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Nothing comes easy, especially when it comes to having a baby, and it takes a lot of habit and lifestyle changes to prepare your body for its incoming host and ensure your hormones are at the adequate levels required for pregnancy.
While interventions like IVF help people with fertility issues, there are natural methods you can engage to help improve your chances of conceiving. Here are 19 natural ways to boost fertility.
Natural Ways to Boost Fertility
1. Eat foods rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants help to remove from the body chemicals that may pose harm to sperm cells and eggs during ovulation. These include beta-carotene, folate, lutein, and vitamins C and E. It is best to include these in your diet, and the best way to do so is by increasing your fruits, vegetables, and whole grain intake.
2. Eat large breakfasts
It is known that breakfast is an important meal of the day, and when it comes to fertility, studies show it’s very helpful in keeping hormones balanced. Breakfast options containing high protein and healthy fats are highly recommended for you.
If you have hormonal conditions like PCOS, a large breakfast could also help improve symptoms, which in turn can improve fertility. But keep in mind to avoid high-carb foods because they can increase inflammation.
3. Prioritize omega-3 fatty acids
Healthy fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, are essential for your health. They are obtained from fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, plant oils, soy bean oils, and canola oil. These fats help improve fertility and prepare your body for pregnancy.
4. Cut down on carbs if you have PCOS
Foods that contain high carbs, such as bread, rice, pasta, and sodas, are a total no-go if you’re dealing with PCOS. These carbs, when overconsumed, might worsen the associated hormonal imbalance and aggravate symptoms. You can opt for a low-carb diet and prioritize proteins, healthy fats, and vitamins in your meals. It’s also important to know that you don’t have to cut carbs completely, but just take them in moderate portions.
5. Try not to work the night shift
Working at night can be a stressful routine, and stress affects your hormone levels. Studies suggest that night shift work may contribute to an increased need for fertility treatment in younger women.
Working the night shift also affects your sleep pattern and the amount of rest you get. Resting is important to give you time to recharge.
Opt for morning or afternoon working hours where your mind and body can function optimally, and you can take the night to rest or engage in intimacy with your partner, which can increase your chances of conception occurring.
6. Minimize your consumption of refined carbs
Staying healthy during and after pregnancy requires women to make an effort to abide by prenatal and postnatal care tips. These pregnancy care tips address healthcare changes for pregnant women and new mothers by improving access to quality prenatal care. They help ensure your pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum experiences are safe.
7. Pay attention to fiber
Generally, fiber keeps you full, and it’s often low in sugar, which might play a role in boosting fertility. Foods like whole grains, leafy vegetables, and beans are the best kind of fiber for you.
8. Reconsider your protein source
Rich-protein diets are always recommended for a healthier body, as they contain essential amino acids needed for most functions in the body. Studies suggest increasing fish in your diet, as it contains both essential acids and omega-3 fatty acids.
9. Consider prenatal vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are essential nutrients your body needs in preparation to host a baby. These should be included in your diet or taken as supplements. Vitamins like folic acid and vitamin B6 are essential fertility vitamins. They help keep your hormones at the best levels to promote fertilization during ovulation
10. Stay active
Exercise is important for both the body and the mind. It keeps you fit and regulates fat levels in people who are obese; this plays a part in increasing fertility. It also helps improve blood flow to ensure reproductive organs in both males and females get adequate nutrients. But it’s also important to not engage in overly strenuous workouts.
11. Create time to relax
The process of trying for a baby can be a major stressor for you, so you might want to take time to rest and let your body reset. Stress increases your body’s cortisol levels, which affects your mood and hormonal levels.
While stress is something we all face, when it becomes overwhelming due to increased anxiety about conceiving, speaking to a professional or mental health care provider might help you a lot.
12. Limit caffeine consumption
If you’re working late or very early, coffee might be your best friend, and while there isn’t any proven direct link between coffee and fertility, you might want to reduce its consumption a little. Look at it as crossing all your Ts.
13. Aim for a moderate weight
Generally, your body needs to know it’s healthy enough to carry a baby, or any attempts might not work. Being overweight or even underweight are conditions that can affect your menstrual cycle and ovulation.
Aim for a moderate BMI of 18.5–24.9, but note that BMI isn’t the only indicator for optimum health. Your diet and lifestyle habits influence your weight, so make sure you’re eating right and staying healthy.
14. Check your iron level
Iron is essential in the blood; it’s also one of the essential prenatal vitamins you should take while preparing to get pregnant. It helps correct anemia or prevent anemia in pregnancy.
Before increasing your iron intake, consult with your doctor to do a blood profile on you. This helps to know your normal iron levels and detect any fall or need to increase your intake.
Foods like red meat, nuts, and red kidney beans are good sources of iron you can add to your diet.
15. Avoid high alcohol intake
A glass of wine a day brings the doctor closer, so you might want to swap that bottle for safer options like juice if you’re looking to get pregnant. Even when you are pregnant, you must avoid alcohol. It interferes with hormonal levels that negatively impact female fertility.
16. Consider adding bee products to your diet
Since olden times, bee products like pollen, royal, and propolis have been used as a natural trick for fertility. They also propose to help with male fertility. You can replace sugar with honey as a sweetener in your meals.
17. Avoid trans-fat products
Your body doesn’t need trans-fats; they increase your risk of cardiovascular issues and load you up with bad cholesterol. This affects fertility even worse than when you take high carbs. Avoid foods like stick margarine, fried foods, vegetable shortening, and microwave popcorn.
18. Quit smoking
Smoking introduces all sorts of toxins into your body, and this interferes with hormonal levels, affecting fertility. If you smoke, chances are there is going to be an increased risk of delay in conception, which can also lead to primary and secondary infertility.
Smoking also increases the risk of developing cancer in cells in the reproductive organs of both males and females. Quitting smoking is crucial if you struggle with getting pregnant.
19. Engage in frequent sex
Since we are talking naturally, what other way to improve the chances of conception than having frequent sex? It’s advised to track your menstrual cycle to identify days during ovulation when you are most fertile and engage in at least 2 rounds of sex. Remember to have open conversations with your partner to foster understanding and promote pleasure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taking prenatal vitamins can help prepare your womb for the incoming baby. Managing your weight also helps.
Foods are rich in protein and healthy fats like salmon, lentils, eggs, whole grains like yam, nuts, oily fish, and leafy greens. They help with hormone boosting and supply your body with the necessary vitamins and nutrients essential for a healthy pregnancy
Really appreciated the section on omega-3 fatty acids! I’ve heard plenty about it but seeing it included in fertility advice makes me consider incorporating more into my diet. Great tips, Vitamins For Woman!
I gotta say, is there actual science backing up these suggestions? Cutting down carbs for PCOS sounds more like a diet fad than real advice.
Actually, there’s substantial research indicating that low-carb diets can improve PCOS symptoms. It’s more than just a fad.
Curious about the bee products. Which ones specifically and how do they aid fertility? Never thought bees could help here lol.
Staying active is key! Glad to see it included here. It’s not just good for fertility but overall health too. Points well made!
ugh, the night shift part hits hard. trying to switch shifts for ages but it’s tough. guess it’s more important than i thought for health.
While I agree with most of the article, limiting caffeine consumption is debatable. Some studies show negligible effects on fertility. Thoughts?
I hope you’re right because I cannot start my day without coffee lol.
The impact of caffeine varies widely among individuals, but moderation is key. Excessive consumption is what’s generally advised against.
love the article, very helpful stuff. i always say natural is the way to go and now i got more tips to share at the next book club.
If avoiding high alcohol intake improves fertility, guess I’m outta luck. Just kidding, I’ll stick to snail speed on that one.
Highlighting the importance of minimal alcohol is paramount! So glad this is getting the attention it deserves. More awareness, less booze!
Cutting down on carbs is a game changer, especially for PCOS. Great that it’s getting recognized for fertility. More people need to know this!
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