known intolerances or allergies. As they say, all things in moderation so don’t feel pressured to eliminate all the fun from your life. It is unlikely that anything you are eating is stopping you from conceiving so don’t feel like some amount of “perfect” will be the magic solution.
2. Exercise regularly: Regular exercise can help maintain a healthy weight and improve fertility. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week which will not only help to balance hormones but also a side benefit of boosting your mood! And let’s be honest, anybody trying to get preggers knows that the struggle is REAL when it comes to affecting the mood. Side note, if you’ve been diagnosed with PCOS then there’s an added benefit to including strength training 3-4 times per week according to research.
3. Manage stress: Yeah, yeah… we said it. As if you didn’t already know stress wasn’t good for you we’re going to push that here too. And we’re not talking about the dreaded, “just don’t worry about it, it’ll happen when it’s supposed to” kind of stress recommendation. But the fact is stress does matter. High levels of stress can interfere with ovulation and reduce fertility because your body will always prioritize survival over reproduction. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as meditation, yoga, or talking to a therapist. And for god’s sake… have some fun! Have your favorite coffee, go to brunch with your friends, have some amazing comfort food, or just put your comfies on and binge-watch something on Netflix. 80% of the time take the vitamins, do the “right” things, keep your chin up and put your best foot forward. 20% of the time live yo’ life, have your favorite things, throw yourself a pity party, or just stop thinking so much.
4. Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can disrupt hormonal balance and decrease fertility. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to support reproductive health.
5. Quit smoking: Smoking can decrease fertility in both men and women. If you smoke, quitting can help improve your chances of conceiving. And sorry friends, this means nicotine and marijuana. I said what said.
6. Limit alcohol and caffeine: Excessive alcohol and caffeine intake can interfere with fertility. What is defined as “excessive”? Great question, we’re so glad you asked. Most of the recommendations are for 300mg or less of caffeine so don’t feel like you have to give up your morning warm bevvie hug, but maybe we don’t do a quad shot latte anymore. As far as alcohol there aren’t any defined limits but perhaps we just agree to shoot for max of 1-2 days per week with 1-3 drinks per sitting. And maybe no fireball or keg stands.
7. Consider a fertility-boosting supplement: Several supplements may help improve fertility, such as folic acid, CoQ10, and vitamin D. Talk to your doctor or a specialist about which supplements may be right for you. Also, while we’re on the subject QUIT BUYING EVERYTHING MARKETING TO HELP FERTILITY. We know you just want to get pregnant so badly that you’ll do anything. But we must practice some self-control and focus on the things that will help our body specifically, something that is unique to us. This is why working with a specialist (Reproductive Endocrinologist, OB-GYN, fertility acupuncturist, fertility functional medicine doctor, etc) is so important. We must either use lab tests, hormone panels, or body signs/symptoms to figure out what we need.
8. Have sex during your fertile window: To increase your chances of getting pregnant, have sex during your most fertile days, which are typically the days leading up to ovulation. Seems obvious, right? Do you know for sure when you are ovulating? This can be the tricky part. It’s not always on cycle day (CD) 14 like we think. But there are several ways to confirm ovulation and determine the fertile window so again, find a specialist and start to understand your unique body.
Remember, everyone's fertility journey is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. These tips can be a great place to start, but if you're struggling to conceive, it's important to talk to your doctor or specialist for personalized advice.
