If you're hoping to get pregnant, you might wonder about your fertility and whether you can improve it. Some factors might be beyond your control, such as medical issues that affect the ability to conceive. But your lifestyle choices can have an effect on your fertility, too.
What is female fertility?
Female fertility is a woman's ability to conceive a biological child. You and your partner might question your fertility if you've been trying to get pregnant with frequent, unprotected sex for at least one year — or at least six months if you're older than 35 — with no success.
What causes female fertility problems?
Various medical issues can contribute to female fertility problems, including:
Ovulation disorders, which affect the release of eggs from the ovaries. These include hormonal disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperprolactinemia and thyroid problems (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism).
Uterine or cervical abnormalities, such as polyps or fibroids in the uterus.
Fallopian tube damage or blockage, which is often caused by pelvic inflammatory disease.
Endometriosis, which occurs when tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
Primary ovarian insufficiency (early menopause), which occurs when the ovaries stop working and menstruation ends before age 40.
Pelvic adhesions — bands of scar tissue that bind organs after pelvic infection, appendicitis, or abdominal or pelvic surgery.
Medical conditions associated with the absence of menstruation, such as poorly controlled diabetes, celiac disease and some autoimmune diseases such as lupus.
Age also plays a role. Delaying pregnancy can decrease the likelihood that you'll be able to conceive. A decline in the quantity and quality of your eggs with age makes it harder to conceive.
What can I do to promote female fertility?
- Eat foods rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants like folate and zinc may improve fertility for both men and women. They deactivate the free radicals in your body, which can damage both sperm and egg cells.
Foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are packed full of beneficial antioxidants like vitamins C and E, folate, beta carotene, and lutein. Eating more of these healthy foods shouldn’t hurt in the effort.
   2. Eat a bigger breakfast
Eating a substantial breakfast may help women with fertility problems.
However, it’s important to note that increasing the size of your breakfast without reducing the size of your evening meal is likely to lead to weight gain.
- Avoid trans fats
Trans fats are associated with an increased risk of ovulatory infertility, due to their negative effects on insulin sensitivity.
Trans fats are commonly found in hydrogenated vegetable oils and are usually present in some margarine, fried foods, processed products, and baked goods.Â
- Eat fewer refined carbs
Speaking of carbs: It’s not just the amount of carbs that’s important, but also the type.
Refined carbs may be especially problematic. Refined carbs include sugary foods and drinks and processed grains, including white pasta, bread, and rice.
- Eat more fiber
Fiber helps your body get rid of excess hormones and keeps blood sugar balanced. Certain types of fiber can help remove excess estrogen by binding to it in the intestines. The excess estrogen is then removed from the body as a waste product.
Some examples of high fiber foods are whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
- Swap protein sources
Replacing some animal proteins (such as meat, fish, and eggs) with vegetable protein sources (such as beans, nuts, and seeds) is linked to a reduced risk of infertility.
Consider replacing some of the proteins in your diet with protein from vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, and low mercury fish. Try this coconut chickpea curry for a protein-filled dinner.
- Choose high fat dairy
High intakes of low fat dairy foods may increase the risk of infertility, whereas high fat dairy foods may decrease it.
Try replacing one low fat dairy serving per day with one high fat dairy serving, such as a glass of whole milk or full fat yogurt.
- Add in a multivitamin
For women trying to get pregnant, a multivitamin containing folate may be especially beneficial.
- Get active
Exercise has many benefits for your health, including increased fertility. Increasing moderate physical activity has positive effects on fertility for women and men, especially those with obesity.
The trick is that moderation is key. Excessive high intensity exercise has actually been associated with decreased fertility in certain women.
- Take time to relax
If you’re trying to conceive, stress is probably on the menu, too. As your stress levels increase, your chances of getting pregnant decrease. This is likely due to the hormonal changes that occur when you feel stressed.
Receiving support and counselling may reduce anxiety and depression levels, and increase your chances of becoming pregnant. And don’t forget to take time for you.
- Cut the caffeine
The association between caffeine and fertility isn’t very conclusive.
Consider limiting your caffeine intake to one or two cups of coffee per day to be on the safe side.
- Aim for a healthy weight
Weight is one of the most influential factors when it comes to fertility for men and women. In fact, being either underweight or overweight is associated with increased infertility. This is because the amount of fat stored in your body influences menstrual function. Having obesity especially is associated with lack of ovulation and menstrual irregularity but also with impaired egg development.
- Check those iron levels
It’s time to start pumping iron. The supplement kind, that is. Consuming iron supplements and non-heme iron, which comes from plant-based foods, may decrease the risk of ovulatory infertility.
- Avoid excess alcohol
Alcohol consumption can negatively affect fertility. However, it’s unclear how much alcohol is needed to cause this effect.
Ultimately, avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol is recommended. Talk to you doctor about your own intake to ensure the best outcome for you.
- Natural supplements
Certain natural supplements have been linked to increased fertility, especially in animal studies. Always check with your doctor before taking of natural supplements as efficacy in humans has not been well studied.
Understanding Ovulation
A woman can only get pregnant during the ‘fertile window’ in the menstrual cycle, and there are a few ways to work out when you’re ovulating. It's important to note that your chance of getting pregnant is dramatically increased if you have sex on the day of ovulation, or up to five days before that.Â
After they’ve made the decision to have a baby, many women try to do everything they can to conceive during their next cycle, but it’s important to remember that getting pregnant can take time, and for some couples, trying to get pregnant can be very tough. A healthy, 30-year-old woman has only a 20 percent chance of getting pregnant each month. It’s normal for it to take a few months or longer.
A woman can only get pregnant during the ‘fertile window’ in the menstrual cycle, and there are a few ways to work out when you’re ovulating. It's important to note that your chance of getting pregnant is dramatically increased if you have sex on the day of ovulation, or up to five days before that.
Why?
Because eggs and sperm only live for a short time - sperm live for around five days. Eggs can only be fertilised for around 24 hours (one day) after being released from the ovary, and eggs and sperm need to come together at the right time for fertilisation to happen to create an embryo.
Timing
Ovulation is when a mature egg is released from the ovary, then moves down the fallopian tube where it can be fertilised. If sperm are in the fallopian tube when the egg is released, there is a good chance that the egg will be fertilised, creating an embryo, which can grow into a baby.
Pregnancy is technically only possible if you have sex during the five days before ovulation or on the day of ovulation. But the most fertile days are the three days leading up to and including ovulation. Having sex during this time gives you the best chance of getting pregnant.
By 12-24 hours after ovulation, a woman is no longer able to get pregnant during that menstrual cycle because the egg is no longer in the fallopian tube.
There’s almost no chance of getting pregnant if you have sex before or after the fertile window (but if you’re not trying to get pregnant, don’t rely on this – contraception is your best option!).
Know when you are ovulating
You can keep track of your menstrual cycles on a chart, in a diary, or on a free period-tracker app on your smartphone. To work out the length of your menstrual cycle, record the first day of your period as day 1. The last day of your cycle is the day before your next period begins.
Working out your most fertile days
When you know your average menstrual cycle length, you can work out when you ovulate:
Ovulation happens about 14 days before your period starts.
If your average menstrual cycle is 28 days, you ovulate around day 14, and your most fertile days are days 12, 13 and 14.
If your average menstrual cycle is 35 days ovulation happens around day 21 and your most fertile days are days 19,20 and 21.
If you have shorter cycles, say 21 days, ovulation happens around day 7 and your most fertile days are days 5, 6 and 7.
Some women have very irregular cycles or find it difficult to work out an average cycle length. This can make it hard to work out when ovulation happens. If it’s all too hard, having sex every 2-3 days covers all bases and improves your chance of getting pregnant.