Whether you are just starting trying to get pregnant or you have been trying for some time, these fertility boosters can be done at home and do not require you to see a doctor or go to the drugstore to buy expensive medications.

Your first step should be to take the babyMed Online Fertility Evaluation Test.

There are several steps you can take to boost your fertility and improve your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby. Fertility and getting pregnant are issues that involve both men and women, so both of you need to boost your fertility. In many cases where couples have difficulties getting pregnant both she and he have some problems. If you want to improve your fertility, you should first know more about how to get pregnant and what may prevent you from getting pregnant. Learning about the causes of infertility will help you improve your own fertility naturally and help you get pregnant faster.

We also recommend that you take the BabyMed 12-lesson plan to learn more about improving your fertility 

Causes of infertility

After an initial work-up about 80% of all infertile couples have at least one of the following 3 problems:

1. Ovulation problems: The BIG O: Do I ovulate regularly?
2. Sperm problems: Is his sperm count OK? 
3. Fallopian tube problems: Are my fallopian tubes open?

In addition to these 3 issues, there are others, such as cervical factors, luteal-phase deficiency, and immunologic factors which are still hotly debated. The proportion of couples for whom there is more than one cause of infertility reaches up to 30 percent and leads most physicians to investigate all the common causes of infertility.

Initial Fertility Evaluation
The basic initial workup for couples having difficulties getting pregnant consists of 4 tests and can be concluded within 3-4 weeks:

1. History-taking and physical examination
2. Semen analysis
3. Test for ovulation and cycle day 3 tests (FSH, estrogen, prolactin, TSH)
4. Assessment of tubal patency (HSG or hysterosalpingogram) or a laparoscopy to diagnose endometriosis and pelvic adhesions.

This approach uncovers a cause or causes of infertility in 70 to 85 percent of couples. If you followed our suggestions, within 90 days or less you should have answers to most of these issues. 

Dr. Amos' Tip:

You cannot improve your fertility naturally if your fallopian tubes are closed or if he has zero sperms. Get these tested first before you lose valuable time.

Five Steps To Do First To Improve Your Fertility Naturally

Step #1

Be at your optimal weight. That means him too. Studies on improving fertility have shown consistently that women who are at their optimal weight (BMI between 19.5 and 24.9) improve their fertility. If you are overweight, lose weight, if you are underweight, gain weight

Step #2

Stay away from alcohol, caffeine,  smoking, and sugar-sweetened drinks. These are all known toxins known to have a negative effect on you and his fertility. Don't drink caffeinated beverages or teas. Zero alcohol, zero tobacco, no more than 1-2 cups of coffee a day. No sugar-sweetened drinks and sodas.

Step#3

Reduce your stress.

Step #4

Start taking a prenatal supplement and folic acid at least 1-2 months before conception

Step #5

Eat a healthy diet

1. Do a semen analysis, a sperm count now. It's a simple test that will save you a lot of time finding the problem. Healthy sperm is essential for improving your chances of getting pregnant. Scientific studies have shown that FertilAid for Men includes all essential vitamins as well as other natural sperm-boosting ingredients and can improve his sperm health. In addition to taking this vitamin-packed supplement, there are additional ways to make his sperm healthier
2. Go and see your Ob-Gyn for a preconception interview now. It will help you find your own specific issues that need to be addressed. Then take your answers to your doctor for Preconception Care and some important tests 
3. Ovulation,  healthy eggs, and uterine lining are crucial to improve your pregnancy chances. You can improve your hormonal balance, decrease your chance of a miscarriage and replenish low vitamin levels by taking vitamin-packed FertilAid for Women which includes several natural fertility boosters and enough folic acid so you won't have to take any other supplement. 

• Optimizing natural fertility: the role of lifestyle modification.

 

Follow these suggestions and you will likely get pregnant faster.

Boost your fertility now!

1. Fertility diet: Change how and what you eat

When you are trying to get pregnant forget about the so-called fertility foods like oysters and champagne, garlic, ginseng, kelp, and yams. These foods won't affect your fertility. There are no magic diets that will definitely increase the chances of sperm meeting egg, but you can improve your diet to make it more likely to get pregnant.

Harvard University published a study that showed an improvement in fertility with lifestyle changes made by switching to a fertility diet. The study showed that women who followed a combination of five or more lifestyle factors, including changing specific aspects of their diets, experienced more than 80 percent less relative risk of infertility due to ovulation disorders, compared to women who engaged in none of the factors.

The true fertility foods are whole grains, healthy fats, excellent protein packages, and even the occasional bowl of ice cream. This isn't just wishful thinking. Instead, it comes from the first comprehensive examination of diet and fertility, an eight-year study of more than 18,000 women that uncovered ten evidence-based suggestions for improving fertility. This work, from the landmark Nurses' Health Study, fills a critical information gap on diet and fertility. Did you know diet changes alone can increase your fertility? Studies have shown time and time again that making simple diet changes lowers the risk of infertility and boosts overall reproductive health.

• Avoid trans fats. These artery-clogging fats threaten fertility as well as harm the heart and blood vessels. Go trans free.

What is trans fat?

Some meat and dairy products contain small amounts of naturally occurring trans fat. But most trans fat is formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature.

This partially hydrogenated oil is less likely to spoil, so foods made with it have a longer shelf life. Some restaurants use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in their deep fryers because it doesn't have to be changed as often as do other oils.

Trans fat is considered by many doctors to be the worst type of fat you can eat. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fat — also called trans-fatty acids — both raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol.

A diet laden with trans fat increases your risk of heart disease, the leading killer of men and women. Here's some information about trans fat and how to avoid it.

Trans fat in your food

The manufactured form of trans fat, known as partially hydrogenated oil, is found in a variety of food products, including:

• Baked goods. Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. The ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
• Snacks. Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavor the popcorn.
• Fried food. Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts, and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
• Refrigerator dough. Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
• Creamer and margarine. Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarine also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Reading food labels

In the United States, if a food has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat in a serving, the food label can read 0 grams trans fat. This hidden trans fat can add up quickly, especially if you eat several servings of multiple foods containing less than 0.5 grams a serving.

When you check the food label for trans fat, also check the food's ingredient list for partially hydrogenated vegetable oil — which indicates that the food contains some trans fat, even if the amount is below 0.5 grams. Eating several portions of foods containing some trans fat may boost your total intake of trans fat to a level high enough to affect your health.

Use more unsaturated vegetable oils.

• Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help improve the body's sensitivity to insulin and cool inflammation, two trends that are good for fertility. Add in more vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and cold-water fish such as salmon and sardines. Cut back on saturated fat.

 

• Turn to vegetable protein. Replacing a serving of meat each day with beans, peas, soybeans or tofu, or nuts can improve fertility.
• Choose slow carbs, not no carbs. Choosing slowly digested carbohydrates that are rich in fiber, like whole grains, vegetables, whole fruits, and beans, instead of rapidly digested carbs can improve fertility by controlling blood sugar and insulin levels.
• Make it whole milk. Skim milk appears to promote infertility. If you drink milk, choose whole milk while trying to get pregnant, or have a small dish of ice cream or full-fat yogurt every day.
• Take a multi-vitamin. Getting extra folic acid (400 micrograms a day) before you get pregnant could actually help you start eating for two.
• Get plenty of iron from plants. Extra iron from plants, including whole-grain cereals, spinach, beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, and beets, appears to promote fertility.
• Drink to your health. The best beverage for keeping your body hydrated is water. Coffee, tea, and alcohol are okay in moderation. But skip sugared sodas—they appear to promote ovulatory infertility.
• Head toward the fertility zone for weight. Weighing too much or too little can interrupt normal menstrual cycles, throw off ovulation or stop it altogether. The best range for fertility is a body-mass index (BMI) of 20 to 24. Working to move your BMI in that direction by gaining or losing some weight is almost as good.
• Move to the fertility zone for activity. If you don't get much physical activity and are above the fertility zone for weight, daily exercise can help improve fertility. But don't overdo it: too much exercise, especially if you are quite lean, can interfere with ovulation.

Another study published by Fertility and Sterility, 11/10/2011 showed that men who consumed more healthy meals each day had better sperm health and count than men who had poor diet and lifestyle habits. Men that ate a diet rich in a variety of whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables, with low red meat consumption, had better sperm health, count and motility.

By switching to a fertility diet you will:
• Increase nutritional levels by eating whole foods
• Provide the body with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other vital nutrients
• Support healthy fat intake which promotes healthy cholesterol levels for the hormonal balance
• Decrease your risk for infertility
• Increase reproductive health
• Aid the body in healing
• Aid the body in maintaining a healthy body weight
• Support healthy energy levels

The good fat is good for fertility

Fat intake is vital to healthy fertility. Many fats are actually good for us and are in fact essential to our good health. Instead of worrying about how much fat we eat, we need to be concerned with the types of fats we eat. We need a certain amount of saturated, monounsaturated and essential fatty acids to produce cholesterol. Cholesterol is needed for the formation of healthy cell membranes and is a precursor to all steroid hormones (progesterone, estrogen, FSH, etc). We cannot have a proper hormonal balance without adequate amounts of fats. The human body needs adequate levels of all types of fats.
Be sure you are eating good sources of fats, including cooking with stable oils that will not oxidize at high temperatures. Oxidation when cooking with oils that burn at high temps (olive oil) can turn the oil into a trans fatty acid and damage cellular health.
Fat tips:
• Eat whole fat, raw organic dairy products; yogurt, butter, cheese
• Coconut oil is the most stable saturated fat and tastes great, choose it for cooking over olive or canola oil.
• Cod Liver Oil provides important acids. DHA and EPA are vital for brain, nervous system and emotional wellbeing.
• Great sources of Omega 3 Fatty acids are cod liver oil and flax oil.
• Great sources of Omega 6 EFA’s are evening primrose oil and borage oil.
• Great sources of Omega 9 EFA’s are fresh seeds and nuts, avocado and sunflower oil.
• Avoid cooking with olive oil, canola oil, margarine (contains soy and hydrogenated oils).
• Avoid fried foods, fast foods, prepackaged foods, pastries, cakes, etc. These are full of trans fatty acids which may damage cellular health.
• Cod Liver Oil Essential for Healthy Fertility and Pregnancy
• Omega 3-6-9, Essential Supplement for Fertility

The impact of preconception diet on the outcome of reproductive treatments

2. Be at your optimal weight

According to several medical studies weight loss should be recommended if the BMI is in the overweight and obese category, and weight gain should be recommended for an underweight BMI.

3. Vitamins & minerals are necessary for your fertility

Both partners should include a multivitamin made from whole foods. Why? Our dietary habits should come first and we should get most of our vitamins and minerals from what we eat daily, but more than likely you will not get what you need from food choices alone. Whole food multivitamins help us to make sure we are getting enough vital nutrients necessary for maintaining hormonal balance, creating healthy eggs and sperm, and creating a baby. In women, nutritional deficiencies can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, anovulatory cycles, hormonal imbalance, increased risk of miscarriage and lowered egg health. In men, nutritional deficiencies can cause hormonal imbalances, lower sperm health, and low sperm count.
Little known facts about vital nutrients:
• Low iron, vitamin B12 and B6 levels associated with anemia can cause ovulation to stop.
• Magnesium deficiency is a leading cause of menstrual cramps.
• The period of time that it is most important for the fetus to get folic acid, is before you will even know you are pregnant.
• Zinc is necessary for the formation, function, and quality of male sperm.
• Vitamin C has been shown to help improve hormonal levels and increases fertility in women with luteal phase defect.
• Vitamin E is an important antioxidant to help protect sperm and egg DNA integrity.
• A study by Harvard has shown that taking multivitamins to improve chances of pregnancy.

Why should the multivitamin be made from whole food?
Because the body is able to easily break down, assimilate and utilize the nutrients found in whole food multivitamins as opposed to synthetic or isolated vitamins and minerals.
Women should continue taking a whole food multivitamin into pregnancy, but it should be specific for pregnancy. Baby and Me Multivitamin is an excellent whole food prenatal multivitamin.

 

4. Benefit your mind, body & spirit: Relax

We live in a fast-paced world, full of high demand. That demand puts a lot of stress on the body. Higher levels of chronic stress cause shifts in the body's natural hormone levels and can negatively affect ovulation, Stress can cause the body to no longer function as it should. A body in a constant state of stress can actually shut down reproductive function. This is not ideal if you are trying to get pregnant! It is essential that you make a stress-reduction plan. You can change everything else in your life; your diet, you can take many herbs, supplements, ect., but if you do not consciously take downtime each day, stress is going to have damaging effects on your health. Learn the impacts of stress on fertility and what you can do about it here: Stress and Your Fertility

Relaxation and Yoga go hand in hand There is no other exercise program that supports fertility like yoga poses and breathing techniques specific for aiding reproductive function. Yoga is a well-rounded exercise program. Trying to conceive can be stressful. Fertility yoga can help you reduce stress by teaching you to clear the mind and slow breathing, all while creating a strong and healthy body ready for pregnancy and parenting.
Benefits of Fertility Yoga:
• Yoga stretches and tones the muscles for increased flexibility and strength
• Fertility specific poses help to keep the reproductive organs in proper alignment
• Increased circulation to the entire body for proper detoxification and healthy renewal of cellular health
• Teaches you how to center your heart and mind for stress reduction
• Supports endocrine function for improved hormonal balance

Did you know that we are constantly bombarded by chemicals that have the ability to alter our hormonal balance? Those chemicals are called xenohormones. Xenohormones mimic our natural hormones, which can cause hormonal imbalances. We are exposed to these daily through plastics, car exhaust, paint fumes and more. On top of that many of us lead high-stress lives, are sedentary, have sleep disturbances or we may regularly consume too much sugar, alcoholic beverages, and take medications. These all contribute to the hormonal imbalance in the body.

5. Fertility massage: Massage techniques to improve female fertility

One study was published that claims: "Manual physical therapy has been demonstrated to reverse female infertility attributed to occluded fallopian tubes, hormonal dysregulation, endometriosis, and unexplained infertility and to increase success in vitro cycles." This was confirmed by several others including this here. Fertility Massage is specific to women’s reproductive health. 

6. Herbs: Powerful support for proper reproductive function

Doesn’t a nice cup of herbal tea sound nice? I never go a day without 3 cups of tea. I also use a variety of herbal preparations every day to maintain my health and the health of my family. Learning to use herbs can be a supportive and healthy way to boost fertility.
Plants have been used for thousands and thousands of years to promote health, heal, increase libido and improve fertility. There are a wide variety of herbs to help improve fertility health. Liver supporting herbs help to promote hormonal balance. Adaptogen herbs support endocrine system function, protect the body from the damaging effects of stress and boost immunity. Some herbs have been shown to promote the regular function of the menstrual cycle, while others are specific to aid in the function of the male reproductive organs.
There are herbs for menstrual cramps, reduction in heavy bleeding, improving uterine tone. There are even herbs that protect sperm health and boost erectile function in men. If you have never considered trying herbs for fertility, just check out our complete Fertility Herbs Guide. This guide will help you learn which herbs can be used for which fertility issues.

7. Timing sex: Know your cycle

Learn to chart your cycle and time sexual intercourse correctly. Believe it or not, a study came out that showed most women calculated their most fertile times incorrectly. This can be devastating when you are trying to conceive. Missing your window of opportunity due to incorrect timing can be changed easily though! You have a 6-day window to get pregnant, with only 2 peak days. So begin trying to conceive 3 days prior to ovulation, the day of ovulation and 2 days after that. If your male partner has low sperm count or poor sperm health, try to have sex only on the day of ovulation. Abstaining from sexual intercourse for the days prior to ovulation will help to build up his sperm count. Most women ovulate 2 weeks before menstruation begins. Charting helps you to know if and when you may be ovulating; which will help you to know when to try to conceive.

8. Stay away from these poisons

Cigarette smoke can lead to an early onset of infertility, and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to miscarriage and babies with malformations such as fetal alcohol syndrome. Even drinking alcohol while trying to get pregnant decreases your fertility. 

References:


• These finding supported the study hypothesis of a generally poor level of fertility awareness among women presenting for treatment of infertility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28661897
• These finding supported the study hypothesis of a generally poor level of fertility awareness among women presenting for treatment of infertility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9325525
• One-third of women who attend general practice show interest in fertility awareness, but far fewer can correctly identify the fertile period of the menstrual cycle:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26590626
• Most women seeking assistance at assisted reproductive technology clinics attempt timed intercourse within the fertile window of the menstrual cycle. However, few accurately identify this window, suggesting that poor fertility-awareness may be a contributing cause of infertility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22764878
•  The main indicators of fertility are: observing the cervical mucus, recording the basal body temperature, palpating the cervix and a calculation based on the cycle length: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9678103
• This study has identified several important barriers and enablers to fertility-awareness education in general practice. Translation into the practice of our findings is imperative as the first step in establishing a primary care model in fertility-awareness. This would fill an important gap in the primary care of infertile women and build capacity in general practice to reduce infertility through women's enhanced fertility knowledge: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26957079
• Some of the perceived barriers identified by general practitioners were time constraints, the lack of women presenting at the preconception stage, the numerous competing preventive priorities within the general practice setting, issues relating to the cost of and access to preconception care, and the lack of resources for assisting in the delivery of preconception care guidelines. Perceived enablers identified by general practitioners included the availability of preconception care checklists and patient brochures, handouts, and waiting room posters outlining the benefits and availability of preconception care consultations: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23368720
• Multiple interdependent mechanisms contribute to the detrimental effect of obesity on male fertility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28661897
• LiveScience Staff. (9/6/2012). When Can You Get Pregnant? Many Women Don’t Know, Study Claims. Huff Post Women. Retrieved online from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/06/when-can-you-get-pregnant-fertility-calendar-conception_n_1861006.html
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• Harvard University Gazette. (2007). Changes in diet and lifestyle may help prevent infertility. Retrieved online from: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/11/changes-in-diet-and-lifestyle-may-help-prevent-infertility/
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• Braga, D. P. D. A. F., Halpern, G., Rita de Cássia, S. F., Setti, A. S., Iaconelli, A., & Borges, E. (2012). Food intake and social habits in male patients and its relationship to intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes. Fertility and Sterility, 97(1), 53-59. Retrieved online from: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282%2811%2902677-X/abstract
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• Rodriguez, Hethir, C.H., C.M.T. (n.d.) Omega 3-6-9, Essential Supplement for Fertility and Pregnancy. Retrieved online from: http://natural-fertility-info.com/essential-fatty-acid-fertility
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• Rodriguez, Hethir, C.H., C.M.T. (n.d.) Fertility Yoga. Retrieved online from: http://natural-fertility-info.com/fertility-yoga
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• Rodriguez, Hethir, C.H., C.M.T. (n.d.) Prepare for Conception With a Multivitamin. Retrieved online from: http://natural-fertility-info.com/multivitamin
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• Rodriguez, Hethir, C.H., C.M.T. (n.d.) Fertility Smoothies – A Fun and Delicious Way to Boost Your Fertility. Retrieved online from: http://natural-fertility-info.com/fertility-smoothies.html
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• Rodriguez, Hethir, C.H., C.M.T. (n.d.) How to Use Self Fertility Massage™ to Boost Your Chances of Conception. Retrieved online from: http://natural-fertility-info.com/fertility-massage