Few things in life are more emotional than trying to conceive a baby. It can be like a roller coaster ride… one minute you’re feeling upbeat and hopeful, the next you’re feeling down and ready to give up. If you are struggling with fertility, you may feel hopeless and lost. You know that there are fertility drugs and procedures that could help, but they are often invasive and they come with side effects and risks. They aren’t cheap either, and they may not be covered by your health insurance.The good news is, there are many simple things you can do to boost your fertility naturally. Save the expensive fertility drugs and invasive, high-risk procedures as a last resort.
6 Ways to Boost Your Fertility Naturally
- Ditch the Junk Food
We all know that processed foods and refined sugars are bad for us. But, did you know that not eating the right foods can actually cause fertility issues? Don’t wait until you are actually pregnant to start eating right. Your diet should be focused on whole, unprocessed foods from the time you begin attempting to conceive. Eating the right foods improves your overall health and improves the way your body’s systems function. That includes your reproductive system.Your diet should include plenty of lean protein. Be sure you are eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Leafy greens are especially important. Whole grains are important, too, but go for gluten-free if you can’t tolerate gluten. Believe it or not, low-fat dairy can be a bad idea when you’re trying to conceive. If you can tolerate lactose, include plenty of full-fat dairy foods in your diet. Other good fats to include are avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive and coconut oils.
- Learn to Relax
The typical Western lifestyle revolves around stress and insufficient amounts of sleep. Most of us, especially women, tend to do too much in a day. The thing is, stress is not good for you and it can wreak havoc on your health, including your reproductive health. In fact, stress is particularly dangerous when it comes to your fertility! Every time you feel worried or anxious about getting pregnant you, are creating a stress response in your body that is making it even more difficult for you to get pregnant.Learn how to use some stress relieving activities in your everyday life. Try yoga or meditation. Walking in nature is another great way to reduce stress. Learn to relax and read a good book. The important thing is to make time every day to just be at peace. Getting plenty of quality sleep is crucial, too.
- Pay Attention to Your Body
One of the first things you should learn how to do when you are trying to conceive is how to track your menstrual cycle. Keep track of your periods on a calendar so that you can start to predict when you will be ovulating. You should learn how to properly track your basal body temperature, and learn how to assess your cervical mucus. These things can all give you important clues about when is the best time to try to conceive. If your periods are consistent and you don’t have unusually bad cramps or bleeding, that’s a sign of good reproductive health.
- Try Acupuncture Treatments to Boost Your Fertility
Acupuncture is most often thought of first as a treatment for chronic pain, but it can do so much more than that. It is also an affordable, natural, and safe way to boost your fertility. Acupuncture can increase blood flow to your reproductive organs, reduce stress, and regulate your hormone levels. These three things are crucial when you’re trying to get pregnant.Since acupuncture can increase blood flow to the uterus, pelvis, and ovaries, it can help to regulate your reproductive cycles. The increased blood flow will also create a thicker uterine lining to make your uterus more welcoming for conception and implantation of the egg. It can also improve your odds of carrying a baby to full-term. Acupuncture is also known to relax uterine contractions. If you have had miscarriages or preterm labor in the past, this is especially important for you.Hormonal imbalances are a leading cause of fertility issues. These imbalances can lead to irregular or non-existent menstrual cycles and conditions like PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Hormonal imbalances can also be a factor in miscarriage and preterm labor, as well. Acupuncture has been shown to be very effective at treating hormonal imbalances.One of the most well-known benefits of acupuncture is lowering stress and anxiety levels. As we discussed above, stress can cause problems when you’re trying to conceive. In fact, stress-related hormonal imbalances are one of the leading causes of infertility.The YinOva Center acupuncturists who specialize in infertility will often combine many of the suggestions we’ve already talked about into a total treatment plan to help you get pregnant. Your plan will probably include diet and lifestyle changes, acupuncture treatments, Chinese herbal medicine, and bodywork (massage).
- Take Care of Your Thyroid
A healthy thyroid is crucial to your overall health and fertility. If you have issues with either hyperthyroid or hypothyroid, you will have hormonal imbalances that will lead to increased miscarriages, preterm labor, and fertility issues in general.One way to know if your thyroid is working properly is to check your basal body temperature. If it’s consistently low, that could mean you have hypothyroidism. If it’s consistently high, that could mean hyperthyroidism. If you suspect one of these conditions, it’s best to have a full thyroid panel done by your doctor. Also, avoid foods made from soy, which is not good for your fertility or thyroid. Healthy carbohydrates like root vegetables and whole grains are good for supporting the thyroid.
- Check Your Progesterone Level
Fertility and pregnancy are all about hormone levels, and progesterone is a big one. Progesterone can not only help you get pregnant, it can help you stay pregnant. Your doctor will have to run a full hormone panel to determine your progesterone level, but some symptoms to be aware of are cold hands and feet, mood swings, water retention, foggy thinking, and chronic fatigue.Some natural ways to boost your progesterone levels are eating a whole food diet, increasing your fiber intake, and eliminating caffeine, refined sugars, and alcohol. You should also eat a lot of good carbohydrates like fruit, sweet potatoes, and whole grains.As you can see, fertility drugs and invasive procedures are not the only way to increase your chances of getting pregnant. Try these natural methods first! You might be surprised to find out how successful they can be and how much better you feel after a few simple changes!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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