The new year is often viewed as a time to restart, refresh, and refocus on your goals, whether they are for your fitness, career, or general well-being. Why not take the same approach to your fertility? No matter where you are in your fertility journey (or even the time of the year), a fresh start and new beginning can be essential in achieving your goals— and the best place to start is by prioritizing taking care of yourself.
In the first of this three-part series, we hope to share some realistic and achievable goals to help get your fertility health on the right track in 2022. For many, your body is a natural place to start. Taking care of your body can be critical to your overall health, well-being, and chances of getting pregnant. Here are some tips to keep in mind for achieving your fertility goals.
Nutrition
Good diet and nutrition are important parts of your fertility journey not only for what they prevent, but what they provide. Whether they come from foods themselves or in the form of supplements, certain vitamins and nutrients can go a long way towards helping your fertility and pregnancy prospects.
One of the most important nutrients to incorporate into your diet when trying to conceive is folic acid. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), even those who take dietary supplements may not get sufficient folic acid and women should obtain 400 mcg of folate per day between dietary supplements and fortified foods. Some foods with high levels of folate include spinach, liver, asparagus, and brussels sprouts.
Zinc, and Vitamins B, C and D are also important nutrients when trying to conceive. Experts recommend that women intake 8 mg of zinc daily to support normal growth and development during pregnancy. Good sources of zinc include oysters, red meat, and poultry.
A healthy and balanced diet, often in combination with other lifestyle changes and a doctor’s guidance, can be an important step to help give you the best chance of successfully getting and staying pregnant. Visit our blog for more supplements and medications you may consider discussing with your doctor.
Weight
If you have been trying to conceive for a while, it’s very likely that you’ve either read or been told that being overweight – or underweight – can make getting pregnant more difficult. It is true that maintaining a healthy weight is important to minimize risks during pregnancy. Research shows that maintaining and unhealthy weight can disturb the delicate balance of hormones, causing irregular, sometimes lengthy cycles, or for ovulation to become infrequent or even stop altogether.
However, many (if not most) women know that losing weight is much easier said than done. For women with PCOS, it can be particularly difficult as many struggle with insulin resistance (IR), which predisposes them to obesity, raises their insulin levels, and makes it even harder to shed weight.
Fortunately, it’s not impossible, but you may need help. If you have PCOS, talk with your doctor about what lifestyle changes or treatment options may help you to overcome insulin resistance and challenges losing weight. On the other hand, being underweight can be just as problematic for your fertility as being overweight, so speak to your doctor about what is best for you and where you should be aiming to give yourself the best chance of conceiving.
Monitoring Progress
Accomplishing your diet and weight loss goals are incredible achievements in themselves, but understanding how they impact your fertility can be critical to reaching your ultimate goal. Showing when – or even if – you ovulate naturally, is not only one of OvuSense’s core functions, but foundational to your entire fertility journey. Having this knowledge is key to determining the right path forward for you.
Setting goals in your fertility journey can be a positive way to not only improve your chances of conceiving, but improve your overall health and well-being this year. We’d love to hear how you’re taking care of yourself and your fertility this year. Share with our TTC community on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Happy New Year!
Read part 2 of our blog series here.
Read part 3 of our blog series here, which focuses on your environment.