Will Taking a Romantic Holiday Boost Fertility?

The recently nicknamed “conception-moon” is the latest craze in do-it-yourself remedies for infertility. The idea is that if you are trying to get pregnant for a few months and haven’t conceived yet, you can plan a “conception-moon” vacation with your partner to boost your chances of getting pregnant. Not just any weekend getaway will do, though. This is supposed to be the most romantic, indulgent vacation ever, with pampering spa treatments, relaxation galore, and plenty of time between the sheets with your partner. Does it work? Do we recommend it? Here’s the low down on this “popular” fertility booster.

Why It Might Help

Taking a romantic holiday with your love is going to be a lot of fun, and it’ll help you make good memories with your partner, so for this reason alone we often say, go ahead and enjoy it. As far as whether or not it will resolve significant fertility issues—well, that’s another story. If stress and poor timing are contributing factors in a couple’s infertility issues, then taking a romantic holiday during a woman’s peak fertility days could be beneficial. That’s why romantic getaways like this work for some couples. It might be just the thing if one partner frequently travels each month around the woman’s ovulation days, or there are monthly work deadlines or other factors that interfere with having frequent sex just prior to and during a woman’s peak fertility days.

What It Won’t Resolve

If you and your partner have been trying to get pregnant for an extended time period, and you know you have a medical condition (such as hormone imbalance, low sperm count, endometriosis, or other medical issues), then your best bet is to see an infertility doctor. Another common issue that can lead to low fertility rates is obesity, either of the man or woman. Being overweight will have a negative impact on hormone levels in men and women, which in turn has an effect on fertility levels. If you or your partner are overweight, talk to your doctor about safe, effective ways to lose enough weight to get pregnant and support a healthy pregnancy. Taking a cruise where all you can eat food and drink is beckoning all day and night might be the last thing you need. Going to Hawaii or Europe together may be just the thing, though, because it might help you introduce a bit more activity into your day.

To Vacation or Not to Vacation…

So when patients ask, “should we go for it? Should we take that week long getaway to the Bahamas? Will a conception-moon boost our fertility?”, the answer is always a little more complicated than they are hoping for. Sometimes it might help, but if there are issues like blocked fallopian tubes or low sperm count a doctor can best correct, then a vacation won’t change anything.

Still, taking a later-in-life honeymoon (a few years into marriage) might help you get pregnant. The empirical evidence suggests that taking some time away from the stress of everyday life can increase feelings of contentment, enhance libido, and calm nerves.

When to See a Fertility Doctor

If you’re feeling frustrated month after month, with pregnancy tests confirming that you and your partner aren’t going to be parenting a new baby anytime soon, then it might be time to see a fertility doctor. The standard rule of thumb is this: if you’re both under 35, and you haven’t conceived after 12 months, see a fertility doctor. If you’re over 35, and you haven’t conceived after 6 months of regular, frequent intercourse, see a fertility doctor. The reason it’s important for women and their partners who are over 35 to come in earlier is that the fertility window is sliding down a bit at this point and waiting a year or more may be inadvisable.

If you’re interested about learning what medical treatments could help you achieve a pregnancy, schedule a consultation at Santa Monica Fertility Clinic. Traveling into Santa Monica from out of town? Even better. Wrap up your visit with Dr. Jain in with a lovely romantic holiday in California, USA. You and your partner can enjoy the benefits of a romantic vacation and a private consultation with a board-certified infertility specialist.