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10 Ways to Improve Your Chances of Conceiving
Author: Angela Heidt
One – Adjust Your Diet
What you eat has an important effect on your reproductive system and also impacts your weight. If you are overweight or underweight your body may not be producing enough hormones to ovulate at the right time. It is especially important to include the following:
- Vitamin C: This and other antioxidants are great for both sexes, as they reduce stress on the reproductive organs and increase sperm motility.
- Calcium and Vitamin D: Helps to increase fertility.
- Zinc: Studies have indicated that zinc helps increase testosterone levels, which help improve sperm.
- Iron: Decreases the chance of miscarriage.
Remember to start taking a multivitamin with folate immediately, as this will reduce the chance of birth defects. If you need help with your diet, consider talking to your doctor or find a dietician in your area.
Two – Get Rid of the Bad
Alcohol, caffeine, and other bad habits will only have a negative effect on conception and may even affect a developing fetus. Before you think of conceiving, it is important to significantly cut back or cut out these bad habits:
- Xenoestrogens: This hormone is found on fresh produce, as it is used as a pesticide. Too much of this chemical can affect your body’s hormone levels and can interfere with fertility. Consider switching to organic produce, or at the very least wash your produce thoroughly.
- Alcohol: We all know that alcohol is bad for developing babies, but what you may not know is that alcohol can cut fertility in half and can increase the presence of irregular sperm.
- Caffeine: Too much caffeine can interfere with fertility and is also not good for babies. Start cutting back now to reduce side effects.
It should be obvious, but other bad habits like recreational drugs and smoking are also bad for fertility and your baby, so it’s time to quit. Also, some prescription medications may cause fertility issues, so it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before you try to get pregnant.
Three – Exercise
Exercise is an excellent way to boost fertility, as it cuts back on fat deposits, which can cause too much estrogen to be present in the body. It can also reduce stress, which affects fertility as well. However, one must be careful not to overdo exercise, as this can have a negative effect on fertility as well. Aim for regular exercise, and then slowly increase duration and difficulty. Take your partner along, as exercise is good for him too!
Four – Consider Herbs
Some herbs can improve fertility, but it’s a good idea to consult with a naturopath before you add herbal supplements to your diet to prevent unwanted side effects. These herbs can help with fertility:
- Chasteberry: Works to balance sex hormones by stimulating the pituitary gland.
- Dong Quai: This Chinese herb works to level estrogen levels in the body and also helps improve the odds of a successful implantation.
Five – Invest in a Basal Thermometer
By tracking your body temperature each day you can fairly accurately find out exactly when you are ovulating and improve your chances of conception. There are a lot of helpful articles available that discuss this method in detail, and the longer you track your BBT (Basal Body Temperature), the better chance you will have of a successful conception.
Six – Have Sex Regularly
Ok, this seems obvious. However, some couples make the mistake of “saving up” for ovulation time, when they would be better off having sex at regular intervals. This is because when there are long periods between intercourse the semen becomes old and slow. By keeping sperm fresh with regular intercourse you have a better chance of getting pregnant.
Seven – Have Sex the Right Way
The chances of conception are increased when the sperm is deposited as close to the cervix as possible, as this makes the journey to the egg shorter. Best positions for this are an entry from behind and the missionary position. If you get bored of these, simply try to avoid female on top positions where gravity is hindering the sperm’s journey.
After intercourse, fertility can be increased by lying prone on your back with a pillow under the hips for 20 minutes or so. This also lets gravity help the sperm along and increases cervical mucus, which helps by reducing the amount of work the sperm need to do.
Eight – Try Morning Sex
A man’s sperm count is the highest in the morning; so on the days where you are the most fertile, you may want to start your day off with some nookie. It’s a nice change from the ordinary; plus you don’t have to worry about ‘getting pregnant’ for the rest of the day!
Nine – Get Help (if needed)
Don’t get frustrated if the first few months go by and you’re not pregnant yet. This process takes time for most couples. If you do find that you are still not pregnant after six months, then perhaps it is time to get a professional’s opinion. At the very least they may be able to offer a few pointers to increase your chances, and if that doesn’t work then you can take the next step towards fertility testing.
Ten – Relax!
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