Winter Fertility Tips
It’s been pretty cold out (well, for Los Angeles, California), and that means there is a lot of staying in, cuddling up on the couch while it rains out, and hopefully relaxation. That could be a good thing for couples who are trying to conceive. So what are some things that couples can do to optimize their fertility and make the most of these colder, quieter months?
Take Your Vitamins
It sounds silly, but taking folic acid can drastically reduce the chances of spina bifida, among other disorders, in you and your future child, plus may help with energy levels and make pregnancy easier overall. Taking a prenatal with folic acid, along with any other supplements or medications your reproductive endocrinologist or OB/GYN are prescribing you, is a good idea, and if you are working with a fertility acupuncturist/herbalist, getting support and having them go over everything you are taking will help you find out if anything you are taking may in fact be hindering your goal of having a baby. What might help one woman get pregnant may in fact decrease or increase another woman’s hormones to a point where she isn’t able to hold a pregnancy – definitely ask you fertility health care providers to go over your daily doses and make sure you are on a fertility-friendly plan!
Get Some Sleep
Thank god for naps! Winter is the perfect time for hibernating and banking that extra rest that you didn’t get when you were sealing the deal on the Henderson account or too busy planning your little sister’s wedding along with working a full-time job and managing a zillion little things. Sleep is often the thing we blow off the most just to get work done, or take care of social events, etc. But sleep is also the one thing our body can’t live without when it comes to skipping for prolonged periods of time. If we don’t eat, and fast, there are actually good things that can happen from that – but not sleeping will always take away from your body’s system and leave you vulnerable to disease, illness, and not getting pregnant.
Get Tested
If you are trying to conceive and have not seen your doctor yet, definitely do it. Have you been trying to conceive for more than 6 months? Are you over thirty-fiver years old? If so, this is the time to see your doctor, especially a fertility doctor (a reproductive endocrinologist). Going to a good fertility clinic and having a consultation with a fertility expert is the best way to get a hold on where you are at, exactly, with your fertility. Fertility specialists can look at ovarian function and health, uterine health, whether the fallopian tubes are healthy, and if your thyroid and hormones levels area strong enough to get pregnant and carry a healthy baby to term.
