How to Improve your Fertility

So you’ve decided to travel the journey of trying to conceive? Congratulations! Here are the top 5 things the Virginia Center for Reproduction recommends you do to boost your fertility and get pregnant sooner!

1) Eat a Balanced Diet

Your diet is very important when you are trying to get pregnant. Choose whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids (like salmon). Also, avoid foods consisting of trans fats. For more information about a healthy fertility diet, click HERE 

2) Avoid Pesticides

Pesticides are chemicals used to kill bugs and weeds that threaten crops. However, studies are revealing that the men who ate the most pesticide-treated foods had both lower sperm count and lower sperm quality. It is believed there is a decrease in male fertility but pesticides could also impact female fertility by hindering ovarian function and causing inconsistent menstrual cycles.  When you are trying to conceive, it is best to eat organic fruits and vegetables 

3) Watch your drinks

Drinking too much caffeine or alcohol can impact a woman’s fertility. Relax, moderate amounts of caffeine is ok! Experts believe that if you keep your caffeine intake to less than 250 milligrams a day (one to two eight ounce cups of coffee) your fertility will not be affected. As for alcohol, studies find mixed results. Alcohol is known to alter estrogen and progesterone levels. Excessive alcohol consumption can restrict a woman’s ovulation and cause abnormalities with the endometrial lining. We recommend stopping ANY alcohol intake before you start planning to conceive.

4) Stay Calm

Trying to conceive can be stressful and even cause conflict with your partner. Cortisol (the stress hormone) can negatively impact your reproductive system. Be sure your life is balanced; you have a stress relief activity, monitor your emotions and have FUN trying to get pregnant

5) Know your cycle

Track your ovulation by the calendar method-assuming ovulation occurs 14 days before your menstrual cycle is due or using an ovulation predictor kit. Pregnancy is most likely to occur with intercourse within three days before ovulation

If you find difficulty in the process of trying to conceive we welcome you to partner with the Virginia Center for Reproduction Medicine. We would be honored to help you achieve your dream!