If you and your partner are ready to bring joy and life to your marriage, then you may be wondering how long it'll take to see your dreams take shape. If, in fact, it seems to be taking longer than anticipated, it may be time to start seeking out natural remedies for infertility.
First, of course, you want to see if you're dealing with infertility at all. But, the truth is, according to the CDC, married women aged 15-49 struggle with infertility. So, sometimes it's a timing thing; other times, it's a signal that something in your body isn't working the way it should.
This is when it becomes important to test the body's hormonal system along with your overall health. Good, healthy diets, exercise, vitamins, and natural supplements can all be used to turn that spare bedroom into a nursery. Below, we've developed an easy-to-digest guide that'll help you map out your journey to parenthood.
Get Tested
First things first. We tell all our patients that, before exploring expensive IVF treatments, you should run a 28-day salivary hormonal panel. This requires about 12 saliva samples that will allow the lab to see what your hormones are doing. We're talking needle-free - and one of our best tips to get pregnant.
Before women can start mapping out their cycles and searching for their fertile periods, it's important to pinpoint precisely what the hormones are up to. Here at our clinic, we also include a reusable ovulation detector with our hormonal panel so you can start to recognize your fertile days.
Examine Your Physical Health
While you're running your hormonal panel, take an honest look at your health. Of course, women in perfect physical fitness can also struggle to get pregnant. But, women in poor health do, indeed, make matters worse.
Eating the right foods can boost the body's immune system and prepare the womb for conception. Aerobic exercise is also important because it gets the blood circulating and improves lung capacity. All this boosts the system's overall health and can increase your odds of getting pregnant.
Be sure to eliminate alcohol, caffeine, and (if advisable) certain prescription medications. Of course, you'll need to talk to your healthcare provider before coming off any regular medicines but there are many prescription medications out there that are harmful during pregnancy.
Learn Your Ovulation Cycle
This takes us back to our hormonal kit. Along with gathering samples for your doctor, you also want to gather all the intel on your body's ovulation. If you have a regular cycle, you may be able to use the calendar method.
In this method, you'll record the first and last day of your cycle on the calendar. If your menstrual period occurs within an average 28-day cycle, then ovulation will most likely occur one day between the 11th and 21st day.
If that seems like a wide window to you (and it kind of is), you can pinpoint things a little bit better with a basal thermometer. Your basal body temperature will spike right after you've ovulated, letting you know it's time.
Another thing to keep track of is your cervical mucus. When your body is ready to start ovulating, you will notice discharge that's wetter and stretchier. If you notice an egg-white color to your discharge, then pull out the basal thermometer because you might be within your window of opportunity.
Change Your Diet
Now, back to that good, hard look at your overall health. It's time to set aside the sugary morning cereals, carb-filled lunches, and the fried dinners.
Food is one of the best natural remedies to get pregnant. Without question, a body in peak physical health is better positioned to enjoy a healthy pregnancy than one with poor gut health, a lack of enemy-fighting antioxidants, and a suffering immune system. Set aside all your favorite treats and line your fridge and pantry with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. Each of these are jam-packed with healthy antioxidants, including the all-important Vitamin C.
Also, take a hammer to all the carbs in your life. Carbs lead to unhealthy weight gain, increased insulin levels, and menstrual irregularity. Insulin is, of course, directly tied to hormonal balance (or imbalance) and the elimination of carbs is a surefire way to achieve a happy end result.
This is why sugar and alcohol are also not recommended for women hoping to conceive. These will, again, spike those insulin levels and you want to maintain a balanced, healthy system while tracking your fertility and making all the right moves.
Understand the Gut/Hormone Connection
Hormones never develop an imbalance "simply because." There's always an underlying issue at hand. This is why testing is so important; it's never wise to just treat the symptom. You want to get to the root of the problem to see what threw your hormones off in the first place.
Two important hormones involved in conception, estrogen and progesterone, play a significant role in the microbiome of your stomach. They impact the rhythmic movement of the intestines. Estrogen increases contractions of the smooth muscle within the intestines while progesterone relaxes the smooth muscle and slows things down.
Simply put, if your gut is off-balance, then your hormones are likely to be off-balance. Therefore, targeting the health of your gut may be just the ticket to bring your hormones to peak performance level.
Consider Prenatal Vitamins
It's not a bad idea to consider taking prenatal vitamins even before you're pregnant. Some women react poorly to certain prenatal vitamins (but it's difficult to know if that's all wrapped up in morning sickness of your vitamin intake). So, giving a trusted brand a try before you're pregnant can help you stick with it throughout your pregnancy.
If your doctor doesn't love this idea, that's okay. You can simply start taking a multivitamin every day. You just want to see at least 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid in your daily dose. This can help to prevent birth defects in your baby's brain and spine. More to the point, the CDC urges all women to take folic acid prior to getting pregnant.
Boost the Sperm Count
Of course, the onus doesn't lie entirely upon the lovely lady. There are many natural supplements that can increase the sperm count of the male partner.
Amino acids are one point for consideration. D-aspartic acid (D-AA) is present in various glands, including the testicles, and is believed to contribute to male infertility. Speaking with your doctor about beginning a D-AA regime may be a great place to start.
A boost in antioxidants can also clean out some of the rubble rolling around in the system due to environmental pollution or a poor diet. Vitamins C and D are great antioxidant boosters. In addition to its free-radical-fighting qualities, some studies have shown that men with a Vitamin D deficiency also have low testosterone levels.
Stamp Out Your Stress
Stress gets a bad rap for overall bodily health. Of course, we know alcohol and narcotics take a toll on the system, but so does stress. In fact, the three are bosom buddies. They each take their toll in different ways and (often) walk hand in hand.
So, what can you do to lower your stress levels? This is the point where patients can no longer fight the urge to do an all-encompassing eye roll, what, with full-time jobs, other family members to care for, and a house to maintain. But, the truth is, if you're looking to get pregnant, you simply must pull those stress levels down from up in the sky.
It's possible a lifestyle change is in the works for you. Getting enough sleep is paramount to a healthy system. Also, going for a daily walk will not only get your heart rate up, but also get those endorphins running to help you ease off the stress accelerator.
If you can schedule in ten appointments a day, then you can also schedule in one additional to-do item. That is, take time to do one thing you enjoy each day. Whether that's prayer, meditation, Bible reading, journaling, or finger painting, you must take this short moment to muffle the buzzing of life. As you're doing it, practice deep breathing, and understand that this small dose of "me time" is actually contributing to future "we" time.
Natural Remedies for Infertility
Functional Medicine doesn't take a blanketed stab in the dark; it puts the issue-at-hand under a microscope and develops a tailored plan that specifically targets what's going on in the body. Masking a problem with medication is rarely the solution.
Another alternative method we love to explore is acupuncture. Did you know some studies show that acupuncture is effective enough to increase the odds of live birth by 30%? It's another holistic approach that, when paired with the lifestyle changes above, can turn your life around.
We invite you to book a free 15-minute phone call today. From there, we can move on to a full consultation and start looking at your hormone profile. Together, we'll explore natural remedies for infertility. Once we put your hormones under the microscope, we'll be able to see the lay of the land and help you bring your dreams to fruition.