How To Get Pregnant Faster: Tips And Facts To Increase Fertility
ByCari Nierenberg, Sarah Wild23 March 2021
Weve spoken to the experts to come up with 10 tips for how to get pregnant quickly and safely.
You may have many questions about how to get pregnant, particularly if you have an underlying condition. Taking care of your body is a good first step to optimize your fertility. But what else can you do to improve their odds of having a baby?
The most important advice for a woman who wants to get pregnant is to get to know her body, specifically her menstrual cycle, said Dr. Mary Ellen Pavone, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist, and medical director of the in-vitro fertilization program at Northwestern Medicines Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility division in Chicago.
Its important to know how far apart her cycles are so she can more accurately time intercourse to try to get pregnant, Pavone said.
Weve highlighted the top 10 tips that may help increase your chances of becoming pregnant. As always with this type of information make sure to speak to a medical professional as this advice is broad and you may require specialist attention. You should still find this article and accompanying video on how to get pregnant useful.
Check Those Iron Levels
Its time to start pumping iron. The supplement kind, that is. Consuming iron supplements and non-heme iron, which comes from plant-based foods, may decrease the risk of ovulatory infertility.
A recent 2019 study concluded that heme iron had no effect on fertility and non-heme only had some benefit for women who already had iron deficiency.
More evidence is needed to confirm whether iron supplements should be recommended to all women, especially if iron levels are already healthy. But making sure your iron levels are solid with your doctor is a good step.
Non-heme iron sources are more difficult for your body to absorb, so try taking them with foods or drinks high in vitamin C to increase absorption.
Alcohol consumption can negatively affect fertility. However, its unclear how much alcohol is needed to cause this effect.
One 2016 study found that having more than
involving 7,393 women found that a high alcohol intake was associated with more infertility examinations.
However, the evidence on moderate alcohol consumption is mixed. One older study found no link between moderate consumption and infertility, while other studies report that moderate intake can affect fertility.
Ultimately, avoiding excessive consumption of alcohol is recommended. Talk to you doctor about your own intake to ensure the best outcome for you.
Examples include:
What Is Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen dominance occurs when estrogen levels are abnormally high in relation to progesterone. This doesnt necessarily mean that progesterone levels are normal and estrogen levels are higher sometimes abnormally low progesterone levels can cause estrogen dominance.
Estrogen dominance can be caused by several different factors. The first is excess fat cells. Fat cells produce and store estrogen. So, the more fat cells a woman has, the more estrogen she makes.
Estrogen can also rise in response to some medications, including hormonal birth control and estrogen replacement therapy which can be a treatment for menopause.
Estrogen dominance is also commonly linked with PCOS. Because of an excess amount of androgens, women with PCOS often experience a hormone imbalance that prevents ovulation from occurring . When ovulation doesnt occur there isnt an empty follicle to produce progesterone. This leads to an excessive amount of estrogen in comparison to little or no progesterone.
Estrogen dominance symptoms are different in every woman. Some common symptoms include:
- Irregular periods
- Uterine fibroids
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Important Menstrual Cycle Hormones
Follicle Stimulating Hormone released from the pituitary gland in the brain, and stimulates the ovarian follicles to mature.
Luteinizing Hormone also released from the pituitary gland in the brain at ovulation, and causes the rupture of the mature ovarian follicle, releasing the egg.
Estrogen One of the female sex hormones and often referred to as the ³growing hormone² because of its role in the body. Estrogen is responsible for growing and maturing the uterine lining and also matures the egg prior to ovulation. Estrogen is produced mostly by the ovaries but also in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands and in fat tissue. It is most abundant in the first half of the menstrual cycle .
Progesterone Another of the female sex hormones. It works in the body to balance the effects of estrogen and is often referred to as the relaxing hormone. Progesterone is produced after ovulation by the corpus luteum and dominates the second half of the cycle . Progesterone¹s main job is to control the build up of the uterine lining and help mature and maintain the uterine lining if there is a pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, our progesterone levels fall and the lining of the uterus is shed, beginning the menstrual cycle.
How To Get Pregnant With Low Estrogen
The best approach to getting pregnant with low estrogen is by tackling the underlying root, hormonal imbalance.
There are a number of ways to increase estrogen levels, which might consist of safe and natural options, like eating a nutritious fertility diet, focusing on moderate exercise while trying to conceive, maintaining a fertility chart, or implementing healthier habits, with the help of herbal fertility supplements.
Two of the most effective types of herbal supplements include the following:
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Phytoestrogenic supplements, like red clover or ginkgo, which can be used short-term to improve hormonal equilibrium
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Hormone-balancing supplements, like Macafem, which can safely be used long-term to stimulate the body’s endocrine system for proper hormone production, healthy menstruation, and optimal ovulation, all of which are key to higher chances of pregnancy.
In the case of more severe hormonal imbalance, various conventional infertility treatments, like medications or surgery, might be necessary.
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Support The Endocrine System With Maca
In women, maca aids the body by helping to control estrogen in the body. Estrogen levels that are high or low at the wrong time can keep a woman from becoming pregnant or keep her from carrying to term. Taking maca may help to increase the progesterone levels which are essential to carrying a healthy pregnancy.Too much estrogen in men produces erectile dysfunction or lack of libido, low sperm count, and lowered production of seminal fluid. Men who use maca have been seen to have an increased libido and healthy sperm.
Maca is an adaptogen herb, that supports healthy endocrine system function, aiding both the pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid glands . Adaptogens increase resistance to mind-body stress and enhance overall vitality and health through non-specific endocrine support. Plants recognized as adaptogens help to normalize the bodies functions even during diseased states, are non-toxic, nutritive, and have been deemed safe for long term use.
Too learn more about related subjects covered in this article, please visit the following links:
, their effects on Fertility, and how to support your body from exposure.
The next major advance in the health of the people will be determined by what the individual is willing to do for himself.-John Knowles, Former President of the Rockefeller Foundation
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Ask You Medical Provider About Chasteberry
“Chasteberry is an herb know to improve progesterone production,” Dr. Warner says. “It’s also used for PMS, irregular menses, and support of early pregnancy when there is a history of potential progesterone imbalance.” Specifically, it works by stimulating the pituitary gland to produce more luteinizing hormone, which, in turn, signals the ovaries to produce more progesterone.
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How To Increase Progesterone Levels To Get Pregnant
Aarohi AchwalView more Gynecologist/ObstetricianOur Panel of ExpertsIn this Article
Welcoming a child into the family is one of the happiest moments in ones life. However, getting pregnant is not as easy as it sounds. In a lot of cases, couples have to try really hard to be blessed with their own bundle of joy. The efforts have to be consistent, and there must be no problems with the man or the woman for the efforts to be successful. While it may take months to make a baby in most cases, ultimately leading to a successful conception, sometimes, couples still end up being unable to conceive.
Symptoms Of Low Progesterone
The worst part is that the amount of progesterone needed for a healthy pregnancy is still vague. Not able to track it and manage their levels without help from their doctor is frustrating. This is why knowing low progesterone symptoms is important. If you suspect you have luteal phase progesterone insufficiency or experience these telltale signs of low progesterone, talk to your doctor about treatment immediately.
The symptoms of low progesterone include the following:
- Mood swings, anxiety, and irritability
- Slow metabolism, weight gain, sugar cravings
- Fluid retention
- Acne, dry cracked skin, and brittle nails
- Headaches, migraines, and joint pains
- Low temperature during the luteal phase
- Luteal phase shorter than the follicular phase
- Late, missed, or irregular menstrual periods
- Mid-cycle spotting
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When To See A Doctor
If natural remedies arent helping your symptoms of low estrogen or progesterone, it may be time to visit a doctor. You can discuss other interventions, such as hormone replacement therapy.
You can also explore other dietary and lifestyle changes that may help to reduce low estrogen symptoms.
Some herbal supplements shouldnt be taken with other drugs, so ask your doctor before beginning these supplements if youre on any existing medications.
If you notice any adverse side effects after beginning herbal supplements for low estrogen, see a doctor immediately.
What Causes Low Pdg Levels
Low PdG can be caused by many things, including stress, age, menopause, lack of ovulation, diet, or excessive exercise. Each of these causes can lead to a hormone imbalance, meaning the amount of progesterone your body produces is unequal to the amount of estrogen being produced. Inadequate progesterone production leads to inadequate PdG production.
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Getting The Timing Right
The best way to increase your odds of getting pregnant quickly is to make sure that youre having sex at the right time in your cycle.
If you have regular cycles, you will ovulate around two weeks before your period. This means your fertile window will be the seven days before your expected ovulation.
If you have irregular cycles, it can be a little more difficult to predict when you will ovulate and when your fertile window will be.
There are a number of techniques that you can use to more precisely pinpoint your ovulation and fertile window.
Ways To Boost Progesterone Naturally
In many cases, if you have low estrogen you might also have low progesterone. This is especially common during menopause, when most of the female hormones drop drastically.
Progesterone is most commonly boosted through creams and medications, but some may prefer a more natural approach.
One possible way to boost progesterone is through herbal supplements. One found that chasteberry was able to raise mid-cycle progesterone levels.
However, not all herbal supplements are effective for boosting progesterone. Another found that multiple Chinese herbal medicine supplements actually lowered progesterone levels.
A better way to naturally raise progesterone levels is through a healthy diet and lifestyle. Eating a varied diet can provide the body with the nutrients it needs for progesterone metabolism.
This includes foods such as cruciferous vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Keeping a healthy weight, staying on a consistent sleep schedule, and managing stress can help to keep hormones balanced as well.
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The Importance Of Progesterone For Pregnancy
Increased levels of progesterone are needed to prime the uterus for pregnancy. After implantation, this ovarian hormone stimulates the growth of blood vessels in the lining of the uterus and glands that provide nutrients to your embryo, paving the way for a healthy placenta.
Even after the placenta takes over, progesterone is still hard at work maintaining a healthy uterus and helping to prevent preterm birth. That’s why it’s so essential that your progesterone levels stay high throughout your pregnancy, says Nanette Santoro, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado.
Doctors believe some pregnant people are at risk for luteal phase insufficiency , in particular, those with marginally low body weight or very low body fat women who exercise more than four hours a week women who have lost their menstrual periods in the past due to stress and women who have a short luteal phase .
Because these women often have difficulties getting pregnant, they are typically treated prior to pregnancy with medication that manages their whole cycle and stimulates the ovaries to make more hormonesprogesterone being just one of them.
Eat More Fiber For Lower Estrogen Levels
Research shows that one of the most beneficial things you can do to optimize your estrogen levels is increase your fiber intake.
A high fiber diet is associated with improved microbial health and decreased risk of dysbiosis . In fact, increasing the amount of fiber in your diet for just 2 weeks is enough to significantly improve the composition of your gut bacteria .
Additionally, fiber may be able to directly bind the estrogen-sugar complex in the digestive tract, helping eliminate it from the body. In a study examining estrogen absorption in women, there was a direct and significant relationship between a womans fiber intake, the size of her stool, and the amount of estrogen she was able to flush from her body .
How you choose to increase your fiber intake is up to you, but boosting your fiber intake by increasing the amount of fiber-rich foods in your diet, rather than through adding fiber supplements, may give you more bang for your buck.
This is because the dietary source of fiber plants are also rich in polyphenols . As I outlinehere, polyphenols can help boost the health of your gut bacteria, so plant-based fiber-rich foods treat dysbiosis to a one-two punch.
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Low Estrogen During Menopause
As women age, hormone levels begin to change and estrogen, along with other hormones, may begin to drop. Since your body is nearing the natural end of child-bearing years, less hormones are needed to maintain your reproductive system.
Changes in estrogen production may become irregular with varying levels in the leadup to menopause, but overall reduced production can affect a variety of bodily functions. Lower hormone levels can impact your brain and nervous system, vaginal health, and urinary system to name a few.
Many symptoms of low estrogen can be managed by lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and quitting smoking. Eating foods that can increase your estrogen levels is one strategy used to help naturally boost hormones.
Fertility Foods And Menstruation
If you are trying to get pregnant and your period happens, its understandable why you would want to indulge in comfort foods like cheeseburgers, doughnuts, and milkshakes. Unfortunately, comfort food does nothing to support fertility. During your period, include leafy green vegetables, fish, beans, meat, and other iron-rich, protein-heavy fertility foods. These can also help ease cramps and prevent anemia if you are prone to bleeding heavily.
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Trend #: Low Progesterone
Progesterone levels increase in the second half of the cycle, called the luteal phase. If a woman does not ovulate, progesterone levels will not increase. This can decrease chances of conception and increase the risk of miscarriage.
Its important that estrogen and progesterone are in a good ratio to keep you stable and balanced. Low progesterone often creates relative estrogen dominance, and thus shares many of the same symptoms as excess estrogen.
Symptoms of low progesterone include:
-
Menopause/Perimenopause6
How to treat low progesterone
My favorite remedy to encourage the natural production of progesterone is the herb Chaste Tree Berry .7 I also like to use adaptogenic herbs like Rhodiola8 or Ashwagandha.9
If a patient has both excess estrogen and low progesterone, we would use a combination of remedies based on causal factors.
I also recommend removing xenoestrogens from the diet and environment as they will continue to disrupt the balance of estrogen and progesterone.
When Estrogen Levels Are Too High
In addition to fluctuating hormone levels around puberty or perimenopause, higher estrogen levels can be caused by estrogen-producing tumors. Since body fat is one of the producers of estrogen, a higher body-fat percentage can also lead to higher estrogen levels.
On the flip side of hypopituitarism, hyperpituitarism when the pituitary gland produces too much of one or multiple hormones can cause excessively high estradiol levels and sometimes infertility.
Whats considered high? In terms of the Modern Fertility Hormone Test, levels of estradiol in premenopausal people with ovaries on day 3 of their cycle are high if theyre above 115 pg/mL.
Symptoms of high estrogen levels include:
- Heavier periods or increased frequency of periods
- Worsening of premenstrual syndrome
- Non-cancerous breast lumps
- Uterus fibroids
- Anxiety or depression
If you have endometriosis, high estrogen can trigger inflammation and sometimes extreme pain because the hormone controls the growth of uterine tissue. Those with polycystic ovary syndrome which is often marked by high androgens , irregular ovulation, and/or multiple immature ovarian follicles may have excess levels of estrogen that can lead to irregular uterine bleeding.
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