Fertility

8-18% of American population deals with infertility (1/2 are primary infertility). 85% of infertile couples can conceive with assistance. 

Main causes of infertility

• The cause of infertility is always 50/50 male or female

• Age. Women's fertility gradually declines with age, especially in the mid-30s, and it drops rapidly after age 37. ...

• Smoking marijuana more than once weekly in the preceding 3 months was associated with a 29% reduction in total sperm count

  • In women, ovulation was delayed by an average of 1.7 to 3.5 days

• Cigarettes (even moderate smokers of less than 10 showed effects in semen quality and amount) (however, smokers who weren’t deficient in zinc had less effects of infertility)

• Extreme alcohol use (14 drinks a week)

• Over/underweight

• Extreme lack or excess of exercise

• Problems with ovulation, egg count

Fertility

• Healthy Diet - Weston A Price with lots of vegetables

  • Whole grains (complex carbs help with fertility)

    Liver, dark leafy greens, legumes (folate, copper, manganese)

    Salmon (omega 3s), Tuna (omega 3s), oysters (copper, manganese), seaweed (kelp, spirulina), sardines (calcium)

    Red meat, chicken

    Fermented foods, probiotics, lemons and acidic foods

    *Avocados and fish helped increase pregnancies after infertility treatments.

    As long as you are not having 14 drinks a week or drinking heavily, it is okay to drink moderately as it will not affect your fertility

• Drink to quench thirst

• Eat a big breakfast (900 calories) and small dinner (women ovulated more, had lowered testosterone and had less insulin resistance)

• Supplements

  • Whole food prenatal (megafood, new chapter)

  • Nordic natural DHA

  • Megafood blood builder

  • Magnesium citrate

  • 1 tsp redmond's real salt in water once a day (electrolytes)

  • Evening primrose oil

  • Thorne calcium-d glucarate

  • Probiotics that contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14.

• Get good sleep  

• Use blackout curtains and low lighting at night 

• Get sunlight daily

• Rest when you need

• Exercise

• Exercise and walk often to reduce stress

• Extras for males 

• Astaxanthin (improved parameters related to sperm’s ability to make the changes needed to fertilize an egg, and increased the number of fertilization-ready sperm in a sample)

• Extras for females

• Castor oil on belly

• Vaginal Steaming

• Belly massages

Testing to do when you are not getting pregnant

• Test: BBT,  corpus luteum function, sperm motility/cervical mucus, semen analysis   

• Treat underlying causes such as PCOS or hypothyroidism