Optimizing Health & Fertility to Get Pregnant Naturally
Preparing for pregnancy can be both exciting and frustrating. We now want to help you on your way to increase your chances of becoming successfully pregnant naturally.A first basic thing that is important to understand about infertility is that it is 50% caused by the woman and the man respectively. Even though this post now focuses on you as a woman, it can be comforting to understand that you are two on this journey.
Another important principle to understand is that there is a connection between your general health and your fertility, so even general health plays an important role in your chances of success. Health areas that are important for preparing your body for a successful pregnancy are the menstrual cycle, blood sugar and stress effects, inflammation levels, nutritional status, hormonal health including thyroid health - all of which affect your health and fertility in different ways.
What does the Menstrual Cycle say about Your Fertility?
Reproduction is the main purpose of the menstrual cycle. Each month, with regular menstruation, we get ovulation in the body's hope for fertilization and the possibility of pregnancy.
A regular and symptom-free menstrual cycle is often a sign of good reproductive health. Irregular or absent menstruation, as well as cyclical symptoms, can be signs of underlying problems that can negatively affect your fertility. Examples of underlying factors are high blood sugar and stress, inflammation, nutritional deficiencies, and hormonal health, which also includes the thyroid. Mapping your cycle can help you identify your most fertile period (so you're not trying blindly) and it can also help us understand if you need a more thorough health evaluation.
If needed, an in-depth health test also helps you understand your physiological prerequisites for fertility in depth, with personal insights into what you can do to increase your chances of a successful pregnancy.
Health Status & Impact on Fertility
Inflammation and Fertility
We now know that chronic inflammation can have a negative impact on fertility and that anti-inflammatory activities such as a diet rich in omega-3 fats and moderate exercise help us lower inflammation levels.
Blood Sugar and Reproductive Health
Stable blood sugar levels contribute to balanced hormone production. Diabetes or insulin resistance has been shown to affect the menstrual cycle and can also affect the quality of ovulation. A rule of thumb to improve your situation here can be to avoid fast carbohydrates and use biohacks for carbohydrate management or take a short walk after meals.
The Impact of Stress on Fertility
Stress is a common factor that affects - not least when we encounter setbacks during the fertility journey. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol can disrupt hormonal balance and, like blood sugar, negatively affect ovulation.
Activities to reduce stress depend on your situation, and may include self-love, prioritization, sleep and recovery, as well as moving your body up to moderate-intensity activity level. Stress can also arise from internal causes such as nutritional deficiencies.
The Importance of Nutritional Status
The body needs nutrition to carry out its reproductive process, which means that your nutritional status directly affects your fertility. Nutritional deficiencies of folate, zinc and vitamin D, antioxidants and others are important for the body's ability to reproduce, which means that checking your nutrient levels, sunlight in summer and a personal nutrition strategy can improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy.
It's not just nutritional deficiencies that need to be addressed before pregnancy, but it's also important not to have too high levels of certain substances for potential impact on the child. It is therefore recommended to test your nutrient levels and get personal dosage recommendations for supplements, rather than experimenting on your own.
We now also see that nutritional deficiency exists in the Western world and for women during pregnancy. A study in Ireland showed that 80% (!) of pregnant women have iron deficiency in the third trimester.
Hormonnivåer
Östrogen och progesteron är generellt huvudrollsinnehavarna i menscykeln, som påverkar ägglossningen och förmågan att implantera och behålla det befruktade embryot. Hormonella obalanser, såsom för höga eller för låga nivåer av östrogen eller progesteron, kan påverka din förmåga att bli gravid och minska några av riskerna för missfall. Hormonnivåerna påverkas indirekt av de övriga hälsofaktorerna såsom kost, avslappning, motion men också av faktorer som vår vikt (där även brist på kroppsfett spelar in) och social trygghet och samvaro.
The Importance of the Thyroid
The thyroid gland controls your internal climate and metabolism in the body, which has a significant impact on your fertility ability. In addition, thyroid problems such as hyper- and hypothyroidism as well as autoimmunity can have a significant impact on your fertility ability.
Personal Prerequisites
We all have different prerequisites for a successful pregnancy. Some of us have gene mutations that affect the body's ability to absorb and process folic acid (a common form of folate in dietary supplements) and other important B vitamins.
By understanding what your body needs and optimizing your health for fertility, you can increase the possibilities for a successful natural pregnancy (or the prospects for IVF). Do you want to do tests to understand your prerequisites? We are happy to help you on the way.
Warmly wishing you good luck on your fertility journey!
Carin Suveer
This post has been reviewed and approved by Eva Lethagen, MD (licensed physician).
