Increase Your Odds of Conception

We will cover the best tips to increase your odds of conception in this blog. In my last blog about fertility, I talked about the basics in creating another life by following a love story of a maiden (egg) and her knight (sperm). What is seemingly a simple story that should have a happy ending, has proved to be a more complex task to achieve. At some point in puberty, we find out about the Birds and the Bees through family, friends, health class, reading, pictures, and exploration of our sexuality. Only to realize later in life that what we once believed right about sex and baby-making may have been a rumor or misconstrued by our undeveloped brain. Consequently, we will focus on relearning (and exploring) the birds and the bees once more (with our adult brain) to create the optimal chances of conception. 

Now that we understand the HOW, let’s explore the ways to increase your odds of a successful, healthy conception

Humor me and increase your odds of conception

Pretend you are about to grow your food in your yard by your own hands. Let’s consider the necessary steps needed before starting this project: 

1. Decide on the types of crops that will grow in your area
2. Understand how a growing season plays out 
3. Become familiar with different kinds of food crops
4. Develop a farm plan on the land you intend to use
5. Plan your storage method
6. Determine benefits vs. cost
7. Begin the project in stages
8. Break ground
9. FERTILIZE soil, lay off rows
10. Place seeds in the furrow at the precise depth
11. Cultivate crops when needed
12. Watch for insects & animals that may damage plants
13. Harvest and preserve

If you’ve ever actually tended your garden, you are well-aware of the time, effort, money, blood, sweat, and tears associated. The steps I’ve listed were fundamental. 

Nonetheless, a lot of thought and time goes into this process. If we don’t take these steps seriously, one by one, we may not get the best outcome. Maybe only half the crops thrive, or perhaps nothing will grow at all. If this were another time, we could starve.

Let’s put that into perspective when pondering “growing a human.” If possible, consider a version of the steps above before “planting the human seed.” Starting with a healthy egg and sperm. Therefore, we need healthy parents-to-be. Incidentally, it’s never too late to boost the health of the embryo-fetus-baby, so don’t slack off after pregnancy is achieved.

Both Partners can help increase your odds of conception

I know it is difficult to make changes to your lifestyle, but this is where you want to invest in your future mini-me. By creating the healthiest versions of yourselves, you’ll ensure the best possible outcome and create a baby ready to fight off germs. Spend some time doing inventory on your eating habits, exercise, vitamins, mental health, relationship health, finances, and work-life balance for a few weeks before any radical changes. Once you can pinpoint areas that need adjusting, start slow. Too much at once can make you throw in the towel before giving it an honest attempt. Remember, it takes four months to cycle a new healthier egg and sperm. Start with these tips:

• Get a check-up with your regular doctor and obstetrician-gynecologist and talk about your desire to get pregnant. Ask for STD (sexually transmitted disease) testing, even if you think you’re safe. 
• Consider a detox
• Aim for the fertility diet: Avoid soy, eat organic when possible, eat foods in their most natural state, decrease meat consumption, favor veggie sources of protein, eat good fats (olive, flax, nut, fish & coconut oil) avoid dangerous fats (hydrogenated, vegetable fat, hardened vegetable fat, trans fat), use clarified butter/ghee or coconut oil when cooking and filtered water.
• Foods to improve sperm; banana, tomato, garlic, apples, cashew nuts, pomegranates, avocados, asparagus, pumpkin seeds, and oysters. 
• Start taking quality vitamins that include; zinc, selenium, magnesium, calcium, b6, b12, folic acid, vitamin c, omega three fats, vitamin d3
• Exercise
• Reduce risk factors; smoking, drinking, street drugs, medications, caffeine, environmental hazards, stress, dangerous behaviors, etc.

Did you know?

1. Sperm disorders contribute to 40% of infertility.
2. One cup of coffee per day decreases the chance of fertility by 55%.
3. Women who drank coffee before and during pregnancy had 2x the miscarriage rate.
4. One glass of alcohol can reduce fertility by 50%.
5. Light smoking in men can reduce sperm quality and motility.
6. Heavy smoking in men can change the shape of sperm (which makes sperm swim incorrectly- missing their mark).
7. Men who quit smoking for 5+ months before conceiving can increase sperm count by 800%.
8. 60% of infertility could be corrected with STD medication.
9. If only one partner is treated for an STD, he or she will reinfect the other.
10. Yeast is an STD.
11. Trans fats can increase infertility by 70%. Trans fats are used to extend shelf life, eat fresh.
12. Animal-derived estrogens can decrease fertility. Dairy accounts for 60-70% of estrogens consumed.

By devoting time and effort into designing your best selves, you’ll be able to increase the odds of conception, the vitality of a pregnancy, the immune system of your baby, and as parents you’ll be in a better position to fight germs and keep up with the little one. Win-win!!

Read the next fertility blog to dive deeper into causes and overcoming infertility.

Happy Parenting-to-be!