Please note that I am not qualified as a medical professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this website. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
The creation of life is so amazing. It’s more than sperm meets egg. Through love making, some alchemy happens. Energy sparks and new life is formed. It truly is a miracle.
In my younger days, I remember being so afraid of getting pregnant before I was ready to be a mom. I wanted to meet “Mr. Right,” get married, have a house and then think about kids. But instead, I met “Mr. Right Now” all too often. And the conditions never seemed to be quite right.
I, like many women, turned to hormonal birth control to keep an unwanted pregnancy from happening. Little did I know then, that this would contribute to making me infertile later in life.
Although I had sex education in school, I was fairly ignorant about baby making. I figured, you had sex, you got pregnant. The only way to not get pregnant was to take birth control pills or use a condom. (Clearly, abstinence is also an option!) And when you were ready to make a baby, you just stopped using protection and, boom, there was a baby. Boy was I wrong!
In fact, when I finally met my Mr. Right and we tried to make a baby, it was very difficult. Although we tried to make a baby for two and a half years, we still could not conceive that little bundle of joy. It was heartbreaking for both of us. We, as a couple, were considered infertile.
Who Is Infertile?
According to the CDC, the term “infertile” is usually applied to a woman who is unable to become pregnant after a year of trying (or 6 months for a woman over 35).
According to The National Infertility Association, in a National Survey of Family Growth performed by the CDC, 1 in 8 couples (or 12% of married women) had trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy from 2006 to 2010. More recent studies show that this rate may be closer to 1 in 6 couples today.
We have a happy ending to our story. After three years of trying, we finally conceived our first child. Many women, however, are still struggling with this issue. My heart goes out to all of you.
What Are A Woman’s Chances of Getting Pregnant?
It is a common myth that a woman has a 100% chance of becoming pregnant each time she ovulates (i.e., each cycle), since a certain percentage of her eggs are abnormal at any age. In addition, fertilization has to happen within a narrow window of time after ovulation occurs. Thankfully, each woman has 12 to 13 cycles each year. A healthy woman in her 20s, who is trying to get pregnant, then, has a very good chance of getting pregnant in a given year.
Did you know that the average woman’s fertility peaks at age 24? As she ages, however, her chances of naturally getting pregnant decline. A woman’s chances of obtaining a successful natural pregnancy each cycle are as follows:
- 20-25% per cycle for women 25 and under
- 25% per cycle for women aged 25-30
- 20% per cycle for women aged 30-35
- 15% per cycle for women aged 35-39
- 5% per cycle for women aged 40
The problem with these statistics is that not every woman is in peak health and is able to sustain a pregnancy naturally. Furthermore, these statistics do not consider the health of her partner.
What Causes Infertility?
There are many factors that can contribute to infertility. Each couple may be dealing with a different set of issues. Infertility may result from female factors one-third of the time, male factors one-third of the time and a combination of female and male factors in the remaining cases.
Female infertility causes can be difficult to diagnose. To name a few, female infertility may be caused by lack of ovulation, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), damaged or blocked fallopian tubes, hypothalamic dysfunction, endometriosis, hormone imbalance (including too much prolactin or leptin resistance), hypothyroidism, poor egg health or premature loss of eggs.
Male infertility may be caused by low sperm count, abnormal sperm function or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm.
Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors can all play a role in causing infertility. Reversing my own infertility was quite a journey. During that time, I have found that the following dietary and lifestyle changes can and will make a huge difference in boosting your fertility, whether you are a male or female.
1. Avoid hormonal birth control
If you think that you may want to have children sometime in your future, I would not recommend using hormonal birth control. In fact, I would recommend discontinuing use as soon as possible. There are alternative methods to hormonal birth control, such as natural family planning and condoms. These methods do not alter your hormones, and can be just as effective, if used correctly. To learn more about the dangers of taking hormonal contraceptives and Clomid, see my article.
For more information on family planning methods, see this article. I used the temperature method, using the basal body temperature as a fertility indicator. This family planning method helps you pinpoint when you are most fertile in your cycle. This is helpful, both if you are trying to conceive or not to conceive. You can use any thermometer, or a special Basal Body Thermometer.
2. Eat healthy fats
A diet that is low-fat or fat-free may inhibit your ability to conceive. Our bodies need a variety of healthy fats to keep hormones balanced. Without healthy fats, hormone production will stall and the body will begin to malfunction. The body needs fatty acids in order to absorb certain fat soluble vitamins and minerals, which are needed for hormone production. Without these vitamins and minerals, we will become undernourished.
Instead, eat lots of healthy fats from organic foods like salmon, coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, pasture-raised pork lard, grass-fed butter and other grass-fed animal products. Eating these fats will also help you keep inflammation low, boost your metabolism and increase satiety.
3. Balance Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fats
Both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are important building blocks present in virtually every cell membrane in the body. Omega 3 fatty acids support regenerative processes, whereas omega 6 fatty acids convert to pro-inflammatory and blood clotting molecules.
Since the industrial revolution, the excessive intake of omega-6 fats has skyrocketed. Although both fatty acids are essential to our bodies, the excess of omega 6 fats in our diets has caused inflammation in our bodies which is responsible for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, leaky gut syndrome, obesity, stress and depression.
Many clinical infertility cases are related to immunological and auto-inflammatory issues. Therefore, it may be necessary optimize your preconception omega 3 levels to increase your chances of a successful pregnancy.
How Can I Increase My Omega 3 Levels?
A healthy ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats in our diet is 1:1. Today, many Americans have a ratio of as high as 25:1! In order to boost Omega-3 fats in your diet, try to eat more wild saltwater fish (like salmon), flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and grass-fed animal products.
You might also want to consider supplementing with High Vitamin Fermented Cod Liver Oil, which will provide the body with 10,000 IU of Vitamin A and 1,000 IU of Vitamin D daily, per the Westin A. Price Foundation suggestion.
In addition, it may help to avoid eating food with excessive amounts of omega 6 fats, (such as sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, soy or soybean oil, etc.) which are found in many store bought salad dressings and processed foods.
4. Detoxify your body
In the Big Book of Kombucha, by Hannah Crum and Alex LaGory, the authors suggest that if the human body is not receiving the nutrition it needs, or if it is “bogged down with toxins or harmful bacteria and yeast,” it will not be in an optimal position to reproduce. They suggest that a gentle and gradual detoxification and rebalancing of the body may assist it in creating a suitable environment for reproduction. Drinking Kombucha daily may help the body achieve this state for women struggling with infertility.
In case you have never heard of Kombucha, it is a fermented tea full of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics. The combination of tea and fermentation creates a powerful drink that improves digestion and boosts immunity, by lining your digestive tract with these beneficial bacteria where they absorb nutrients and fight infection and illness. The Chinese call it the “Immortal Health Elixir.” You can purchase bottled Kombucha from the store, or you can start making your own. It’s very easy to do.
What Other Methods Can Be Used To Detoxify?
If drinking Kombucha isn’t your thing, you can also detoxify your body by practicing fasting. In his book, The Complete Guide to Fasting, Dr. Jason Fung explains how you can heal your body through intermittent, alternate-day and extended day fasting. It is truly a remarkable process.
Another method you can use to boost your healthy gut bacteria is to eat Kimchi, Sauerkraut and other fermented foods. Alex Lewin has a great book, Real Food Fermentation, that walks you through fermenting all kinds of foods, if you want to try this at home. You might even consider taking a probiotic. But be sure to change your probiotics periodically to introduce a variety of healthy bacteria to your gut.
“Eighty percent of your immune system is located in your gut, and the digestive system is the second largest part of your neurological system. It’s no surprise that the gut is considered the ‘second brain.’”
– Dr. Axe
5. Break the Caffeine Habit
Not only does caffeine make your blood vessels tighten, it also makes your heart beat faster, your muscles twitch, and it increases your stress hormone, cortisol. More and more studies are showing that a reduction in stress may boost fertility.
Chronic stress can affect ovulation by altering signals to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the center of the brain that regulates some of the hormones that trigger the ovaries to release eggs each month. Women under nonstop stress may ovulate less regularly. This makes it more difficult to plan baby making for the exact window when they’re most fertile. Furthermore, some research shows that stress may also affect testosterone levels and sperm production in men.
A reduction in stress may help enhance proteins within the uterine lining that are involved with implantation. It also may increase blood flow to the uterus, increasing fertility.
Alternatives To Drinking Coffee
You can reduce your stress and irritability levels by switching your daily coffee to an herbal tea. There are many great tasting options. But one in particular, chicory tea, tastes like coffee and may be a caffeine-free alternative. (For this type of loose leaf tea, you will need a tea ball or a tea pot with an infuser.) My favorite coffee alternative is Dandy Blend tea, which is a combination of dandelion root and chicory root. This is an instant herbal tea that tastes pretty close to coffee, without the caffeine!
And why not boost your fertility with tea? Here is a list of herbal teas that may do just that:
- Alfalfa (full of minerals needed for a strong reproductive system),
- Ashwagandha (calming & restorative adaptogen, tones uterus),
- Chaste Tree Berry (balances hormones & regulates menstrual cycles),
- Dandelion (detoxifying & balances hormones),
- Milk Thistle (balances hormones, liver cleansing & detoxifying),
- Motherwort (calming, regulates menstrual cycle & improves heart health),
- Red Clover Blossoms and Leaf (blood purifying, detoxifying, improves circulation & may increase cervical mucus),
- Red Raspberry Leaf (regulates menstrual cycle & strengthens uterine wall) and
- Stinging Nettle (calming, detoxifying & strengthens uterine wall).
6. Maca Powder
Studies have shown that consuming Maca powder may have many benefits to women in regulating hormones. It has been consumed by Peruvian women from the Andean highlands for thousands of years to support healthy reproductive function.
However, be careful. Most brands on the market are raw, since it is cheaper to produce. Maca is a cruciferous root vegetable from Peru in the same family as turnips and broccoli. It should NEVER be consumed raw. It should be roasted or gelatinized, before consuming.
You can take a supplement, in capsule or powder form, that has been properly prepared. Another option is to buy raw maca powder that you must roast yourself, in order to make it more bioavailable. Maca, however, should NOT be consumed once a pregnancy is achieved.
7. Essential Oils
Essential oils can be very useful in boosting your fertility. They are most often applied topically or inhaled for benefits. Some essential oils can be ingested, but only if they are of 100% therapeutic grade and specifically direct you to do so.
Although I always recommend using 100% therapeutic grade essential oils, I would not recommend ingesting essential oils, unless directed by a professional. Ingesting essential oils can cause harm to the body internally.
Here is a list of essential oils to consider for fertility:
- Anise Seed (stimulates menstruation),
- Calendula (anti-inflammatory & regulates menstrual cycle),
- Cedarwood (breaks down infertile mucus)
- Chamomile (German or Roman) (anti-inflammatory),
- Clary Sage (regulates hormones),
- Coriander (phytoestrogen & stimulates vaginal lubrication),
- Cypress (reduces painful periods & eases menstrual cramps),
- Damiana (regulates menstrual cycle & enhances libido),
- Eucalyptus (enhances production of cervical mucus),
- Fennel (phytoestrogen),
- Frankincense (calming),
- Geranium (balances hormones & endocrine system),
- Jasmine (eases menstrual cramps & improves libido),
- Lavender (balances endocrine system & regulates menstrual cycle),
- Melissa (Lemon Balm) (anti-inflammatory, calming & detoxifying),
- Myrrh (contains phytoestrogens & regulates menstrual cycle),
- Patchouli (enhances libido),
- Rose Otto (relaxes uterus, regulates menstrual cycle, improves cervical mucus & enhances libido),
- Sweet Marjoram (reduces menstrual cramps),
- Tarragon (calms menstrual pain & regulates erratic menstrual cycles),
- Thyme (may decrease size & number of ovarian cysts),
- Vetiver (reproductive system tonic & aphrodisiac),
- Yarrow (detoxifying & uterine stimulant) and
- Ylang Ylang (energizes reproductive organs, aphrodisiac & balances hormones).
How Should Essential Oils Be Used?
At anytime during the day, you can put a drop or two of your essential oil of choice (mixed with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil) on your feet for increased effectiveness. I often do this just after a bath or before bed. You can also put any of these oils in a diffuser and diffuse the oils at home, at work, or even on the go in your car. Just smelling the scents will enhance your mood.
8. Meditate
As stated above, stress has been known to prohibit fertility. Women who are under constant stress produce prolactin and cortisol, among many other hormones, which can interfere with or block ovulation.
Meditation may be a way to reduce your daily stress and curb cortisol, the stress hormone. If you become less anxious, you may become more in touch with your body and better suited for a pregnancy.
Not only is meditation a good habit to start, but it may also help you control your thoughts, which is the first step in manifesting your pregnancy. One type of meditation practice, called Japa, involves repeating a mantra during meditation. A mantra is a positive word or phrase that you want to manifest in your life that is said over and over during meditation.
You can meditate for just a few minutes a day to start. The amount of time isn’t as important as the amount of awareness you give to your meditation. For added benefits, diffuse some essential oils listed above! And read my article, Learning to Let Go, for more information about relieving stress.
9. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) describes the female reproductive system as a network of energy systems. Each energy system has complementary organs and hormonal responses. This network responds to stress, chemicals, lack of exercise, poor diet and excess emotions, all of which can throw a body “out of balance”.
A TCM practitioner will carefully determine the state of your imbalances and prescribe an individualized program of herbs, acupuncture and diet to help you create a more hospitable environment for a viable pregnancy to occur.
It is advised to get acupuncture for three to six months before results may be seen. During the first three months, sessions may be closer together and move farther apart as hormones become balanced. During this time, stress hormones will decrease, blood flow to the uterus will increase, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis will normalize, all of which will boost fertility.
Acupuncture is extremely effective at correcting hormone imbalances and immunological factors hostile to pregnancy. I believe this was part of my battle. In fact, after six months of having acupuncture treatments, I finally became pregnant.
10. Increase Vitamin D3
Although we often call it a vitamin, vitamin D is actually a hormone. Our bodies make this wonderful hormone when enough sunlight is absorbed in our skin daily. It is responsible for keeping inflammation levels low, preventing depression and boosting our immunity. In fact, vitamin D is essential for fertility. It affects the immune system, which is essential for the brain and fetal development. If the body’s inflammatory response is always in a state of high alert, fertility conditions are prevented from occurring.
According to Dr. Mercola, the optimal vitamin D level is 50-70 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). Mercola believes the best way to obtain an optimal amount of vitamin D is to get it from sun exposure. He summarized the following from his interview with Dr. Stephanie Seneff:
“When you expose your skin to sunshine, your skin synthesizes vitamin D3 sulfate. Unlike oral vitamin D3 supplements (which are unsulfated), sunlight-formed vitamin D sulfate is water soluble. The water-soluble form can travel freely in your bloodstream, whereas the unsulfated form needs LDL (the so-called “bad” cholesterol) as a vehicle of transport. Dr. Seneff’s suspicion is that the oral non-sulfated form of vitamin D may not provide all of the same benefits as the vitamin D created in your skin from sun exposure, because it is not readily converted into vitamin D sulfate.”
How Can I Boost My Vitamin D Naturally?
Despite what you may have heard, the best time to be in the sun is between 10am and 2pm. During this time, UVB rays, the healthy ones that help you produce vitamin D, are the most intense. You need enough sunlight, without wearing sunscreen, to turn your skin pink. This may be only a few minutes, for those with fair skin, or it may take a couple of hours. Once you’ve reached this point, any additional sun exposure will only result in damage to your skin.
However, according to the Westin A. Price Foundation, most of our ancestors obtained vitamin D from their food. They recommend that you supplement with High Vitamin Fermented Cod Liver Oil, which will provide the body with 10,000 IU of Vitamin A and 1,000 IU of Vitamin D daily.
It is essential that you get a 10:1 ratio of Vitamin A and Vitamin D, respectively, so that the body can assimilate the two vitamins effectively. If less Vitamin A is consumed, it will result in a Vitamin D deficiency, and vice versa. However, a diet rich in butter, fat, cheese, egg yolks and livers, all from grass-fed animals, as well as oily fish, may provide us with enough Vitamins A and D naturally.
Should I Take A Vitamin D Supplement?
It is wise to have your blood levels of vitamin D tested before and during supplementation. Dr. Mercola claims that the correct test to order is 25(OH)D – also known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D – because it is the better marker of overall D status.
Vitamin A & D dose recommendations per the Westin A. Price Foundation website are as follows:
There is no way to know if the above recommendations are correct for you personally, as they are only guidelines. The ONLY way to know is to test your blood. You might need four to five times the amount recommended above. Ideally, your blood level of 25(OH)D should be 60ng/ml.
11. Avoid harmful chemicals
Harmful chemicals are found in pesticides, plastics, household cleaners and much more. These chemicals (including hormonal contraceptives) disrupt hormones by mimicking hormones in the body and keeping the body from producing real hormones.
Avoid chemicals by using glass and non-coated metal pans whenever possible. Try not to heat or store foods in plastic. I don’t even recommend drinking water out of plastic bottles. I generally only drink from glass or metal containers. Eat organic foods as often as possible and avoid using chemical cleaners and pesticides. It is also a good idea to try using more natural beauty care products and body care products, like deodorants and lotions made with essential oils.
12. Exercise
When I became pregnant for the second time, my OB/GYN insisted that I walk 2 miles a day, every day. Walking is a great, low-impact, way to get your heart rate up a little. But any way you can get your body moving will increase your chances of pregnancy; even doing housework or walking the dog counts.
Exercise helps organs function properly and balance hormones. In addition, moderate exercise prompts the release of endorphins, which are the chemicals in the brain that elevate your mood and boost your immune system. If you add some music to your work-out, it can cause the release of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that makes you happy. However, avoid intense extended exercise, as this can add to your hormone imbalance issues.
You might also want to be conscious of when you exercise. Cortisol levels are already high in the morning, so exercising before or after breakfast will not only cause adrenal fatigue, but will cause your sex steroid hormones to dip, too. Studies show that it is best to exercise after 5pm for optimal results.
13. Get more sleep
If you are not getting enough sleep, or you are tossing and turning during the night, your body may not be making enough of the leptin hormone. In my post, How I Finally Got Pregnant, I explain that leptin is essential for conception. Not only is it important to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, but it’s also important WHEN you get those hours of sleep.
From 11pm to 3am, we have more NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, which is essential for the restoration and healing of our organs. From 3am to 7am, we are more likely to get REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is characterized by vivid dreams.
Therefore, when we go to sleep late and wake up late habitually, we miss out on the restorative sleep hours. For this reason, following a circadian rhythm (i.e. sleeping when the sun goes down and waking up with the sun) is not only natural, but aids our body in repairing itself.
How Can I Get A Better Night’s Sleep?
Here are some tips for optimizing your rest:
- Keep your bedroom cool,
- Buy blackout curtains and sleep with little (or no) light,
- Wear breathable clothing,
- Use breathable sheets,
- Keep a fan on in your room,
- Sleep with a face mask and ear plugs to block outside noises and blue lights.
- Wear blue blocking glasses after the sun goes down to aid your circadian rhythm.
- Use an alarm clock that does not emit light or sound.
- Keep your cell phone as far away from your head as possible, such as in another room. In addition, you might want to considered storing your phone in an RFID Signal Blocking Bag to reduce EMF signals that are disruptive to your sleep.
Although medical treatment may be necessary in some cases, most couples may be able to boost their fertility with these dietary and lifestyle changes. These changes may also help women dealing with other hormonal problems. I truly hope it does!
What did you do to boost your fertility? Did it result in a successful bundle of joy? Please share below.
Related Articles:
