Natural Pregnancy

Normally pregnancy occurs from sexual intercourse in which the man’s sperm is ejaculated into the women’s vagina, traveling to and fertilizing her egg to form an embryo that implants in the uterus.

If a woman is healthy and below 35 the chances of getting pregnant during a single menstrual course is higher, that is we can say 25 out of 100 women will succeed per month. So, by 40, average healthy women will have only a 5% chance of getting pregnant.

Age plays an important role in conceiving. Women after 35, find it difficult to conceive naturally. The fertility rate starts declining at age 30 and keeps on dropping gradually until you get your menopause. If you are hoping to make a baby at 35 or later, that phase is called ‘advanced maternal age’ in medical language.

With you, your eggs age, and also start declining once you hit menopause. That is you may have left with only 300,000 eggs in your puberty and by 37 you are down to just 25,000. So, the fewer eggs in your ovaries, the lesser the chances for natural conception. And by chance, even if you get pregnant the chances are high that the older eggs are more likely to carry abnormal chromosomes which may lead to miscarriage or a baby born with disorders. Besides, women after 35 are presumed to have problems such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis which makes it difficult to conceive.

However, there are a few tips that can boost your fertility.

Fertility is a common problem among couples these days. The path towards parenthood can sometimes and many times pose a great challenge. But you are not alone in those challenges.

Fortunately, there are a few natural ways to strengthen your fertility, like food preference, and changes in your lifestyle can help boost your fertility.

Here are a few tips you might want to follow to boost your fertility and get pregnant faster.

• Food rich in antioxidants: Eat food rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants improve fertility for both men & women (folate & zinc). They shut down the free radicals in your body, which can harm both sperm and egg cells. So, take more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains which are full of beneficial antioxidants like vitamin C and E, folate, beta carotene, and lutein.

• Bigger breakfast: Eating a significant amount of breakfast may help women with fertility problems. A study found that eating a bigger breakfast may improve the hormonal effects of PCOS, which is one of the major causes of infertility. These women ovulated more than women who ate less breakfast and larger dinner. Having said that, increasing the portion of your breakfast without cutting off your dinner size may lead to weight gain.

• Trans fats: Trans fats are often found in hydrogenated vegetable oils and are normally present in some margarine, processed products, fried foods, and baked products. A diet higher in trans fats and lower in unsaturated fats was linked to infertility for both men and women.

If you have PCOS, Cut down on carbs

Women with PCOS are generally proposed to follow a lower-carb eating plan i.e. where less than 45% of calories come from carbs. Following lower-carb diets will help you maintain a healthy weight, encourage fat loss and reduce insulin levels.

• Refined carbs: So when we talk about carbs, it is not just the amount matters but what type of carbs is beneficial also counts. Refined carbs might cause problems which include sugary foods and drinks and processed grains which include white pasta, bread, and rice. So avoid are eat fewer refined carbs as much as possible.

• Food with fibre: Food with a lot of fiber helps your body to get rid of excess hormones and keeps check on your insulin level. Excess estrogen in the body can be removed with the help of certain types of fiber. It is then removed from the body as a waste product. Some examples of food with higher fiber are whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans. The daily intake of fiber for women is 25 grams per day and 31 grams per day for men. Hence, eat lot of fiber content food.

• Protein sources: Substitute some animal proteins like meat, fish, and eggs with vegetable protein sources such as beans, nuts, and seeds to reduce the risk of infertility.

• High-fat dairy: Intake of low-fat dairy in high proportion may increase the risk of infertility, while high-fat dairy foods may reduce it. Try replacing one low-fat dairy intake per day with one high-fat dairy serving, like a glass of whole milk with or full-fat yogurt.

• Cut the caffeine intake: Though not much relativity proved between caffeine and fertility, it is still better to limit your intake of coffee from 2 cups per day to a cup of coffee to be on the safer side.

• Alcohol: Avoid excess alcohol consumption. Though it is unclear how much alcohol is needed to affect infertility, it is better to cut down the intakes or ask your doctor’s advice.

• Have sex at the right time

• Take folic acid

• Eat a healthy diet

• Stop contraception

• Avoid intake of certain food

• Stay fit and maintain a healthy weight

• Stop taking recreational drugs, smoking, and alcohol.

However, it is up to you to decide when to start your pregnancy. But a little advice is plan your pregnancy well and wise, that is before you hit your menopause. Avoid late pregnancy so as to not to risk your life. Having said that, there are doctors who are specialized in fertility treatments who can help you plan your pregnancy whenever you wish to have.