6 Weird Ways to Naturally Improve Fertility

If becoming pregnant is taking longer than you expected, there are certain steps you can take to improve your chances of conception. While underlying medical problems may be the cause of your infertility, in many cases simple lifestyle changes that help balance your body can dramatically improve your odds of becoming pregnant.

Austin, TX natural fertility doctor Ruthie Harper, MD is naturally renowned for treating infertility, while empowering women to participate in their own wellness journey to increase their chances of becoming pregnant.

In previous articles, Dr. Harper shared several natural lifestyle steps that can help support balance in the body to increase fertility – including nutrition, supplements, caffeine and alcohol reduction, and more. In this article, she adds 6 less obvious – slightly more offbeat – changes you can start making today to improve your fertility.

If you are having trouble conceiving, start with nutrition, stress reduction, supplements, and then add these 6 easy additional steps. Next, schedule a consultation by phone or in person with Dr. Harper to determine what else you can do to naturally increase your chances of growing your family!

#1. Eat A Bigger Breakfast to Naturally Improve Fertility

Most women realize that proper nutrition is essential for optimal fertility. But did you know that eating a more substantial breakfast every day can help women with fertility problems?

High levels of either insulin or testosterone can contribute to infertility. But eating more of your calories at breakfast can reduced insulin levels by up to 8 percent and can reduce testosterone levels by 50% or more!

In a 12-week study of women suffering from PCOS, women who ate a smaller breakfast and larger dinner ovulated more, suggesting improved fertility.

Just make sure that when you increase the size of your breakfast, you reduce the size of your evening meal to avoid increased daily calorie intake that can lead to weight gain.

#2. Skip Dessert to Naturally Improve Fertility

Speaking of nutrition, following a low carb eating plan (less than 45% of calories from carbs) can help women maintain a healthy weight, reduce insulin levels, and encourage fat loss. And this, in turn, helps improves menstrual regularity – which improves the chances of getting pregnant.

But it’s not just the amount of carbs – but also the type of carbs – that can improve fertility. Refined carbs such as sugary foods and beverages – and processed grains like white flour – are absorbed very quickly by the body. And this causes spikes in blood sugar that results in elevated insulin levels.

Consistently elevated insulin can cause the body to produce fewer reproductive hormones, which can contribute to a lack of egg maturation and ovulation that affects fertility. So skip that soda or sugary dessert and reach for a handful of nuts instead.

#3. Eat More Beans to Naturally Improve Fertility

Replacing some of the animal derived proteins in your diet (from meat, fish, and eggs) with vegetable proteins (beans, nuts, and seeds) has been shown to be linked to improved fertility.

A clinical research study showed that when as little as 5 percent of total calories come from vegetable protein instead of animal protein, the risk of ovulatory infertility decreased by more than 50%!

#4. Choose High Fat Dairy to Naturally Improve Fertility

Many women of childbearing age routinely stick to a healthy low fat diet, in  order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid cholesterol problems.

But studies have shown that high intake of low fat dairy foods can actually increase the risk of infertility. Conversely, high fat dairy foods may actually  improve fertility! A large study conducted in 2007 found that women who consumed one or more servings of high fat dairy per day were 27% less likely to be infertile.

So, consider consuming at least one glass of whole milk or full fat yogurt daily if you are trying to get pregnant.

#5. Work Out Less Aggressively to Naturally Improve Fertility

Moderate exercise has many health benefits, including improving fertility. However, excessive and/or high intensity exercise has actually been associated with a decrease in fertility.

“Over-exercise” or “over-training” can cause a neuroendocrine disorder (hypothalamohypophysial), that causes metabolic changes with negative effects on the reproductive system and fertility.

A large Norwegian research study found that women who were excessively active daily were 3.2 times more likely to have fertility problems than more inactive women!

#6. Keep a Journal to Naturally Improve Fertility

If you’re trying to conceive without luck, it’s natural to feel stressed. But as stress levels increase, a woman’s chances of getting pregnant decrease due to the hormonal changes that are caused by stress.

However, according to the Mayo Clinic, writing down your thoughts and feelings is one of the best ways to release pent-up emotions and decrease stress. Try keeping a journal and just write down whatever comes to mind- even if you toss it out or save it to reflect on later.

Of course, meditation, yoga, listening to music, laughing at a comedy movie or going for a walk can all reduce stress, and the associated stress hormones, too!

Top Austin Natural Fertility Doctor

With proper medical assistance and simple lifestyle changes most couples can achieve their dream of building a family – typically without resorting to extreme and expensive measures such as IVF!

Ruthie Harper MD, specializes in using integrative, holistic and natural fertility treatments to help women get pregnant. Dr. Harper helps women conceive naturally by balancing their bodies through lifestyle, nutrition, mindfulness, stress reduction, and hormone rebalancing.

If you have tried to become pregnant without success, Dr. Harper opens her practice doors to you with compassion, and more than twenty years of natural fertility experience. Discover your personal path to total health, wellness and balance. Through the science of personalized integrative medicine she can help you become pregnant and achieve your dream of growing your family.

Natural Fertility Doctor – Austin, TX: 512.343.9355