When you’re trying to get pregnant, whether it be naturally or through assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments, your fertility can often feel all-consuming.
From when you should be having sex to the time of day you need to take your medication, everything can feel overwhelming and out of your control.
But what if there were a few easy steps you could take to aid and improve your fertility and take some control back?
Thankfully, there are. Even simple changes to your lifestyle can make a world of difference to your fertility. We share three healthy lifestyle choices you can make to boost your chances of getting pregnant below.
Table of Contents
1. Introduce a Diet Tailored to Fertility Health
The well-known saying, “you are what you eat” is no less true when you’re trying to conceive. The foods you consume can impact your fertility health, with certain foods proven to help increase success rates.
You’ll find a surplus of great recipes online for fertility-boosting foods. For example, green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach are packed full of folate and are a great alternative to folic acid supplements. Then, there are foods high in choline like eggs, cauliflower, shrimp, and pork. Choline is known to help prevent congenital disabilities.
And the good news?
Not every food item in your fertility diet needs to be green or low-fat. Rather, scientists discovered women who ate full-fat dairy products (within their recommended daily allowance) were less likely to struggle with problems ovulating than women who opted for lower-fat varieties.
So that bowl of ice cream you’re craving at night? Enjoy it!
Another top tip is to drink plenty of water and keep yourself well hydrated. Water helps keep your entire body, including your reproductive organs (ovaries and testes) and reproductive cells (eggs and sperm), functioning properly. It also helps flush out any toxins.
2. Get Rid of Anything Considered Harmful
Speaking of toxins, there are a few items you may want to decrease your intake of or avoid altogether while you’re trying to conceive.
Alcohol is the most obvious choice, but other foods that contain excess sugar and caffeine should be minimized as well. These items can have a direct impact on you and your partner’s fertility, so the key is to enjoy everything in moderation.
If you’ve had a stressful day at work, one glass of wine shouldn’t do any harm, nor should a strong cup of coffee to get you going in the morning. Just try to limit yourself and resist the temptation to reach for another glass or cup.
Essentially, you should look at your fertility diet like any other diet. Enjoy the occasional treat and be happy with your choices. Trying to conceive can bring a significant amount of anxiety and stress into your life, so it’s important for you to feel as though you can release these pressures when they arise. And if that means reaching for your emergency chocolate bar, so be it!
3. Practice Plenty of Self Care
Even the best diet in the world won’t help your fertility if you aren’t taking care of other aspects of your physical health and overall well-being.
Regular exercise will help boost your fitness levels, keep your weight in check, and give you time to yourself, all of which are great for your mental health. But, it’s important to exercise in moderation. Going overboard with too much vigorous exercise can inhibit ovulation and lower progesterone levels, making it harder for you to conceive. Up to 5 hours of vigorous exercise per week is considered okay.
Struggling to get your mind off your fertility journey?
Then you may find meditation or mindful exercises like yoga can help release the anxieties you’re experiencing. Or, taking time out to go to the spa with your friends could be just what you need.
Do What Feels Right for You and Your Body
Ultimately, your fertility journey is unique to you.
Yes, you can take steps toward boosting your fertility levels through diet, exercise, and mindfulness, but you must also feel happy and confident in yourself.
Look at what works for you and embrace it. Not only will this help your fertility but it’ll do wonders for your overall health—mentally and physically—throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
I am an Ambitious girl with a special interest in writing and sharing my knowledge. I love to hangout with nature and learn from it. My words will display the power of nature to the best as I love to write about the environment.
