6 Simple Tips to Increase Your Fertility

While some infertility cases are best treated by a board-certified endocrinologist or fertility doctor, there are many things you can do on your own to help increase the chances that you will become pregnant. Applying these lifestyle tips will help you become healthier and help you maintain a healthy weight, which may increase your chances of becoming pregnant.

1. Eat Nutritious Meals. Select foods that are as close to nature as possible. Vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy, and legumes should be eaten in a healthy, balanced diet, without as few additives as possible. Overly processed, commercially made foods contain numerous preservatives, chemical flavorings and colors, sugars, excess salts, and unhealthy fats that are harmful to your body. Fresh or frozen organic produce, meats, whole grains, and dairy products are the foundations of an ideal diet and will help you maintain good gut health, which, in turn, will allow you to properly digest and absorb the nutrients in your food. When your body gets the right nutrients, it can work in an optimal manner.
2. Adequate Supplementation. Many people can no longer get all the vital nutrients the body needs from the foods they eat—even if you buy organic, free-range products—because modern agricultural practices have depleted soils of beneficial minerals and nutrients. You may be deficient in some vitamins and minerals, which can affect fertility levels in both men and women. The most common vitamin and mineral deficiencies are magnesium, Vitamin D, calcium, potassium, iron, and folate. Zinc may be helpful for men with low sperm count. Talk to your doctor about whether supplementation is right for you
3. Moderate Exercise. Regular exercise such as walking or gentle aerobics two or three times a week has been shown to decrease the chances of heart disease, stroke, and blood clots. Just as importantly, it improves the digestive processes and lifts your mood. Find an exercise that you enjoy, such as walking, swimming, gardening, cycling, yoga, or aerobics (or another type of exercise of your choice) and do it two or three times a week. Women who are used to strenuous exercise or daily training may need to decrease exercise levels in order to become pregnant and maintain a pregnancy. Exercising may also be restricted while undergoing certain fertility treatments. Talk to your doctor about how much exercise is right for you.
4. Maintain a Healthy Weight. Being overweight can decrease your chances of getting pregnant, and so can being underweight. Your body needs a certain amount of fat reserve to get pregnant and maintain a healthy pregnancy, but too much of a fat reserve interferes with hormone levels and can negatively impact your fertility. Eating nutritious foods and getting moderate exercise can often help you get to a healthy weight, whether you need to lose it or gain it. If you have struggled with your weight or with eating disorders, your doctor can give you more suggestions and offer further options for getting to the weight that is right for your body and that can best support a healthy pregnancy.
5. Limit Caffeine. Multiple studies suggest that drinking excessive coffee, tea, or consuming other sources of caffeine can decrease your chances of getting pregnant. While the effect of caffeine on fertility is still not fully understood, it’s a good idea to either limit your caffeine consumption or eliminate it altogether during the time you are trying to get pregnant and during at least the first 3-4 months of pregnancy. For more information on recommended caffeine consumption while trying to conceive, please contact your doctor.
6. Eliminate Tobacco, Alcohol, and Recreational Drugs. Tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs all have negative effects on a woman’s body as she is trying to get pregnant. For men, these substances can also lower sperm count and make sperm less viable.

The Santa Monica Clinic specializes in helping couples overcome fertility issues and achieving their dreams of having a baby. We view the patient as a whole, treating both the mind and body through a variety of complementary therapies. Schedule an appointment today to begin learning your options on the road to becoming parents.