While some couples may be lucky enough to conceive successfully at the first try or so, many others out there find the road to parenthood to be a bumpy one, not being able to get pregnant even after countless attempts. If you are one of them, take comfort in the fact that you are not alone! In Malaysia, it is estimated that infertility rates range from 10 to 15%, but hey, there is hope yet! What if we told you that you could increase your chances of getting pregnant with a few tweaks in your lifestyle?
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Pay a visit to your doctor
As soon as your partner and you start entertaining thoughts of becoming parents, it will be a good idea to talk to your doctor about preconception health. Discuss both your health histories, or any medical conditions which may affect your pregnancy in the future. Let the doctor know if either of you are on any kind of medications too. There may be vaccinations which you may need before even conceiving, as part of the steps you need to take towards a healthy pregnancy and preventing birth defects.
2. Relax, and leave your worries behind.
If you’re trying to get pregnant, chances are, you are also stressing out about it. But here’s the thing – the more you stress, the less likely you are to successfully conceive! Understandably, you may have concerns when you’re trying to conceive and it’s not happening, but remember that you aren’t doing yourself any favours by worrying and thinking about it too much. The best is to just relax and let it happen naturally. You are meant to be a mom, so have faith that it will happen, sooner or later. So, take some time off to be you, do the things you love, and trust the process!
3. Get to your most ideal, healthy weight
Being underweight or overweight is associated with infertility, being quite an influential factor when it comes to fertility levels, for both men and women. For women, the amount of fat stored in our bodies is capable of influencing our menstrual function, which in turn hampers our ability to conceive. Being overweight is highly linked to the inability to ovulate properly, giving rise to irregular menstrual cycles and in turn, affects the development of our eggs. Hence, for more reasons than one, to raise your chances of getting pregnant, it is paramount that you get to your ideal weight. Your partner isn’t excluded either, due to the fact that overweight men are more likely to have a low sperm count, or even no sperm in their ejaculate.
4. Avoid these as if they’re poison…because they are!
Exposure to harmful chemicals sounds unpleasant, but we may be unwittingly exposing ourselves to them. This may include environmental contaminants, and toxic substances such as fertilizer, bug spray, and cat or rodent feces around the home, workplace, etc. In terms of fertility wellbeing, these substances can hurt the reproductive systems of both men and women, making it difficult for a couple to conceive. So, we hope you take the long-term measures needed to protect yourself, your partner and family from poisons such as these.
Some natural supplements to consider
Trying for a baby? If so, we hope you realise that your diet plays a major role in the outcome of your efforts. And while consuming nutrient-rich foods on a daily basis may not be achievable by many, it is still possible to ensure that your body is getting the nourishment it needs to be able to house a growing, living being in it for a few months, and breastfeed your offspring after that too, and that is, by means of selected supplements. Here are some we fell you should consider:
Royal jelly: Royal jelly is produced by bees, and it is found to be rich in amino acids, lipids, vitamins, fatty acids, iron, and calcium, all of which can help support a healthy pregnancy.
Maca: This Peruvian plant product happens to be useful in promoting better fertility health, with some reports even indicating that it improves sperm quality.
Bee propolis: Taking bee propolis twice a day for 9 months has been found to improve the chances of pregnancy by 40% .
Bee pollen: Bee pollen has always been linked to improved health, especially our immunity. But did you know that it is also a fertility booster?
5. Mind your mental health
Mental health isn’t some trendy health condition we hear of in Hollywood, but it happens to be something each and every one of us may have to deal with at some point in our life! Our mental health is linked to how we think, feel, and act as we go on with our daily lives and try to cope with the challenges in life. Any kind of compromise in our mental health can have dire consequences for our fertility health as well. So, do you find yourself overly worried, anxious, sad, or stressed most of the time? If you answered ‘yes’ to that, it is time to fix an appointment with your doctor to discuss the matter, and your treatment options.
6. Have you been getting enough sleep?
Lack of sleep is hazardous for one’s health in many, many ways, including our reproductive health. Unfortunately, as busy, modern lifestyles would have it, sleeping late each night and rising early for work is quite the norm for most of us, and here’s where we ought to make a change, if getting pregnant is what we want. Aiming for seven hours of solid sleep will be helpful, eight would be even better!
Is your lubricant fertility-friendly?
Yes, we know, not many among us may have given it a thought, but if you are trying for a baby, it’s worth taking note of this factor as most water-based lubricant, which is what you’ll find in many convenient stores, are likely to inhibit sperm movement by 60-100% within an hour of sex! Hence, increase your chances of getting pregnant by switching to natural oils or oil-based options.
