Fertility Health for Women
For many couples, trying to conceive isn’t always fun and games. Instead of being able to enjoy your sexual experiences together, you find yourself getting stressed out while doing the calculations to figure out when your most fertile time is.
Adding to your frustrations is the fact that, after months of trying and having sex like clockwork when during ovulation, you are still not pregnant. But taking charge of your fertility means more than just having sex. It means making sure you are in the best possible health.
Shaping Up
Staying healthy is always important for your general well-being. But when you’re trying to conceive, it is doubly important. One of the major causes of infertility is poor health. And this encompasses everything, from your diet to your general lifestyle.
Numerous factors can inhibit fertility but many others can increase fertility. One of the easiest ways to enhance your chances of getting pregnant is by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. Think of it as a natural fertility treatment. Eating a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy and protein products will not only help you feel better and give your more energy, but it will also provide you with the nutrients you need to keep your body, and your reproductive system, functioning properly.
If you eat a lot of take-out and processed food, it’s a good idea to at least cut back, if not cut these foods out altogether. Generally, they offer little nutritional value and are loaded with fat and empty calories.
Exercise Three Times A Week
Another great way to kick-start your fertility is through exercise. Exercising at least three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time can help you maintain your weight, feel better about yourself and boost your body’s normal functions. Cardiovascular exercise will help get your blood circulating, which in turn gets the blood flowing through your reproductive system, encouraging regular ovulation and normal hormone levels.
Build Muscle
Strength training may not sound glamorous, but it has many benefits. Building muscle helps increase your bone density and that will come in handy later in life by preventing osteoporosis. For women worried that added muscle will make them look more like a body builder than a future mom, rest assured that lifting weights will help tone your body and actually make you appear slimmer.
But most importantly, for women trying to get pregnant, turning some of your fat into muscle will make it easier for your body to carry a pregnancy. However, be careful not to overdo it. Exercising too much can lead to excess weight loss, which in turn can lead to amenorrhea, or a lack of menstruation. And if you don’t have your period, there is little chance that you will get pregnant. Your body needs to have at least 22% body fat on it in order for your menstrual cycle to remain normal.
Having too much weight can also hinder your reproductive system from functioning normally and alter hormonal levels. If you are overweight, consider loosing some weight before you start trying to conceive. Many couples have found that they quickly became pregnant once one or both partners lost weight.
Getting Healthy
Smoking and alcohol use are well known as being no-no’s for pregnant women but did you realize that they are also no-no’s for those trying to get pregnant? While an occasional drink won’t make much difference, regular heavy drinking (three drinks a day or more) or binge drinking is one cause of infertility. If you have problems with alcohol, it is best to seek help before you get pregnant.
Smoking can also hamper your efforts to get pregnant, even if you only have a few cigarettes a day. To enhance your fertility, it is best to completely quit. Additionally, using narcotics, even just occasionally, can interfere with your reproductive system. Cutting them out altogether is the best way of increasing fertility. Caffeine is also not good for a woman trying to get pregnant, so limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day.
Is Your Period Regular?
The menstrual cycle is generally considered to be a marker of female health and a normal cycle is essential to getting pregnant. Women who have irregular periods or no period at all should take this as a sign that all is not well down below. However, the reasons for an abnormal menstrual cycle can vary. Diabetes and thyroid disorders, along with a host of other chronic health problems, often interrupt ovulation; and the medications used to treat the disorders can result in irregular menstrual cycles.
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are particularly damaging to a female’s reproductive system and can cause scarring to various organs. Past abdominal or pelvic surgery can also result in adhesions. Even if your menstrual cycles are regular, this scarring can prevent conception or implantation from taking place. Unfortunately, it is unlikely you will know of any scarring until you start experiencing fertility problems.
The World Around You
Perhaps you already follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, rarely indulge in alcohol and have never had surgery or an STI. Yet pregnancy just still isn’t happening for you. Have you considered looking in your workplace for possible exposure to toxins? All workplaces have some sort of toxins but some have more than others. Of course, toxins aren’t limited to just the workplace. Exposure to harsh chemicals, like radiation and even pesticides, can have an impact on female infertility. Certain toxins, like chemical solvents, can increase a woman’s chances of miscarriage once she gets pregnant.
The Age Factor
While it is well known that conceiving grows increasingly difficult after age 35, few women ever hear that even by 30 your fertility starts to decline. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you must be done having children by the time you’re 30. In fact, it is not until age 40 that conceiving becomes markedly difficult, although still entirely possible. So why do you start to lose your fertility? The reason for the decline lies in your eggs.
Just as your body ages on the outside, so do your organs on the inside. As you get older, the quality of your eggs begins to wane. This is what makes it tricky to get pregnant and is the cause of increased birth defects. However, following a well-balanced diet and leading a healthy lifestyle can help improve your chances of becoming pregnant.
When To Seek Help
Couples who have been trying to conceive for a year with no success should make an appointment with an infertility specialist. If you are over 40, then make an appointment after six months of trying.
Infertility specialists will use a series of tests to determine just what the problem is. The tests will involve examining your fallopian tubes, uterus and studying the quality of your eggs. It is important that your partner also be investigated as it is just as likely that the fertility problem lies with the male.
If you do find yourself pregnant then start researching the best baby products and check out what other parents have to say about certain baby products. Learn about the best baby strollers and more!
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