7 Ways To Boost Your Fertility

7. Ways to Boost Your Fertility :

For any woman eagerly awaiting the results of a pregnancy test, those grueling three minutes can be the longest of her life. A little inside knowledge on improving conception odds and fertility treatments (if necessary), women can tip the scales in their favor.

The following list provides some suggestions on how to improve your overall well-being and boost your fertility to bring you one step closer to turning that negative to a positive.

1.Think Before Drinking

A growing body of research has linked alcohol consumption with a decreased ability to get pregnant (it can also harm a developing fetus). Alcohol alters estrogen levels, which may interfere with egg implantation, although pouring an occasional glass of Pinot with your dinner is unlikely to harm fertility. You should also consider cutting back on caffeine while you try to conceive and during your pregnancy. Although study results have been mixed, research suggests that caffeine affects female hormone levels and may affect how long it takes to get pregnant. The bottom line: If you're thinking about getting pregnant, be a teetotaler and limit your daily java fix to 200 mg of caffeine per day. (That's about one to two cups or 12 ounces of coffee.)

Best Vitamins and Nutrients to Help Conception

2. Maintain a Healthy Diet & Weight

Next time you’re hungry, take a pass on that cheeseburger and French fries and opt for a lighter salad with a lean protein. A recent study led by Dr. Van der Steeg, a medical researcher at the Academic Medical Center in the Netherlands, found that women whose BMI (body mass index) is in the overweight or obese category have a much harder time becoming pregnant.

A normal BMI falls in the range of 18.5 to 24.9. Anything above 25 is considered to be overweight, and over 30 is obese. The results of the study showed that the chance of pregnancy was lowered by four percent for every BMI over 29 when compared to women with a BMI in the 21-29 range. Additionally, women with a BMI between 35-40 had a 23-43% less chance of pregnancy when compared to those in the healthy range.

It’s always a good idea to stay healthy by working out regularly and eating nutritious foods, but especially if you’re trying to conceive. Your body will thank you for it!

3.Say No to Stress

Stress is generally bad for our bodies no matter the circumstance, but it can have an even deeper hindering effect if you’re trying to become pregnant. For women trying to conceive, this can often seem like a Catch-22. They feel stressed because they aren’t pregnant, and as a result, find it difficult to lower their anxiety and stress while trying for a baby.

Courtney Lynch, the director of reproductive epidemiology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, conducted a study measuring the effects of stress on fertility. "Women with higher levels of the stress biomarker had a twofold increased risk of infertility," Lynch said. Approximately 400 couples were involved in the study over a 12-month span, and the results showed that the women with the highest alpha-amylase levels had a 29% less chance of pregnancy when compared to those with low levels.

So next time life becomes too much to handle, take a deep breath and try to relax. Make stress-reducing activities a priority in your daily schedule, just like you would with cooking dinner and walking the dog. And be sure to unwind at the end of each day by doing something that relaxes you and takes your mind away from everything, such as yoga or meditation.

4.Avoid Starbucks & Happy Hour

Let’s face it, most of us need coffee to get going in the morning. It’s like happiness in a cup. Most of us also enjoy going out for cocktails with friends and drinking cold beers in the hot summer sun. But both of these factors could have a negative impact when you’re trying to conceive.

Generally studies suggest that caffeine shows a decrease in fertility, and according to The March of Dimes website, women who want to become pregnant should not consume more than 200mg of caffeine per day. It is important to note that caffeine can be found in various substances like tea, chocolate and some soft drinks.

A study published in Fertility and Sterility found that the chances of becoming pregnant dropped by more than 50% when women reported drinking alcohol while trying for a baby. If you’re opting for a fertility treatment, a recent study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology showed that women who drink at least four alcoholic drinks per week had a 16% less chance of becoming pregnant than their counterparts. Don't be panic and go to the best Gynecologist Near You then every thing will be ok .

It’s good to monitor your intake of these drinks, or just say no to them altogether. Many foods can give you that burst of energy you crave, and there are plenty of yummy non-alcoholic beverages you can try.

5.Put Down the Cigarettes

Nothing positive can be said about smoking and its impact on our health. From the numerous chemicals to the potential of lung cancer, every woman should steer clear of cigarettes. It’s no surprise that they decrease the odds for conception. Chief researcher Dr. Marcus Munafo from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund’s General Practice Research Group, conducted a study showing the connection of smoking to pregnancy based on the results of 569 women who were trying to have a baby. The findings showed that the smokers took nearly two months longer to conceive than the non-smokers.

“This study shows that stopping smoking should be a part of the preconception routine and women should quit as soon as they are thinking about having a baby. The message from this research is that if you want to get pregnant, you will not only improve your chances by quitting, you will also be doing something to protect the health of your child in the long term,” Munafo said.

There are many resources available to help women battle their addiction to cigarettes. If this is something you may be struggling with, think about reaching out to a partner or family member for support.

6.Work Around Your Cycle & Use Ovulation Tests

It’s no secret that women have the best chance of becoming pregnant during ovulation. This 12-24 hour window usually happens anywhere between 12 and 14 days before your period starts, based off of a regular 28-day cycle, and you are most fertile two to three days prior through the first day of ovulation.

It is important to note that sperm can live in the uterus for three to five days, so having sex leading up to ovulation can help. There are many ways to try to pinpoint when you are ovulating. For example, your discharge should turn into the consistency of egg whites and your body temperature will increase. When you notice these changes, it means it’s time to get busy.

But if you want to be sure of ovulation, there are many tests available for purchase so you don’t have to “second guess” yourself. The most common is an ovulation predictor kit (OPK) that gives you positive results the day before you ovulate, giving you ample time to plan. These tests recognize when the levels of luteinizing hormone have gone up, which means an egg is about to be released. Putting a little time into ovulation tracking has a twofold benefit — you increase your own chances of pregnancy by becoming familiar with your body and you understand how it works. Let your partner in on these patterns so they can be prepared when you are.

7.Get Busy Often, But Not Too Often

Many women seem to think that having sex all the time will result in pregnancy. Others believe that doing it rarely and only during specific times will make the sperm more potent. Both of these assumptions are wrong to some extent. It is important to keep having sex regularly, but by no means does this mean you need to exhaust yourself and jump in the sheets at every opportunity.

It’s a good idea to have sex one to two days before ovulation and then again on the day you think you’re ovulating. This will likely result in a healthy supply of sperm waiting in the fallopian tube when the egg is released. A lot of women have difficulty knowing exactly when they’re ovulating, so regular sex helps and often keeps both partners happy. It’s when you start stressing about it and constantly forcing sex that not only leaves couples drained physically, but emotionally as well.

Dr. Manju Patidar is an Obstetrician, Gynecologist in Indore. Has an experience of 10 years in these fields.

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