How to increase fertility – 7 tips

1. Consider getting pregnant during your twenties or early thirties

Age plays an important role in female fertility. Not surprisingly, a woman’s fertility decreases with age. Women in their twenties and early thirties have the best chances of becoming pregnant. Therefore, if possible, you should consider trying to get pregnant in your twenties or early thirties. This does not mean that it is impossible to get pregnant after your twenties, only that it can be harder and take a longer time.  

2. Avoid smoking

Smoking harms your fertility and one of the biggest impacts you can make to improve your fertility is to stop smoking. Women who smoke reach menopause earlier than the average woman and smoking increase the risk of miscarriage.

So, if you are thinking about getting pregnant, or already is pregnant, our advice is that you quit the cigarettes as soon as possible. Also, try to avoid passive smoking.

3. Maintain a healthy weight and diet to increase fertility

Being either overweight or underweight can harm your fertility. Overweight can cause difficulties in becoming pregnant as the larger amount of fat can affect the hormone system. The optimal BMI is between 19-25. If your BMI is more than 30, your chances of becoming pregnant are remarkably reduced and the chances of getting preeclampsia, bleeding and diabetes during the pregnancy is increased.
 
Moderate exercise and a healthy lifestyle can help to improve your menstrual cycle and health and thereby increase your chances of getting pregnant. However, too much exercise is not healthy either since it can cause irregularities in your period.
 
Healthy food supplies you with the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Among other things, we must use the nutrients to form cells and our hormones are sensitive to fluctuations in blood sugar. Sugar and refined carbohydrates make your blood sugar rise, and this can influence your hormone system. Make sure to get plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibres from fresh vegetables, berries and fruit. Good fatty acids from nuts, kernels, avocados and olives as well as protein from meat, fish and legumes. Take a good vitamin pill along with D-vitamin, fish oil and folic acid. D-vitamin is actually very important to remember, as many couples with infertility problems have low vitamin D levels. Studies show that D-vitamin has an impact on fertility in both men and women.
 
So, the best you can do for yourself and your fertility is to try to have a balanced diet, maintain a healthy, normal weight and exercise moderately. The same advice is recommended when you do get pregnant, where a balanced diet is important to your baby’s development. 

4. Practice safe sex

Surely, when trying to conceive you should have unprotected sex. But until you have a partner you want to have children with, you should remember to protect yourself during sex. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea are considered to be leading causes of infertility. So, protecting yourself during sex by using a condom will help you to prevent infertility problems later in life.

5. Avoid alcohol and reduce caffeine intake

Too much alcohol and coffee, more specifically caffeine, can harm your ability to get pregnant. Therefore, a piece of good advice is to stop drinking alcohol when you decide to try to get pregnant. Additionally, research has shown that caffeine can reduce fertility, but the amount of caffeine has to be fairly high (5 cups of coffee or more a day) before it has a direct impact on your ability to get pregnant. Therefore, it might be beneficial to cut down on your coffee intake. Remember that tea and soft drinks also contain caffeine.

6. Monitor your ovulation to increase chances of pregnancy

Today, there are plenty of apps available to register periods and time of ovulation. It is always a good idea to get to know your own body and your menstrual cycle, and when you reach the point where you want to get pregnant it can be a useful tool in the process. Monitoring your ovulation can help to guide you to the best times to have intercourse with your partner to increase your chances of conceiving.

7. Try not to stress

It is difficult to say whether stress can have an impact on female fertility. Some studies suggest that stress can affect your menstrual cycle and thereby your fertility. Trying to get pregnant can be very stressful on its own, especially when you are having fertility treatment. Try to limit other stress factors in your life and think about your fertility as a good and positive thing. The project should not fill everything and is not supposed to impact your mood and affect you mentally.
 
Engaging in stress reduction activities may help increase fertility. Try to find out what works for you – meditation, exercise, being with friends or perhaps therapy? Also, don’t forget to enjoy yourself and your amazing body in all aspects of your life – both before getting pregnant, in the process of trying and when you get pregnant.

Extra tip from midwife Julie: Acupuncture

One of the more alternative things you can try is acupuncture, which is worth mentioning. It can be a good supplement to fertility treatment and can increase your chances of becoming pregnant. However, it is important to mention, that that no studies are showing, that acupuncture works on infertility, but the studies show that there is no harm in trying. Acupuncture can help regulate your hormone system, immune system and nerve system. It can help with mental unbalance and sufficient blood supply to the ovaries and uterus.  

To sum up: 

• Consider getting pregnant during your twenties or early thirties
• Avoid smoking
• Maintain a healthy weight and diet
• Practice safe sex
• Avoid alcohol and reduce caffeine intake
• Monitor your ovulation
• Try not to stress
• Consider acupuncture

If you found these tips useful, you may also be interested in reading about the most common causes of fertility problems.