5 Ways to Improve Your Fertility

Ever notice the number of fresh new babies that seem to pop up on your facebook feed in the Spring and Summer months? All that tells me is that you folks take this colder weather as a signal to cozy up and that as we head into the winter months it’s prime “baby-making” time.

The only issue is that in order to make a baby you have to be relatively healthy and the winter season can be full of fighting off coughs and colds, over-indulging in sugary treats, avoiding the outdoors and spending more time on the couch than many of us do over the summer months. What does all this have to do with fertility? Would you believe me if I told you that the prolonged darkness we get here in Canada throughout the Winter months can actual impact ovulation and cause changes in your cycle? Needless to say, if you plan on trying to make a baby this month it may take a little extra focus and attention to health habits that it did in the summer months.

With the fall and winter seasons we gather to celebrate all that we are thankful for and many of us use the new year as a time to set our eyes on the future and for some of you that means setting your eyes on building the family you’ve always dreamed of. So, I’ve put together a list of 5 ways you can optimize your fertility over the colder months… a list that goes beyond taking your pre-natal vitamins and folic acid. So, what you can you do to optimize your fertility?

Start Your Days off Strong and Stabilize Your Blood Sugars

Consider re-vamping your breakfast! Ensure you’re getting adequate fuel source to optimize your blood sugars so you aren’t experiencing the highs and lows associated with imbalanced meals. Not sure where to start? Consider trying buckwheat and cinnamon – this power couple will keep your blood sugar stable and support cyclical ovulation.

Check in on your vaginal health!

If there’s any odour, discharge, itch or colour changes you’re putting off dealing with – now is the time. Issues with the health of your vaginal flora can lead to the prevention of fertilization of an egg, spontaneous miscarriage, and a higher risk of preterm birth. Your vaginal flora is a reflection of what’s going on in your digestive tract and its microbiome so make sure if you’re having any vaginal or digestive issues that you get these assessed by a practitioner that focuses their clinical practice in this area (hint-hint-that’s me!).

Let it shine!

Sunshine is important to your fertility – specifically, its contribution to your vitamin D levels. So, is it enough just to increase your Vitamin D3 supplementation and call it a day? Nope. Studies continue to show that supplementing with vitamin D is inferior to time spent in the sun. So, if you can, get outside daily despite the cold. Take a walk on your lunch break, expose your skin to the sun on the days where that’s do-able and consider, if you can, taking a trip to a beach somewhere down South prior to hunkering down and making your baby. Studies have shown that 93% of women who are having difficulty conceiving have low vitamin D3 levels so this issue is not to be ignored!

An Avocado a Day will Fertilize the Egg some day…

Okay, okay – maybe not quite…eating an avocado a day won’t fertilize your eggs – but they will prime your eggs for fertilization but supporting egg quality. The Harvard School of Public Health named them one of the highest sources of monounsaturated fats while being lowest in saturated fats. Fats are key to hormone production so ensure you’re getting lots of healthy fats into your diet while you’re trying to conceive.

Jump!

Yes, you read that right. People tend to be more sedentary through the winter months which has been linked to numerous health factors decreasing which in turn decreases your chances of getting pregnant. Beyond this though, we often forget out our lymphatics – the system of tiny vessels that drains the body and its tissues of toxins and unwanted waste. In order to increase your chances of fertility you need to do what you can to ease your body’s everyday cleansing efforts. Using a rebounder (mini trampoline) daily for 10 minutes can help open up your lymphatic system while ensuring you have a little fun in the process of baby-making (because lets face it – fertility struggles are anything but!).