How to Get Pregnant: Lifestyle Tips to Support Infertility Treatment

Reviewed By: Dr. G Poornima, fertility specialist at Ferty9 Fertility Center, Karimnagar

The keys to fertility for both men and women include keeping a healthy weight, exercising, and eating foods that help you conceive and achieve pregnancy. If you’re wondering how to get pregnant, adopting healthier habits can complement your treatment plan and boost your overall well-being. A natural pregnancy requires many components to line up, one of which is lifestyle modifications. It is critical that you prepare your body and change your lifestyle to increase your chances of conception. Understanding how to conceive also involves knowing the impact of lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, and sleep patterns. Couples often research how to get pregnant naturally by tracking ovulation cycles and making lifestyle changes to improve fertility. A few natural approaches, such as specific eating habits and lifestyle changes, may help boost fertility.

Also Read: Pros And Cons Of Getting Pregnant In Your 20s, 30s, And 40s!

The Role of Lifestyle in Female Fertility

Reproductive health indices have been reported to have declined globally over the past five to six decades, particularly in industrialized and affluent nations, due to modifiable lifestyle variables. The following lifestyle choices are linked to infertility in women: smoking, eating a diet high in fat, drinking alcohol and caffeine, using drugs, having anxiety or depression, using cell phones, and delaying childbearing because of career or educational pursuits. It is critical to understand how lifestyle actions might enhance or impair fertility in order to reduce difficulties and maximize success. There are many helpful tips to get pregnant, such as maintaining a healthy diet, tracking ovulation, and reducing stress levels.

Maintaining a Healthy Diet to Support Women's Fertility

What you eat affects the health of your eggs and supports women’s fertility. 

• Consuming full-fat dairy lowers the risk of ovarian dysfunction and promotes healthy ovulation. Avoid low-fat dairy products because studies have shown that they induce ovulatory disruption.
• Consume protein from meat and vegetables. Consuming soy can improve female fertility.
• To improve ovulation, eat dark leafy greens and consume more fiber. Include beans in your diet since they promote fertility.
• Avoid trans fats, which are linked to a higher risk of infertility. Avoid eating highly processed meals and hydrogenated oils.
• Reduce your intake of carbohydrates and sweets. Consume complex carbohydrates to help regulate blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels have been linked to reduced conception.
• Moderate caffeine consumption, about 1-2 cups per day, has little effect on fertility.
• Consuming a prenatal vitamin or multivitamin that is designed to give you the nutrients you require for healthy fetal development, egg development, and hormone function can help increase fertility in females.

Also Read: Role of Diet, Nutrition in Overcoming Female Infertility

Regular Exercise and Its Impact on Fertility

Lifestyle factors like nutrition, alcohol use, and cigarette smoking are becoming more widely acknowledged as significant contributors to infertility, and physical exercise is one of the important factors. Sedentary behavior and physical exercise can affect ovulation, fertilization, and implantation, which can affect the success of a pregnancy. Women who exercised 3–4 hours per week were 27% less likely to conceive, whereas those who exercised ≥5 hours were 32% less likely to do so. The likelihood of getting pregnant, on the other hand, rose with moderate exercise; for instance, two hours of moderate activity increased the odds of getting pregnant by 15%. An infertility-related condition is polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. Regular exercise can enhance the frequency of ovulation in overweight and obese women with PCOS, resulting in more regular menstrual cycles. The likelihood of becoming pregnant rises with the frequency of ovulation.

Managing Stress to Improve Fertility

While stress alone is unlikely to induce infertility, it does interfere with a woman's ability to conceive. According to research, women who have a history of depression are twice as likely to be infertile. Anxiety can also make it take longer to get pregnant. It's also crucial to note how rapidly your body may recover if you reduce stress. Once the stressor disappears, the body can miraculously relax and recover a normal balance from both acute and chronic stress. When it comes to stress reduction, there are a few crucial principles to remember, such as prioritizing sleep, meditating, practicing relaxation techniques, accepting support and help from friends and family, and maintaining hobbies and social life. Eating a well-balanced diet not only benefits your health but also boosts your chances of conceiving. It can also help you reduce your stress levels.

Also Read: How to Get Pregnant: Stress-Reduction Tips to Boost

The Importance of Sleep in Fertility and Infertility Treatment

Sleep and sleep disruptions are widely acknowledged as factors influencing women's health and well-being, particularly throughout the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is critical for excellent physical and emotional well-being.  More importantly, sleep influences fertility in both men and women. Every night, a regular sleep pattern will replenish your body and brain while also regulating essential hormones in your body, including reproductive hormones. Couples receiving reproductive treatment frequently report poor sleep quality. It can be linked to psychological anxiety and may influence pregnancy outcomes. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact IVF outcomes.

Also Read: How Sleep Patterns Affect Female Neuroendocrinology and Reproductive Health

Avoiding Harmful Substances to Improve Fertility

Limit your exposure to environmental pollutants and lifestyle choices that can harm reproductive health. This includes avoiding pesticides, heavy metals, and BPA, which is contained in some plastics. Couples should also strive for a smoke-free environment, as tobacco use has been related to reduced fertility. Everyday items that could harm your fertility are;

• Plastic food containers
• Nonstick cookware
• Conventional Cleaning Products
• Scented Candles and Air Fresheners
• Synthetic Beauty and Personal Care Products
• Chemical Sunscreens

Reduce exposure to these harmful substances to improve your quality of life and chances of pregnancy.

Also Read: Impact of Toxic Chemicals on Women's Egg Counts

Also Read: How Does Air Pollution Affect IVF Success Rates?

Weight Management for Enhanced Fertility

Obesity is a known risk factor for female infertility. If you are close to a healthy weight, you are more likely to become pregnant and give birth to a healthy kid. Small weight loss can boost fertility and pregnancy health. Eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly increases your chances of becoming pregnant and having a healthy baby. In women, reduced-calorie diets and exercise programs were more likely to result in pregnancy, and interventions resulted in weight loss and ovulation improvement. Lifestyle modifications can assist in increasing fertility in women who are overweight or obese by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and reducing stress. 

Partner Support During Infertility Treatment

Relationships are impacted by fertility because struggling to conceive becomes the main stressor for the couple. Infertility journeys are sometimes hard. Many options can be complex and difficult to understand. Furthermore, there is a great deal of uncertainty, which can make individuals feel uncomfortable and on edge. There are lots of ways you can support your partner during your fertility journey together, such as getting involved, making time to talk about what you’re both going through, being an active listener for your partner, trying not to take out your frustrations on each other, and trying to make time for fun and intimacy. 

Conclusion

To summarize, maintaining a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and infertility treatment is critical. Reducing stress and avoiding smoking or excessive alcohol intake are also important in promoting fertility. Following practical tips to get pregnant, like regular exercise, managing weight,  appropriate sleep, and timing intercourse around ovulation, can increase fertility in females. Furthermore, maintaining open communication with your healthcare physician will ensure that your treatment plan is optimized. Making these lifestyle changes increases your chances of having a successful pregnancy.

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