Ready, set, baby!

Boost your chances of conceiving, naturally

Trying to get pregnant is an emotional roller coaster (to say the least!). It’s both exhilarating and stressful. We get it. Sometimes, despite eating nutritious foods and living a healthy lifestyle, a couple’s fertility journey is far from what’s hoped for.

On top of that, the conception process can be confusing—from understanding the length of your menstrual cycle—to when you can actually get pregnant, there are multiple pieces to the puzzle. With that in mind, we’re sharing how to boost your chances of conceiving, naturally. Think: dietary guidelines and habits to implement before trying to get pregnant. 

First, don’t beat yourself up for waiting

Your life, your timeline. Stressing about your age, wallowing in should-haves, and berating yourself for not trying to get pregnant sooner will only hinder—not help—your chances of conceiving. There is no shame in living a life filled with memories, experiences, and learning opportunities! Looking at things from a different lens, that’s a fertile life. Fertility is more than conception and reproduction. Fertility is about being full, creative, productive, and vibrant.

Second, have an honest convo with your doctor

As soon as you start thinking about trying to conceive, talk to your provider. Let them know you’re planning to have a family. Together, review your menstrual cycle. Ask to have labs done to rule out conditions like hypothyroidism, amenorrhea, and PCOS. Blood tests can also rule out nutrient deficiencies (which can impair fertility) as well as hormonal imbalances. In essence, your doctor can help you take a proactive approach to getting your body ready.

Third, prioritize a balanced diet

When it comes to nutrition, you want to make sure you’re eating enough, consuming a variety of high-quality ingredients, and keeping blood sugar balanced. Eating enough (which most women aren’t doing!) ensures your body has proper fuel for the very energy-intense process of developing a mature egg, ovulating, conceiving, and carrying a baby to term. Include plenty of antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory foods. Lastly, you want to keep your blood sugar as stable as possible. This decreases inflammation in the body, supports optimal sleep, and so much more.

Fourth, replenish nutrients lost from birth control (if this applies to you!)

There’s no denying that birth control pills can deplete vitamins and minerals. Eating a variety of foods—as well as taking a multivitamin / prenatal—can help replace valuable nutrients. This is another reason why you’ll want to have your nutrient levels checked before trying to conceive. 

Fifth, make sleep and stress management a non-negotiable

We’re often so focused on food and fitness that we totally skip over two incredibly important roles in our wellbeing: sleep and stress. Not only do both of these impact reproductive and overall wellness, but they also support nutrition and exercise. After all, it’s hard to eat well and be active when you’re tired and stressed out. Make it a priority to get outside and disconnect from your digital life, read fiction books instead of doom scrolling on social media, and spend time being creative in the kitchen. If it calls to you, start a daily meditation practice.

Preconception by Design

Our medical advisor Dr. Corina Dunlap has created a 6 week course designed to help couples navigate the preconception stage and optimize their health before having a baby. 

Learn what labs you should talk to your doctor about, how to eat to boost your nutrition status, what toxins to avoid, and much more. Check out Preconception by Design here. 

A few favorites from this week.

Here’s Yasmin enjoying her nutrient-dense seed cycling strawberry smoothie.

Kaya’s nutrient-dense dinner featuring a colorful salad, chicken, and sweet potatoes!

Fertility checklist

With this 5-step checklist, improve your odds of conceiving (in an efficient and timely manner!).

1. Start taking prenatal

If you decide to start actively trying, pretend you’re already pregnant. And the first step in that process? Take a prenatal vitamin. A baby demands tremendous nutrition from the moment that sperm meets egg. Therefore, not taking a prenatal vitamin—from the start—can impact a baby's health from the get go. In addition, a high-quality prenatal can help you start to address nutrient deficiencies to contribute to a healthier pregnancy for both you and baby. Some brands we love include WeNatal, Needed, and Ritual. 

2. Limit toxin exposure

Another step in acting like you’re already pregnant? Remove as many toxins from your home as possible. While certain things (like air pollution) are practically unavoidable, controlling the things you can control will greatly benefit you and baby—from preconception to postpartum and beyond. Toxins can include endocrine disruptors in our cleaning and personal care products, but they also include substances like alcohol.

3. Determine your fertile window

This goes without saying, but to support the chances of sperm meeting egg, it’s necessary to know when you are fertile. Knowing your fertile window—or the period of time around ovulation—gives you the info you need to time intercourse, correctly. As mentioned, there are several options to track ovulation: LH tests, BBT recording, and cervical mucus monitoring.

4. Rule out nutrient deficiencies 

Conditions like low levels of vitamin D, thyroid issues, and elevated estrogen can hinder your ability to conceive. As part of your fertility checklist, rule out any nutrient deficiencies with your healthcare provider, OB/GYN, or functional medicine doctor. You may need to alter your diet or supplement regime! Getting bloodwork done, proactively, is key.

5. Consider getting his swimmers checked

With the fertile window, healthy ovulation, and your nutrition covered, it’s important to understand what’s going on with your partner’s sperm. There are two main aspects of sperm that matter most: sperm count and sperm motility. Meaning, there are enough sperm in ejaculate and they can get to where they need to be (the egg). While some doctors may test sperm, it is often a later step in the infertility process.

Our seed cycling blends can help you feel and do your best

 

From IUD disaster to first pregnancy! We're SO grateful to support you. Check out our seed cycling blends if you're ready to get started!