So you’ve decided to have a baby. Congrats! But sometimes, it’s not that easy, and you might wonder how to increase your fertility in hopes of getting pregnant sooner. You are not alone in that.
Infertility is a common problem. In the United States, 1 in 5 women ages 15 to 49 are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But couples can increase their odds by following recommendations for trying to conceive, and also having a pre-conception meeting with their OBGYN. Here’s what experts recommend for increasing fertility to get pregnant. Please see a medical provider with specific questions, and for further advice on other options to make a family.
Learn when you ovulate and when to have sex
According to the American Pregnancy
Association (APA), factors like stress, illness, hormonal imbalances, travel or changes in weight, exercise or sleep can all affect ovulation. Women can increase the likelihood of getting pregnant by having sex when they are most fertile, meaning every two to three days once their period ends.
Remember you might not ovulate at the exact same time as someone else, so you can use ovulation prediction kits (OPKs) to learn more about your own cycle. Apps and wearables like Oura rings, Kindara, Natural Cycles, Mira and others can help with fertility tracking.
If you aren’t sure you are ovulating at all, talk to your OBGYN who can confirm it.
“Your fertile window is the six days leading up to and including ovulation, and timing sex within it makes a real difference. What I tell my patients is to have sex every other day during the days leading up to ovulation, then on back-to-back days around ovulation itself,” says Dr. Jenna Turocy, fertility expert at Columbia University Fertility Center in New York.
“Sperm can survive for several days, so having them there and waiting when the egg is released gives you the best chance.” She says those OPKs work by picking up the hormone surge that happens a day or two before you ovulate. “They help you figure out when to switch to back-to-back days.”
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Limit alcohol, caffeine and smoking to up chances of pregnancy
There are multiple lifestyle changes you and your partner can make to improve your fertility and chances of getting pregnant.
“Smoking can damage eggs and sperm, and women who smoke tend to go through menopause a few years earlier,” Turocy says.
“It is very important to avoid all tobacco and nicotine products, which are well-documented toxins to both sperm and eggs,” says Dr. Iris Insogna, an OBGYN in reproductive endocrinology at Columbia University Fertility Center in New York. “Heavy alcohol use can also harm egg and sperm quality. Limited alcohol is generally OK but should be completely eliminated once pregnancy is confirmed.”
She adds that exercise and diet are other essential behaviors for fertility, and recommends a Mediterranean diet.
“A prenatal vitamin is important, containing at least 800mcg of folic acid. In terms of supplements, I recommend patients always talk to their doctor before starting anything. For women with egg quality concerns, coenzyme Q10 may be helpful,” Insogna says.
Don’t forget the sperm
Yale Medicine reports that around half of infertility cases have to do with the man. Make sure your fertility planning accounts for both partners’ bodies and health.
“It's always a good idea to (perform) a semen analysis to make sure there are no concerning findings. Men should also be careful to eat a healthy, balanced diet, exercise regularly, avoid frequent hot tub/sauna exposures, avoid any nicotine or tobacco products and limit alcohol,” Insogna says.
“Sperm take about three months to develop, so changes made now show up a few months later,” Turocy says. “Taking testosterone or anabolic steroids, even from a 'men's health"' clinic, can shut down sperm production, sometimes to zero. If you're trying to conceive and you're on testosterone, talk to a doctor before stopping or continuing anything.”
The hardest tips from experts – don’t stress. Easier said than done when you’re trying to conceive.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ready to have a baby? Here's what experts say helps improve fertility
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