11 natural ways to increase fertility

Deciding to start a family is one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make. But unfortunately, getting pregnant doesn't happen easily for everyone.

The good news is there are natural ways you can help boost your fertility, or at the very least make sure your body is in the best shape it can be for conception.

1. Embrace a fertility diet: A healthy diet is even more important if you're planning to start - or expand - your family. A wholesome, balanced diet optimises reproductive health and can encourage consistent egg production. Think leafy greens, fresh fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats like pear and olive oil. Try swapping protein sources too. So swap red meat for tofu, beans, and nuts and seeds in at least one daily meal and use full-fat dairy products like whole milk and regular yogurt instead of the skimmed varieties. Cutting back on carbs and avoiding refined carbs completely can help maintain a healthy weight and lower levels of testosterone and insulin, hormones which contribute to infertility. Eggs, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and cod provide omega-3 fatty acids, a compound your body doesn’t produce on its own. Omega-3's encourage egg production and improve blood flow to your reproductive organs.
2. Avoid trans fats: As mentioned above, eating healthy fats daily is important for boosting fertility. Trans fats, commonly found in hydrogenated vegetable oils and some fried and processed food and baked goods, increase the risk of infertility due to their negative effect on insulin sensitivity.
3. Maintain a healthy weight: Being over or underweight can make it difficult for you to get pregnant. As a general rule of thumb, a body mass index (BMI) of 20-24 is ideal for trying to conceive. Excess hormones produced by fat tissues affect both ovulation and pregnancy. Equally, being underweight can trigger irregular periods, or none at all.
4. Cut out alcohol and smoking: Alcohol, tobacco, and recreational marijuana all negatively impact your reproductive health. Even light drinking a few times a week  can affect your chances of getting pregnant. Meanwhile, the chemicals in cigarettes affect ovulation and reduce the number of eggs you have. And, unlike sperm, eggs aren't continually produced so once they're gone, they can never be replaced.
5. Take prenatal vitamins: Most women think you only start taking supplements once you've actually conceived, but prenatal vitamins are key when planning to get pregnant. Folic acid, vitamin D and iron are just some of the supplements you can take to help boost your chances of conceiving, and to give the fetus the best start in those early weeks of pregnancy.
6. Exercise: While exercise boasts increased fertility among its many benefits, the key is balance as over-exercising can put unnecessary stress on the body and cause fertility issues.
7. Stay hydrated: Drinking a minimum 2 litres of water a day improves blood flow and can help ensure your cervix will be easily penetrated by the sperm. Studies have shown that dehydration is actually detrimental to egg health.
8. Manage stress: Stress is often overlooked in the pregnancy journey but it's extremely toxic for reproductive health. The stress hormone, Cortisol can disrupt communication between your brain and ovaries, causing irregular cycles. Practicing mindfulness like meditation and yoga can help eliminate stress from your mind and body.
9. Monitor your ovulation: It's important to monitor your ovulation cycle when trying to get pregnant so you know when you're likely to be most fertile. Once an egg is released, it remains viable for up to 14 hours while sperm can live inside the female body for up to five days. It's crucial that you try to time it so that both are in your uterus simultaneously for fertilisation. You can use natural methods to track ovulation such as body temperature, or you can buy ovulation tracking kits from your local pharmacy.
10. Get busy between the sheets: Trying to conceive can be a lot of fun. But aside from the intercourse necessary to get pregnant, regular sex has positive benefits as it aids blood flow to your ovaries and uterus.
11. See an OB-GYN: It's important to visit your doctor if you're planning on conceiving to make sure you are on the right track. Equally, if you are having difficulty getting pregnant, your OB-GYN can do specific fertility tests and prescribe treatment if necessary.