Naturally Boosting Fertility

Fertility:  natural capability to produce offspring/conceive

Infertility: inability to conceive after one year of timed, unprotected intercourse

In the United States, about 6% of women have trouble conceiving within a year of trying and 12% of women have difficulty carrying a pregnancy to term. 

But what about the in between? It seems like we spend our entire lives trying to PREVENT pregnancy and then (after careful thought) decide we are ready to conceive. Yet the average length of time it takes to conceive in the United States is 4-6 months and that is referring to “healthy couples”. The waiting game can be tough, I know! As you embark on your fertility journey, I encourage you to focus on how you can get yourself as healthy as possible- mentally, emotionally, and physically. 

What variables impact fertility? 

• Age: although I should specify BIOLOGICAL age not CHRONOLOGICAL age. In the United States, it is thought your chances to naturally conceive are reduced after the age of 35 years old. However, I really believe that is based on our biological age and if we focus on our health and longevity, age may not be the same barrier. I have had women naturally conceive and have healthy deliveries in their 40s. 
• Weight: Being underweight or overweight can impact fertility. Body fat is crucial for hormone production. If you are too lean or have too low of body fat %, you may have low hormones which negatively impact your ability to conceive. The same is true if you are overweight or obese, you may have more inflammation and hormonal imbalances. The magic number for women is 18-28% body fat- want to know where you stand? Come get a body comp scan at STAT Wellness!
• Blood sugar regulation: insulin resistance can increase your risk of developing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome which impacts fertility. PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in childbearing women affecting 10% of us. This “syndrome” can cause anovulatory cycles (or cycles where you don’t ovulate)- if you don’t ovulate you can’t conceive. Having optimal blood sugar control also influences our adrenal hormones and progesterone levels. 
• Stress: sooooo critical! Who doesn’t have stress in the US? However, chronic, poorly managed stress can increase cortisol and decrease progesterone (also known as our pregnancy hormone) 
• Estrogen dominance: I see this more and more in practice due to our obesity epidemic (fat cells make and store estrogen), genetics, gut dysfunction, stress (hello low progesterone), sedentary lifestyle, not consuming enough cruciferous vegetables, etc
• Thyroid imbalances: I am not just referring to hypothyroidism but also a “sluggish” thyroid. Having optimal thyroid levels is very important to conceiving and maintaining optimal thyroid levels. Don’t settle for “normal” when trying to conceive. 
• Inflammation: it really is the root of all diseases and can negatively impact our bodies ability to conceive and YES I am referring to chronic low grade inflammation, not acute inflammation (we want that!)

Important labs to test: 

• Thyroid levels (TSH, T4 free, T3 free at a minimum) 
• Fasting glucose
• Anti-Mullerian Hormone to look at ovarian reserve
• FSH and LH to see how your brain is talking to your ovaries
• Estrogen and Progesterone
• Cortisol (stress hormone) and DHEA (important for egg quality) 
• Folate – important for neural tube health once you do conceive
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids (specifically DHA) to improve brain health 

Quick steps to increase fertility

1. Prioritize sleep and self care: YES this really is important for hormone balance. Aim for 7.5-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and do something that LIGHTS you up daily to help with cortisol regulation
2. Eat a diet rich in vegetables and fruits: all the colors of the rainbow to help with antioxidant levels but specifically rich in cruciferous vegetables that is rich in DIM to help with estrogen metabolism 
3.  Keep your blood sugar stable: this is not a time to do intense intermittent fasting or majorly drop your carbs – that can place more stress on your adrenals and cause hormonal imbalances
4. Exercise enough but not too much: I recommend a blend of strength training, walks, and some short burst of intervals to get your heart rate up! Not the best time to train for marathon or overly push your body, again places stress on adrenals 
5. Take a good quality prenatal and make sure it has methylated B vitamins in it in case you have MTHFR or other methylation SNPs that impact your utilization of nutrients. I love Metagenics Plus One prenatal for a great all in one- it is a lot of pills but you can divide them up throughout the day with each meal!

Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you have! I love to hear from YOU!

Dr. Kristin Oja, DNP