Before becoming pregnant with my first child, I had many fears about not being able to become pregnant due to fertility issues. This fear drove me to do everything in my power to make my body a welcoming environment for a healthy embryo.
Below are my top 6 lifestyle changes I made to increase my odds of falling pregnant, even with PCOS and irregular cycles. I truly believe that these modifications helped me to fall pregnant our first month of trying- no IVF, fertility clinics, or artificial insemination required!
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1. Stop drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes/cannabis, or doing any other substance
This is pretty run of the mill for trying to get pregnant. No amount of alcohol in pregnancy is known to be safe, and pregnancy can easily go undetected in the first few weeks. Smoking cigarettes can lead to growth restrictions in utero as well as lower birth weight. I stopped doing any smoking or drinking three months before we started trying for a baby.
2. Increase your intake of iron and folate rich foods
Iron and folate are two nutrients that are needed for a healthy pregnancy, and deficiency in either can cause early pregnancy loss and reduce your chance of implantation. The pre-pregnancy stage is the best time to improve your nutrition!
Iron rich foods include things like meats, leafy greens, eggs, oatmeal, seafood, and beans.
Folate rich foods include things like liver, leafy greens, lentils, asparagus, and broccoli.
3. Take a high quality prenatal supplement
Taking a prenatal supplement before pregnancy begins ensures that your body has the needed nutrients to support a healthy pregnancy. Whenever it comes to supplements I always suggest getting supplements that have passed a third party verification such as USP. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so getting something that has a third party verification is essential!
An easily accessible and affordable brand is Nature Made. This is what I used during my pregnancy but there are many options available!
Other supplements you may want to consider taking are Vitamin D and Calcium.
4. Strive for 30-60m of low impact exercise daily
Exercising is a great way to lower blood pressure, control blood glucose levels, and reduce stress- three important things to prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. Walking, biking, yoga, light weights, and swimming are all fantastic prenatal exercise choices. When I was preparing my body for pregnancy, I tried to take a walk daily for at least 20 minutes and I tried to walk outside when the weather was good to boost Vitamin D levels. I also tried to do a prenatal yoga flow every day to boost circulation and reduce stress.
5. Do your best to avoid toxins and heavy metals
Try to avoid things like bisphenols, phthalates, lead, PFAS, and other toxins in your daily life. Start with simple swaps for items that you use every day- such as cleaning, personal care products, and cooking utensils. Some swaps I made while trying to get pregnant was switching to cast iron for cooking, using glass tupperware for food storage, and swapped to a non-toxic laundry detergent (this is also my favorite for cloth diapers!). By detoxing your life, you will not only increase your fertility, but you will also improve the health of you and your family going forward.
6. Start tracking your menstrual cycle
Use a period tracking app to track your cycle. Having PCOS my periods were always irregular and it was hard to know when I was ovulating. I started tracking my period a few months before me and my husband started tracking. I tracked my basal temperature every morning and also tracked my cervical mucus. By doing this I became very in-tune with my body and was able to tell when I was ovulating. This helped me understand more about my body and get pregnant on the first try!
I hope these tips are insightful and help empower you to improve your fertility naturally and achieve a healthy pregnancy. What questions do you have? What kind of content do you want to see? Leave a comment below or contact me by email with your suggestions.
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