Simple Lifestyle Changes to Boost Fertility

It really is amazing how many factors affect fertility. You can take hold of some of those factors [...]

It really is amazing how many factors affect fertility. You can take hold of some of those factors by making simple adjustments to your lifestyle, which, when trying to conceive, will pave the way for a healthy baby to be created. Ensuring that your body is healthy enough in its fertility will be the first step in ensuring you have a beautiful, healthy baby! Put your baby-making power into overdrive with these tips!

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Manage your weight. Too much or too little body fat can affect a woman's reproductive system. Overweight women produce more androgens, estrogen and insulin, which combined prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs. Underweight women have low levels of leptin, a weight-regulation hormone. When the leptin levels are too low, it tells the brain that there is not enough fat available to reproduce, halting ovulation. Regular exercise with healthy meals should be the answer!

Avoid artificial lubricants. Although lubricants are fun and exciting to use in the bedroom, they're not so helpful when you're trying to conceive. Certain lubricants inhibit the motility of sperm. A study done by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas found that a number of commercial lubricants were toxic to sperm.

>> Use technology to your advantage. Check out these apps that track your fertility!

No smoking, alcohol or drugs. Numerous studies have been conducted on the correlation between smoking and reproduction, and the main conclusions have always been that smoking has a negative impact on fertility because of how nicotine affects the luteinizing hormone. Cigarette toxins have been shown to interfere with the ovary's ability to produce estrogen and cause a woman's egg to be more prone to abnormalities. Because women's bodies metabolize caffeine and alcohol differently, the jury is still out on how those really affect the reproductive system. But as a baseline precaution, most doctors advise women who are trying to conceive to stay away from alcohol and prescription drugs altogether.

no smoking for fertility

Relax. A normal body responds to stress every day. But the more stressed out you feel, the less healthy your body will be, resulting in a lower chance of conception. Exactly how stress affects fertility is not completely understood, but one study showed that women with higher levels of a stress-related enzyme, alpha-amylase, had a 29 percent lower probability of conceiving compared to women with the lowest levels of that same enzyme. Make sure to find time throughout your day to take the edge off and truly focus on creating a relaxed environment for your body.

>> Read more about how stress affects fertility here.

Evaluate your environment. It's important to consider what types of pollutants you come in contact with every day. Pollutants and toxins can alter your immune system, which can then alter your menstruation cycles. A variety of pollutants exists in our environment and disrupts our endocrine system and our production of hormones. Rethink where and what you come in contact with to protect your body against harmful chemicals.

chemicals on label

Say sayonara to trans fats. These types of fats were found to be associated with increased infertility. Trans fats make it harder for the body to react to insulin, which could lead to irregular ovulation. Natural Fertility Info says that with every four grams of trans fats eaten instead of omega-6 fatty acids, the risk of fertility issues doubles!

Hop into bed on the right days. Identify your "fertile window" in regards to your menstruation cycle. Ovulation occurs about two weeks before your next period; so if your cycle is usually 28 days, you ovulate around day 14. The likelihood of becoming pregnant increases when you have intercourse in the three days leading up to and including your ovulation. Women having sex during those important days in her cycle have a 27-33 percent chance of becoming pregnant.

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Position could help. The longer you can keep seminal fluid near the cervix, the more sperm will be in the right location to fertilize the egg. While there isn't a whole lot of research to back this one up, it can't hurt to keep the sperm in the right place for as long as possible. The missionary position is your best bet to get the sperm to the top of the vagina, and afterwards, pull a husband move and fall asleep. Gravity will hold the sperm in position!

>> Do it often to increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Try this 7 Days of Sexy Challenge!

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