Fertility problems, and the process of undergoing conventional fertility treatment are now widely acknowledged to be one of the most stressful experiences that an individual can experience. Small wonder then, that so many people look for ways to improve fertility naturally.
I suggest to my clients that they should picture how they imagine their future life with their new baby, and as far as is possible, try and make their life now, match that. An essential part of overcoming fertility issues is looking at a couples lifestyle and expectations.
People have an expectation that they can work hard until their 40s to get their lives to a certain point, and then have children when they want. Unfortunately, a woman’s ability to conceive starts to drop dramatically in her late 30s, so one factor to consider if a person wants to improve fertility naturally, is making positive lifestyle changes in order to optimize health.
There are many small changes that women and men can make to improve fertility naturally, and these are part of a process of making positive lifestyle changes. Smoking, alcohol and caffeine all have a negative effect on a person’s fertility, and so addressing these habits should be the first place to start.
Before couples even think about consulting a doctor, they should be looking at these factors. A study by Klonoff-Cohen et al (2002) found that consumption of alcohol and caffeine was a risk factor for not achieving a live birth (either by not becoming pregnant or due to miscarriage.)
Fertility and stress are often linked, but there is no conclusive scientific evidence that stress has an adverse effect on fertility. However stress can have an effect on the endocrine system and the appropriate production of hormones, and so if a couple are trying to improve fertility naturally, both partners should be evaluating how much stress there is in their lives, and taking steps to reduce it.
Certain factors such as poor sperm quality or mobility can make a huge difference in a couple’s ability to conceive, and so a good understanding of how this is positively and negatively affected is important to improve fertility naturally. It takes about 3 months for new sperm to fully mature, which means that something like a bad virus with a fever can kill sperm, and reduce fertility dramatically for 3 months. Additionally as alcohol and caffeine consumption have an effect on sperm production, this three month life cycle should be considered, while waiting for sperm quality to improve.
A regular menstrual cycle is also critical in conception. If a woman’s cycle is extremely irregular, she will not be ovulating, but even small variations in the length of a cycle can have significant impact on how often a woman ovulates.
Some of the greatest success I have had in my clinic, has been with women in this position. They have been struggling to get pregnant, but no one has really talked about how vital having a regular menstrual cycle is. A menstrual cycle with less than 12 days between ovulation and menstruation can be problematic because the mucous membrane in the uterus needs time to prepare for the fertilized egg. We work together to reduce their stress and bring their endocrine system back into balance, so that they can have the best chance of ovulating.
If you live in Bristol and want to talk about how Reflexology can help improve fertility naturally, please call me for a consultation on: 0117 950 6629 or 07811 619860.
Below is a link for further information on the effects of caffeine, alcohol and smoking on fertility:
http://yourfertility.org.au/Effects-of-caffeine-alcohol-and-smoking-on-fertility.pdf
Photo credit : Pixabay (Pexels)