Did you know that over 6 million people in the United States alone struggle with conceiving a child? Simply put, one in six couples are facing impaired fertility. An additional 4million couples have sought infertility services when trying to conceive. There are a number of reasons that may be contributing as to why a couple cannot become pregnant. Male or female factors may be involved, or a combination of both. Whatever the cause, infertility is a lonely, frustrating, and heart-wrenching journey for any couple going through it. Everyone deserves the chance to experience having a child of their own. Luckily, struggling with infertility is not the end all be all, and there is hope!  

First off, we need to define exactly what constitutes a woman as being infertile. Infertility means no conception after one year of intercourse in a woman less than 35 years of age, while not using any form of contraception. In women 35-40 years old, infertility is defined as after 6 months of trying to conceive, and over 40, after 3 months of trying. These numbers can be daunting for many women who hope to one day become pregnant, or are currently trying without success.

           Whether you are currently trying to get pregnant, or plan on having children in the future, there are steps you can take now to work towards a more fertile state.The first step you ask? Making the proper dietary changes! Dietary changes are essential to not only conceiving a child, but to also maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Women have an increased chance of becoming pregnant without complications when they take the following steps. The first step is to increase the intake of daily fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Some of the best fresh fruits for fertility include grapes, berries, bananas, plums, figs, and apricots. Vegetables associated with fertility include yams, sweet potatoes, asparagus, zucchini, and eggplant. It is also essential to decrease the intake of animal protein in the forms of processed, non-organic, and hormonally loaded meats. Deli meats should also be avoided as much as possible. They are loaded with chemicals like nitrites!

           Next, we want to include the right kind of fats! Our body’s fat cells are responsible for the production of estrogen. This is why being underweight can actually hinder your chances for becoming pregnant! At the same time, having too much body fat will also decrease your chances. We need to maintain a healthy weight, and produce the right amount of estrogen. To do this, we must increase our intake of monosaturated omega 3 rich foods, and DECREASE our intake of trans fats, which are loaded with omega 6. Healthy monosaturated fats include avocado, walnut, salmon, and olive oil.

           A few other tidbits, first lower those high glycemic carbohydrates in the forms of processed sugar, breads, and pastas! Instead work to replace these nutritionally deficient foods with the consumption of good complex carbs such as quinoa, nuts, seeds and oatmeal. These foods are loaded with fiber, keep us fuller longer, and boost our metabolism. Lastly, we want to increase our intake of iron rich foods. Anemia has been clearly associated with infertility throughout the years. Iron rich foods include black strap molasses, spinach, broccoli, kale, green beans, kidney beans, and lentils.

           Now that we have made some dietary changes, what comes next? Lifestyle changes! First up, we need to incorporate exercise,movement, and getting off the couch. Obesity has been clearly correlated in many studies with not only making it harder to become pregnant, but with a slew off other problems even while being pregnant. Complications include gestational diabetes, fetal anomalies, C-section’s, and so forth. Exercise will help regulate estrogen production, boost metabolism, and burn fat.

Next lifestyle change? Ditch the caffeine! I was torn between including this in the dietary section or here. Caffeine is more of a habit for a lot of people and studies show it actually diminishes the chance for a woman to become pregnant. If you cannot give up the caffeine, at least get rid of the sugar and creamer in your coffee, OR, switch to a healthier caffeinated beverage such as matcha tea. Matcha tea is a green tea with the whole leaves infused. This tea is anantioxidant powerhouse keeping us healthier, helping us to burn fat, and working to improve our energy.  

           It is imperative that we also reduce risk factors that disrupt our hypothalamus from working properly. Our hypothalamus is the main control center of our brain, regulating homeostasis. Factors that may affect the hypothalamus include stress, excessive exercise, eating disorders, tobacco, and extremes of weight. It is vital to reduce stress on our body while trying to conceive a child. This includes physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual stressors. Excessive exercise could be considered a physical stressor, while depression or anxiety can be placed in the emotional/mental category. Our stress hormone, cortisol, has actually been shown to have an inhibitory effect on the reproductive system.

           Women struggling with infertility almost always put a significant level of stress on themselves. Having a spiritual foundation to fall back on can help a woman to release some of this tension in her body. Other forms of stress reduction may include therapy, acupuncture, meditation, and yoga. Detoxification programs are also highly useful for the body to repair and regenerate, after a stressful period. Even simple tasks such as taking a bath before bad, or reading a book, can help decrease the stress toll! Little changes add up.

           The final step to increase fertility is supplementation. Unfortunately much of the food we eat today is nutritionally deficient and synthetically made. We do not get all the essential vitamins and minerals from diet alone. Supplementation is needed and cannot be overlooked. First and foremost, women should be on a prenatal multi-vitamin when trying to conceive. Carrying a child is taxing on the body and requires a mother’s nutrients so the child can undergo a healthy development. A prenatal gives the body those extra nutrients to provide for both the child and the mother.

           Other nutritional deficiencies and medical conditions have also been shown to have a negative impact on fertility and pregnancy. Comprehensive blood work should be done to check for these anomalies. Nutritional deficiencies include Vitamin D, B12 magnesium, and selenium. Hormones including estrogen, progesterone,testosterone, FSH/LH, and prolactin must also be examined, because a discrepancy will impact a woman’s ovulation cycle. Medical conditions associated with infertility include thyroid disorders, adrenal dysfunction, celiac disease, and disorders at the pelvic level including PCOS and endometriosis. If a woman is struggling with becoming pregnant, all of these conditions must be properly worked up and addressed. Whatever the problem maybe, there are many different supplements and herbs that can work to improve uterine blood low, restore hormonal levels, and increase fertility!

A Naturopathic doctor who specializes in Women’s Health and fertility is a great tool to begin making changes to support your chances on becoming pregnant. We work to increase this chance by getting to the root cause, prevention and supporting the healing power of the body. We work at the deepest level and make sure to treat the whole person, physical, mental, and emotional. One of my goals is to help anyone struggling with infertility experience the joy of having a child of their own!

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