Getting Pregnant: Practical Tips to Increase Fertility Rates Through Diet

Are you trying for a baby? What can you do to increase your fertility and thus the chance? Apart from having sex regularly, both men and women can adjust their diet and lifestyle to increase their fertility. Let’s have a look at the tips shared by Cigna Smart Health.

Factors Affecting Pregnancy

1: Body Weight

Both overweight and underweight can lower your chance of getting pregnant. No matter you are a dad or mom-to-be, you should keep track of your BMI.

According to Cleveland Clinic in the USA, being obese and significantly overweight may make it harder to get pregnant since fat cells often produce higher estrogen levels, which can work against your body when trying to ovulate. It may result in irregular ovulation and menstrual cycles. Another report from Andrologia in 2020 also points out that obesity among males disrupts their endocrine system and sperm motility and concentration. Research conducted in 2017 shows that couples with BMI over 35 required a longer time-to-pregnancy (TTP), 55% to 59% more time than those with a normal BMI.

So, what is a healthy BMI for yourself? As explained by Flavia U, the Senior Dietitian of Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Asians with BMIs over 23 are considered as overweight, while underweight (BMI: <18) may lead to irregular menstrual cycles and even ovulation among Asian women, affecting their chance of pregnancy.

Body Mass Index (BMI) = Weight (kg)／Height (m)

BMI	Weight Status
<18.5	Underweight
18.5 – 22.9	Normal
>23	Overweight

2: Ovulation

Many understand the ‘fertility window,’ but do you know how to calculate the estimated period?

Women ovulate about 14 days before menstruation. Pregnancy is technically only possible if you have sex during the five days before ovulation or on the day of ovulation. But the most fertile days are the four days leading up to and including ovulation. Having sex during this time gives you the best chance of getting pregnant.

Nowadays, many online tools help you calculate your ovulation period, but the prerequisite is that you need to have a regular menstrual and ovulatory cycle. Keeping a close eye on your menstrual cycle is vital to raise your chance of pregnancy as well.

As pointed out by an article from Nature magazine in 2019, the length of menstrual cycles varies among women and the ovulatory time changes along different life stages.

Therefore, monitoring your ovulation period regularly is essential to get the timing right. Ovulation testing sticks are another tool to predict your ovulation time.

3: Stress

Are you trying hard to have your baby and becoming anxious about it? However, stress can make it harder to conceive.

In October 2018, a study from Boston University's School of Public Health found that women who experienced higher levels of stress had lower rates of conception. However, if only the man reported experiencing a high level of stress, conception was not affected. Emotionally, stress may lead to lower sex drive, libido and eventually the chance of pregnancy.

To stay relaxed and happy, exercising, having a massage, doing yoga and meditatingcan definitely help.

4: Bad Lifestyle Habits

Before being a father and mother, quitting smoking and drinking is a must.

Smoking is harmful not only to embryo growth but also to the health of sperms and eggs, unfavourable to fertility and pregnancy.

Furthermore, when you drink, alcohol passes from your blood through the placenta and to your baby. Drinking alcohol, especially in the first three months of pregnancy, increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and your baby having a low birthweight.

5: Diet

Having a balanced diet can help you stay healthy and raise your chance of getting pregnant. In fact, there are some food choices that can help boost fertility for both men and women.

Fertility Foods for Women

The principle of a fertility diet for ladies is to stay fit and improve egg quality. To optimise your diet for fertility, you should have a higher intake of quality fats and carbohydrates, eat more fruits and vegetables and remember not to lose weight without professional advice.

For women, you could try including the below food items to boost fertility and get pregnant faster.

• Folic acid: Dried beans, oranges and dark green vegetable - Spinach, Chinese cabbage, Chinese kale
• Calcium：Milk, yoghurt, cheese
• Iron: Dark green vegetables - Spinach, Chinese cabbage, Chinese kale
• Omega-3 fatty acid: Nuts, flaxseed, deep-sea fish (such as salmon)
• Iodine: Seaweed, kelp, seafood, fish, oyster
• Dietary fibre: Whole grains - brown rice, purple rice, sweet potato, quinoa, red bean, green bean
• Protein: Beef, pork, chicken, egg, milk

Women who hope to conceive should focus on following nutritional needs that make them more healthy or boost fertility.

• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10): CoQ10 can be found in organ meats, vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower and legumes. It’s believed that CoQ10 can enhance fertility
• Folic acid: Experts recommend that women take 400 mcg of folic acid every day (not more than 1000 mcg) at least a month before getting pregnant to help prevent major congenital disabilities. Food options include salmon and egg yolk. Please consult your doctor or nutritionist for more information.
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus and preterm birth. Women planning for pregnancy are encouraged to consume foods rich in vitamin D such as oily fish (salmon, sardines etc.), eggs, beans, nuts, whole grains, vegetables and beef liver.

Foods to Increase Male Fertility

Men who hope to improve the number, motility and quality of their semen can include the food options below in the diet.

• Zinc: Oysters, red meat, cereals
• Selenium: Fish, nuts, meat
• Folic acid: Dried beans, oranges and dark green vegetable - Spinach, Chinese cabbage, Chinese kale
• Antioxidant substances: It is recommended to consume five kinds of vegetables of different colours every day, such as orange, tomato, dark green vegetables

Foods to Avoid When Trying to Get Pregnant

When you are trying to get pregnant, please stay away from the following foods to protect your health and baby.

• High-mercury fish: Mercury can damage the nervous system, which means that consuming mercury-rich seafood like shark fins, swordfish, mouse squad and stone clam while pregnant could directly harm the fetus.
• Processed foods: Instant noodles, snacks, soft drinks, canned foods, and processed meats contain many trans fats, salt and chemicals, which are bad for health.
• Caffeine:Coffee,tea, energy drinks and coke contain caffeine, which increases blood pressure and heartbeat rate. Excessive intake could lower the fertility rate.
• Uncooked foods： Raw or semi-raw foods, such as sashimi, sandwiches, incur a higher chance of bacterial infection.

When Should You Seek Testing for Infertility?

Around 80 to 90 percent of couples with normal fertility can get pregnant within a year. For couples aged under 35 with unprotected intercourse, you should seek medical advice if you cannot get pregnant within a single year. For those aged above 35, you should receive a fertility test if you have sex regularly in the span of six months without any contraception.

Fertility is not just a women’s problem. If necessary, both men and women should visit your doctor together to look for causes and treatments of infertility.

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