Improve Fertility Naturally
Written By: Dr. Brenda Heinecke, PT
When couples decide to start growing their family, there are several things that can be done beforehand to improve fertility naturally. By doing this, it increases your chances of conceiving as well as preparing your body for the large undertaking of being pregnant. The body needs to be well-nourished, have healthy blood flow, low levels of inflammation and optimal pelvic health in order to truly optimize fertility. Beyond just preparing your body for pregnancy, it’s also imperative to understand your cycle and know where your window is for conceiving. So if you want to improve fertility naturally to prepare for conception, then follow our top tips below!
1. Understand Your Cycle
While it is true that you can get pregnant at any time, it oftentimes is not that easy for couples looking to conceive. In fact, understanding your cycle in order to improve fertility naturally can be more difficult than you may think. Conception can only occur during the ovulation phase of the menstrual cycle which can be anywhere from day 12-18 on average, depending on your cycle. The most important piece of information to understand about your cycle if you’re #TTC, is to know if you’re even ovulating! Some of the signs include increased basal body temperature, the presence of ‘egg-white’ cervical mucus, and possibly brief lower abdomen discomfort.
Ovulation can be disrupted if you’re under lots of stress, poor diet, or even muscle and fascial restrictions within the pelvis and abdomen. Another thing to keep in mind is that if your cycle is longer than 35 days, it is highly unlikely that you are ovulating. Start by tracking your cycle, taking your temperature first thing in the morning to watch for a spike and use the over-the-counter ovulation strips to see if you are getting a spike in the hormone that causes ovulation.
2. Make Sure your Pelvic Floor is Happy
Your pelvic floor plays a vital role in your reproductive health! The pelvic floor muscles and the nearby organs (like the uterus and ovaries) need good blood flow and mobility in order for them to function their best. There are many reasons that dysfunction can happen in the pelvic floor, but some of the most common ones we see are stress, inability to relax the pelvic floor muscles, and weakness in the stabilizing muscles of the pelvis. These causes all lead to overactivity (or tightness) in the pelvic floor muscles, which leads to pain and dysfunction.
A tight pelvic floor can also make having sex less enjoyable and possibly even painful--which is a problem when you’re trying to conceive! Women can also experience pelvic congestion where blood flow and fluid gets trapped in the pelvis and doesn’t drain, leading to poor circulation and tissue health. Working with a Pelvic Floor Specialist to improve function and blood flow to the area with hands-on techniques will help reduce dysfunction in your pelvic floor.
3. Clean Up Your Diet
What we put into our bodies influences how we feel and function. With a diet that is high in processed and inflammatory foods, our bodies tend to end up in a state of chronic inflammation. This can send signals to your reproductive system that the body is too overwhelmed to ovulate or to develop a healthy embryo. Studies show that some of the most inflammatory foods are alcohol, wheat, dairy, added sugar, and vegetable oils. In order to improve fertility naturally, it is best to eliminate or minimize these foods (especially added sugar) in oder to decrease inflammation in the body. Ideally, consuming less than 25 grams of added sugar a day will help lower inflammation and improve your fertility.
It’s also important to mention that this also goes for men. Studies have shown that poor nutirition and increased inflammation can affect male fertility and the health of the sperm so do it together and try to avoid some of these inflammatory foods.
4. Manage Your Mental and Physiological Stress
Surviving a pandemic for over two years, working long hours at your job, making sure the house is clean, having a social life, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night is enough to make anyone feel more than a little stressed. However, these life stressors can have a detrimental effect on fertility if not managed well. “Eliminating stress” is not realistic since stress is part of our everyday life.
However, it is vital to have a balance between stress and recovery to allow your body to function at its best. When there is too much stress, you can end up in a chronic state of inflammation which we know decreases fertility. Stress also has a way of manifesting in the body, which can cause issues like increased pelvic floor tone, fascial restrictions, and pain- all of which can impact the function of the reproductive system. Try a walk over lunch, some deep breathing on your way home or journaling as a way to build in times of recovery into your day.
5. Detoxify Your Liver
It is completely normal to be exposed to chemicals and toxins throughout our life. However, the buildup of these compounds as a result of issues like constipation, no exercise, or poor diets, can impact your hormone balance and fertility. Liver metabolism is essential to clear the buildup of toxins within the body. Eating healthy food, drinking filtered water, and following a detoxification protocol provided by your pelvic floor physical therapist or physician can help support your liver to excrete the buildup of chemicals and toxins. This is something that is important to do BEFORE you get pregnant as we don’t want to introduce any of the toxins to the fetus!
6. Make Sure Your Vaginal Health Is In Check
Vaginal health is crucial for good fertility because it is a major part of the conception process! The vagina is where the sperm start to make their way toward the egg, but if the vagina’s environment is less than ideal- the sperm won’t make it very far. A normal vaginal pH of 3.8-4.5 is the optimal range for the vagina to prevent bad bacteria and other issues in the area. However, any change in vaginal pH can make it impair sperm motility, meaning the sperm can’t make it to the egg.
Overwashing the vulva, antibiotics, low estrogen, and menstrual blood are some things that can disrupt the vaginal pH. If you’re someone who has frequent UTIs or yeast infections, pH could be a factor that is causing issues and preventing you from getting pregnant! You can check your vaginal pH with at-home test strips to see how healthy your vaginal environment is.
All of these considerations will help you improve fertility naturally as you take the first steps toward growing your family! Looking for more solutions? Download our free “Optimizing Fertility Checklist” here for even more tips if trying to conceive.