How to Increase Your Fertility With Quick Easy Lifestyle Changes
Have you been diligently trying to get pregnant with no luck? Look: All pregnancies begin when egg meets sperm – so they need to be in the same place at the same time. That’s not all. There is more to getting pregnant than simply keeping track of when your ovaries release your egg – ovulation window – and having sex during that time. There are many quick and easy lifestyle changes you can make to increase your chances of conceiving by improving the health of your eggs.
Egg Health and Fertility
There are many factors that have an impact on the health of a woman’s ovaries and eggs. To enhance your natural fertility, consider some additional factors:
- Proper circulation to the reproductive system
- Environment
- Balanced hormones
- Stress
Oxygen Rich Blood Flow
For the good health of your eggs, proper oxygenation to the ovaries is necessary. Lack of oxygen and blood flow to the ovaries can decrease because of:
- Lack of exercise
- Dehydration
Lack of Exercise
Exercise increases blood flow to a woman’s reproductive organs and brings in fresh blood to cells. Bottom line: Exercise helps to oxygenate the blood. New studies have shown that both online yoga and in-person yoga help to increase the chances of a successful IVF pregnancy by up to 26 percent. This is because yoga is proven to reduce stress and anxiety in IVF patients.
Here’s the deal.
Yoga regimens include a series of poses and postures designed to improve fertility by:
- Increasing blood flow to your reproductive system
- Releasing stress
- Reducing anxiety
- Balancing life energy flow throughout the body
- Helping to reset your endocrine system – aiding hormonal balance
- Supporting a healthy immune system
- Detoxifying the body
- Creating clarity in your mind
Six weeks of in-person or online fertility yoga can reduce an IVF patient’s stress and anxiety between 23 and 26 percent. Now, you can experience the benefits of yoga by practicing online at home.
Dehydration
Lack of hydration can cause a woman’s blood to become thick and decrease circulation in her reproductive organs. Drinking plenty of water upon rising from bed in the morning and throughout the day will naturally increase circulation in the body.
Folic Acid Supplement
Begin by enhancing your diet with foods rich in folic acid.
- Leafy green vegetables
- Fresh fruits
- Dried beans, peas, nuts
- Enriched breads, cereals, other whole grain products
- Ask your fertility specialist to prescribe folic acid as a dietary supplement
Reduce Your Alcohol Intake
Studies show that women over 30 who drank seven or more alcoholic beverages a week were twice as likely not to conceive. Cutting out alcohol altogether while you try for a baby is the best plan because, once you conceive, your cravings for a drink will be diminished.
Watch Your Weight and Get Plenty of Sleep
A healthy adult Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 18.5 and 24.9. A 2016 review of studies shows that not getting enough sleep leads women to consume an average of 385 more calories the next day. Too much body weight can make women less fertile.
Avoid Caffeine
Caffeine – in coffee, tea, and soda – can have an adverse effect on female fertility. It’s best to cut caffeine out altogether to boost your fertility level and prepare for a healthy pregnancy.
Eat Healthy Proteins
Eating healthy proteins helps to maintain blood sugar balance. This balance gives your body the even supply of nutrients it needs for producing hormones and supporting a healthy reproductive system.
- Chicken
- Lean red meats
- Soy beans
- Fresh fish, such as salmon, tilapia, cod (no canned tuna because of high mercury levels)
- Eggs
- Beans, legumes, lentils, chickpeas
- Nuts and seeds
What to do if your lifestyle changes don’t work?
It is important to work with a fertility care team having the experience to accurately diagnose the underlying cause of your infertility and design a customized treatment plan meeting your specific medical and personal needs.
- Timed Intercourse with medical assistance
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Conventional IVF
- Mini-IVF™
- Natural IVF
To schedule your initial consultation with Dr. John Zhang at New Hope Fertility Center, call 917.525.5496.
