How to boost fertility

I often get asked how to boost fertility. Sadly, there’s no straightforward answer, as it’s so individual. Fertility is complex, but if you have been trying for a baby and are struggling, then assessing your nutritional status is really important. There are some nutrients that are vital for fertility and producing healthy babies, and we’ll look at three of those here today.

Vitamin D

I LOVE vitamin D (summer baby here) and you can read my full post on Vitamin D and Fertility here.

The reasons why it’s so important is that:

1. It improves egg quality (especially when undergoing IVF)
2. It increases the chances of conceiving by helping the body to create sex hormones, which in turn affects ovulation and hormonal balance.

Good sources:

Oily fish, fortified eggs, cod liver oil and sunlight.

Iron

So many women complain of low energy, and a lot of this has to do with poor iron levels. Remember that we lose iron when we have our periods!

We need good iron levels so that our bodies can carry all of the important nutrients around our body. This is so important for the uterus as we need to ensure it has a good, thick lining to enable a fertilised egg to grow.

We also need iron for good egg health and to help with ovulation, so if you’re struggling with either, it’s worth getting your levels checked.

Good sources:

Lean red meat, spinach, lentils, pumpkin and sesame seeds.

Folate

Not to be mistaken with the synthetic form, folic acid. You need folate (or the natural, active form, 5MHTF) to help prevent birth defects. It is especially important to take a natural form of folate if you have the MTHFR gene, where your body can’t convert folic acid into its usable form.

Good sources:

Leafy greens and legumes

If you have any questions, as always, please ask. X

The post How to Boost Fertility appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

Factors out of your control

Recurring miscarriages (side note)

It’s worth noting that if you have had recurring miscarriages please see a specialist in genetic testing. A good reproductive endocrinologist should be able to diagnose any potential issues in your eggs or in your partner’s sperm.

It wasn’t your fault

I want to stress that THIS IS NOT A BLAME GAME. I don’t want you to sit here reading this thinking ‘was this my fault?’. It wasn’t. I simply want to empower you with information so that if you have had a miscarriage and want to start trying again, or are simply afraid of miscarrying (who isn’t?), then you have a plan of action to move forward and put your body in the best possible place to conceive and sustain a healthy pregnancy.

Things to consider that may have an impact:

• Poor maternal health pre-conception. This leads to poor egg quality, poor embryo, foetal and placental development
• Poor paternal health pre-conception. This leads to poor sperm quality (this is especially important if your partner is older).

These are two really important points to note and the ones I talk to my fertility clients about ALL THE TIME. Pre-conception nutrition is not just about getting you pregnant, it’s about making sure you and your partner are producing the best quality eggs and sperm to make healthy, strong embryos.

It’s also ensuring that your uterus is in the best possible health in order for the embryos to attach and embed, and create a healthy, sustained pregnancy.

• Poor gut health. This is common in women with PCOS. Poor digestive function (and a condition known as leaky gut) allows toxins to pass through that interfere with hormone production in the ovaries.
• Hormonal imbalance. Low progesterone levels in the second half of your cycle (luteal phase) is needed for the embryo to implant properly into the uterine lining. Any deficiency can stop this from happening. This is especially important to check if you have PCOS as you naturally have lower progesterone levels.
• Being overweight or underweight.
• Lifestyle factors such as excessive alcohol intake, smoking, recreational drugs, and exposure to toxic chemicals.

Other risk factors are harder to avoid, such as:

Please also have faith that most women who have miscarriages go on to have healthy and successful pregnancies.

The post Miscarriage Recovery Part 2: Causes of Miscarriage appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.

I started writing this 3 part series as a guide to those who have had a miscarriage. There’s so much you can do nutritionally to help you heal and move forward, and there are many factors that are often overlooked. Initially, my post started with words of encouragement about how to be strong and how to heal and recover from a miscarriage, however, once I began it quickly became clear that it was so much more than that.

“The loss of hopes and dreams for you and me.”

I’ve been reading through so many of your stories on social media and my overwhelming feeling was that it’s ok not to be strong. We’re often told as women that we can do and be anything, however during something like this it’s just as important to let your emotions out. Be ‘weak’ so to speak – share your stories and your pain, as I often find this to be more healing then ‘being strong’. Cry and grieve and scream and shout – do whatever you need to do to heal. The loss of a baby is often so much more than that, it’s the loss of plans made and hopes and dreams for the future. Today may be the day your baby was due or the day or anniversary that you experienced loss. Honour and share your feelings. You may never forget, but hopefully, in time, you will be able to move on.

Remember that you are not alone. If you want to share your stories with me, I want to hear them. I want to help. I can’t promise that food will take away your pain nor can it make you feel better. What it can do however is help you to recover nutritionally and get your body ready for another pregnancy, if that’s what you want. What I’m trying to say is that when you’re ready, whenever that may be, I’m here to help. In the meantime, rest, heal and look after yourself.

The post How to Recover from a Miscarriage – Part 1 appeared first on Neema Savvides | Fertility Nutrition.