Contributed by: Healthians Team
Introduction
The road to parenthood can be exciting, but it’s also a time of uncertainty and frustration for many couples. Sometimes it can be a huge challenge.
As we enter a new year, it’s important to remind yourself that you’re not alone in those challenges and there are a number of things you can do to help boost your reproductive health.
Although it’s true that there are many areas of reproductive health that you cannot control, there are some areas where you can make smart choices to increase your chances of getting pregnant faster.
Check out these changes that will help you skip the frustrating parts of trying to conceive — and help you optimise your fertility in 2022 as fast as possible.
Healthy lifestyle choices can help you promote fertility. Take steps to:
Get fit
A sedentary lifestyle is linked to infertility and getting fit is important to boost your fertility.
This is due to the fact that the quantity of fat accumulated in your body has an impact on menstrual function.
Obesity is linked to not just a lack of ovulation and menstruation irregularities, but also to a lack of egg development.
Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight or significantly underweight can affect the health of your eggs and result in pregnancy complications.
Being too far on either side of a healthy body mass index can inhibit normal ovulation.
Work with your healthcare provider to maintain a healthy weight.
Be wary of over-exercise
Women who indulge in too much strenuous exercise sometimes find that it interferes with their menstrual cycle, which can be bad for fertility.
Too much intense physical activity can cause excessive tiredness, suppress ovulation and reduce the production of the hormone progesterone.
If you’re thinking of becoming pregnant soon, consider cutting back on super high-impact workouts that might hinder conception.
Eat healthy food
Stick to a healthy, balanced diet to boost your fertility and overall reproductive health.
Several studies have indicated that foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are packed with beneficial antioxidants that enhance your chances of conception.
Stay away from processed meats and a diet high in refined carbs and trans fat as this may increase the risk of infertility and make it harder to get pregnant.
Add a multivitamin
For women trying to get pregnant, taking a multivitamin supplement containing folate may be especially beneficial to improve fertility rates.
Consult your doctor about supplements including any multivitamins that could help get you closer to pregnancy.
Avoid the night shift, if possible
Regularly working the night shift or rotational shifts might put you at higher risk of diminished quality and quantity of eggs.
Working at night can impact your circadian rhythm, resulting in hormonal imbalances which can be detrimental to reproductive health.
Consider minimizing stress
Anxiety over fertility is totally normal. However, prolonged stress may make it more difficult to conceive due to the hormonal changes that occur when you feel anxious.
So practice healthy coping methods — such as yoga and meditation techniques — when you’re trying to conceive.
Don’t smoke
Tobacco use is known to reduce fertility in men and women. Smoking impacts blood supply to the ovaries and results in the depletion of your eggs prematurely.
Limit your alcohol intake
Cutting back alcohol as soon as possible is recommended; heavy drinking is associated with an increased risk of ovulation disorders.
If you’d like to get pregnant, consider avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol or stop the intake entirely.
Curb caffeine
To improve your chances of getting pregnant, consider limiting your caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to about two cups of coffee.
If you live in an extra-caffeinated state, it is recommended that caffeine intake should be cut back.
Avoid exposure to toxins
Research demonstrates that exposure to environmental pollutants and toxins — such as pesticides, dry-cleaning solvents and lead — can adversely influence the fertilized egg and development of the fetus.
Avoid reheating food in plastic containers before enjoying your favourite dishes. This lowers your estrogenic exposure, which can impair your fertility.
Final thoughts
If you’re thinking about becoming pregnant, it’s important that you begin making healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices that can impact your fertility — both in the short and in the long term.
But don’t let stress and worry get you down as it’s perfectly normal not to get pregnant immediately.
Have a candid conversation with your doctor if you’re concerned about the impact of your lifestyle choices on your fertility.
He or she can help you identify the best choices for you to improve your fertility and boost your chances of getting pregnant.
