What causes fertility problems?

Pregnancy depends on a number of circumstances unique to every individual. These are the six most common “fertility factors” in women:

1. Ovulation factors: Ovulation factors include anything that can prevent a menstruating woman from ovulating (a.k.a. releasing eggs). Hormonal disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome and hyperprolactinemia, and thyroid problems like hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can affect this.
2. Tubal factors: When the fallopian tubes are damaged or blocked. This is often caused by pelvic inflammatory disease.
3. Uterine factors: The uterus has to be strong enough to carry that bun in the oven for nine months.
4. Peritoneal factor: Peritoneal factor infertility refers to the abdominal lining of the person carrying the baby. Scar tissue and endometriosis can be causes of this type of infertility.
5. Age factor: We hate to admit it, but unfortunately, there is a biological clock for getting pregnant. Don’t shoot the messenger — it’s science! As women get older, particularly past the age of 35, their egg count and egg quality decline. Anyone younger than 35 isn't considered infertile until they've been having unprotected sex for six months to one year without conceiving.
6. Unknown factor: Approximately 10 percent of couples experience infertility with no known cause.

Microbiome imbalance within the gut leads to all of the issues mentioned above. It causes about 99% of disease and dysfunction within our bodies. We can strengthen and balance our microbiomes by eating vegetables, taking probiotics, exercising, and going to bed early.

If you are diagnosed with any of the above, do not fear. There are many ways to increase fertility in women.

How to increase fertility naturally

Most women want to find the easiest possible route to getting pregnant. Usually, that’s by looking for natural ways to increase fertility. There are plenty of scientifically approved ways to increase fertility naturally, without having to recruit the help of a specialist. Applying these small, behavioral, and dietary changes is the best first step to increase fertility.

Know your cycle

When it comes to getting pregnant, timing is everything. So, you and your partner need to make sure you’re having sex when you’re most fertile. And you’re most fertile when you’re ovulating. (Newsflash! That’s the only time in your cycle you can actually make a baby.)

Ovulation is the phase of a woman’s menstrual cycle where the ovary releases an egg. And without an egg, you can’t make a baby. Therefore, your fertile window is anywhere from five days before you ovulate to one day after you ovulate. To increase fertility during a menstrual cycle, knowing the signs of ovulation and when you’re most fertile can increase conception by 30 percent.

Every woman’s menstrual cycle is different. It might take some time to figure out, especially if you’ve been on birth control pills for a long time. Some women have regular 28-day cycles, while some are 21 days, and some even up to 35 days. Remember: your cycle starts on day one of your period, and ovulation usually occurs two weeks after that. For people with regular cycles, fertility increases after their period, with ovulation most commonly occurring 15 days after their period starts.

You can track your ovulation with an ovulation day calculator, over-the-counter ovulation predictor kits, basal body temperature charting, and evaluating cervical mucus.

Does female masturbation increase fertility?

So, you might be asking yourself “how can I increase my fertility during ovulation?” Well, a simple answer might be by having good sex.

A study at University College Cork found that the female orgasm increases fertility. (Mind = Blown.) It found that having an orgasm during sex can increase your chances of getting pregnant by helping with sperm retention. When a woman orgasmed a minute or less before the male ejaculated, there was greater sperm retention. The orgasm helps with fertilization by “sucking” semen into the vagina and helping move it through the uterus and fallopian tubes. With all this being said, the studies still aren’t totally clear on the pregnancy rates from female orgasm. But the chance to increase fertility is certainly higher the more sperm you have.

How to reduce stress and increase fertility

Having sex, and specifically orgasming, increases oxytocin, “the love hormone,” which is known to decrease stress. Decreasing stress is an extremely important way to increase fertility. Studies have shown that women who are stressed take 29 percent longer to get pregnant. This is a bit of a catch-22 because obviously, the process of conceiving can be extremely stressful. There are ways to bring more zen into your life. Here’s how to reduce stress and increase fertility:

• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Daily journaling
• Meditation
• Support/educational groups

Foods that increase fertility in females

Believe it or not, one of the ways to increase fertility in women is food. While there’s no magic diet to help you conceive, what you eat does wonders for your reproductive and overall health. Here are some foods that increase fertility in females.

1. Foods rich in antioxidants

Antioxidants are important molecules that deactivate the radicals in your body that can actually damage egg and sperm cells. Antioxidants, particularly fruits, contain folate and zinc, which are proven to increase your fertility for pregnancy. Antioxidant foods include tomatoes, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, pecans, green tea, dark chocolate, cooked vegetables like kale, artichokes, spinach, and beets.

2. Foods rich in fiber

It’s important to incorporate fiber into your diet because it helps your body get rid of excess estrogen. Since fiber can’t be fully digested, it binds the extra estrogen to the intestines and disposes of it as waste. It has also been proven to increase fertility in women. When women over 32 years old ate 10g more fiber per day, their chance of infertility decreased by 44 percent. Fiber-rich foods include avocado, beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, oats, fruits, and whole grains.

3. High-fat dairy

While we’ve been told that skim milk is the healthiest type of milk, it’s not the healthiest for fertility. So, if you’re not lactose intolerant, you should consider swapping it for organic A2/A2 whole milk instead. A study found that women who consumed one serving (or more) of high-fat dairy per day were 27 percent less likely to be infertile. High-fat dairy includes whole milk or full-fat cheese and yogurt.

What to avoid to increase fertility

Just like you should avoid certain foods when trying to increase fertility, you should steer clear of some substances, as well. Here are some commonly asked questions about things to avoid to increase fertility.

Can stopping smoking increase fertility?

This might go without saying, but you should quit smoking if you want to get pregnant. Besides all the health issues smoking creates, smoking six or more cigarettes per day significantly harms your ability to conceive. So, can stopping smoking increase fertility? The short answer is yes. Fertility rates improve for women who quit smoking one year before trying to get pregnant.

Does giving up alcohol increase fertility?

​​We all know that drinking is a no-no once you’re already pregnant. But you might be wondering, does giving up alcohol increase fertility? You don’t have to give up alcohol altogether, but cutting back will certainly help. Heavy drinking is connected to an increased risk of ovulation disorders as well as quality and quantity issues within the ovarian reserve. Plus, drinking more than eight glasses of booze per week has been proven to make it harder to get pregnant. So, it might be worth significantly cutting back.

Does eliminating caffeine increase fertility?

We know what you’re thinking. (“Not my coffee too!”) But unfortunately, science says that drinking multiple cups of caffeinated beverages can lead to longer conception times. Caffeine can also create a higher risk of miscarriage. One cup of coffee to start your day is totally fine, but try to curb your addiction before trying.

Exercise to increase female fertility

Another way to increase fertility in women is by staying active. For women trying to get pregnant, it’s recommended to exercise five hours or less per week. Working out can help you in many ways. It can increase endorphins to alleviate stress, which we know is harmful to women trying to increase fertility. It can also help you achieve a healthy body weight if you’re over or underweight. But it’s important to know the best exercises to increase female fertility—moderate ones. Too much vigorous exercise can decrease the body’s production of progesterone, which stimulates ovary function. Remember, there is such a thing as overexercising. If you’re used to going hard in the gym, try scaling back on strenuous exercise in favor of these exercises to increase fertility:

• Walking
• Barre
• Tai Chi
• Dancing
• Biking
• Swimming
• Pilates
• Yoga

Does yoga increase fertility?

Yoga is arguably the best exercise to increase fertility for many reasons. Yoga is a workout designed to make you feel relaxed and in tune with your body. It strengthens your body and brings out your inner zen by practicing mindfulness, which can certainly help increase fertility. In fact, yoga has actually been proven to help ease anxiety and women undergoing fertility treatments. A study found that yoga increases the success of ART (assisted reproductive technology) by improving one’s physiological and psychological state. The best yoga exercises to increase fertility include Hatha, Iyengar, and restorative yoga because they are more gentle. Steer clear of Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Bikram yoga.

Vitamins to increase fertility

All of these natural methods can be combined with vitamins and other scientific solutions to increase fertility in women. We may be biased, but we make the best prenatal vitamins to increase fertility. Here are the three vitamins to increase fertility we recommend:

1. Balance Vitamin

The first vitamin you should take to prepare for pregnancy is our Balance Hormone Regulating Berry Drink Mix. It’s how to increase fertility after birth control pills—by resetting your body to rebalance hormones and relieve PMS. It’s also meant to restore your natural menstrual cycle and promote liver and uterine health. Women should drink it for at least two to three cycles for best results.

2. Fertility Support For Her

The next vitamin you should take is Premama Fertility Support For Her to improve egg quality and regulate ovulation. One of its main ingredients is Myo-Inositol, a natural vitamin that helps your body use insulin effectively. It also contains natural folate to decrease the likelihood of birth defects. This unflavoured fertility drink mix is the number-one over-the-counter supplement to increase fertility in women.

3. Prenatal Vitamin

The third vitamin you should take is a high-quality prenatal vitamin. Premama's Prenatal Vitamin is a great option for hopeful mamas-to-be. Formulated with the best quality ingredients like folate, iron, and vegan DHA, it’s easy to swallow, gluten-free, and non-GMO. Now, does taking prenatal vitamins increase fertility? Not exactly, but it gives you the best chance of supporting a healthy fetus. We recommend taking one per day at least three months before trying to conceive.

Drugs to increase female fertility

In some cases, natural ways to increase fertility just won’t cut it. Oftentimes, you’ll also have to visit the pharmacy for drugs to increase female fertility. Here are some common drugs to increase fertility. Of course, you’ll have to discuss getting a prescription for any of the below from your doctor.

Drugs to increase fertility

• Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
• Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
• Intralipids
• Antibiotics
• Tacrolimus (Prograf)
• Prednisone
• Lovenox
• IVIG (Intravenous Immunoglobulin)
• Filgrastim (Neupogen)
• Antihistamines
• Orlissa
• Aspirin (low-dose)

Fertility treatments

Depending on your case, some fertility procedures might be necessary. In fact, 33 percent of Americans have used fertility treatments or know someone who has. See? Using treatments to increase fertility is totally normal.

Common treatments to increase fertility

• Egg Freezing is a procedure to conserve a woman’s eggs when they are at their healthiest. Women tend to do this as they get older since egg quality decreases with age.
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a process to mature the eggs for fertilization. The process includes retrieving the eggs, mixing them with sperm, and implanting them into the uterus. It takes several steps over the span of several months and often takes several rounds.
• Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is a procedure to facilitate a natural pregnancy. Once sperm is collected, a doctor implants them directly into the uterus so they can fertilize with the eggs.
• Endometrial Receptivity Analysis (ERA) is an endometrium biopsy to uncover the best way to implant and grow an embryo.
• Hysteroscopy is a procedure to discover the cause of abnormal bleeding in the uterus that might be causing fertility issues.
• Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure where your doctor looks at a woman’s pelvic cavity, ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes. This way, they can diagnose what exactly is preventing pregnancy.

Go make a baby

So there you have it, a complete guide on how to increase fertility in women. Fertility is a complicated subject, and there is no one size fits all approach to increase fertility. As you now know, you can boost your fertility both naturally and through medical means. A combination of the lifestyle changes above can drastically improve your chances. Changing your sex life, diet, exercise routine, vitamins, and medications, you have a pretty good shot at increasing fertility.

Be sure you consult your doctor throughout the whole process to make sure each method is right for you.