Fertility tips for girls and guys

Ways to Improve Your Fertility – info for both partners. (It takes 2 to tango!)

1   In the last post I touched upon being aware of your menstrual cycle. It takes a few cycles to get the hang of it, but there’s a few ways you can consciously keep track of where you’re up to. The sooner you know when you’re most fertile, the easier it is to achieve (or avoid) pregnancy. 
 
     The Billings Method – More info here
The cervix produces mucus that changes significantly throughout your cycle (thick, slippery, milky etc.). By staying aware, noticing changes in mucus give an indication of what I like to refer to as ‘tiger territory’. The thinner, more slippery, egg white looking mucus means you are in ‘tiger territory’. If you want to be pregnant, now is your time! If you don’t want to be pregnant, use some form of contraception, or wait until the mucus changes again (usually takes around 3-5 days). 
 
Temperature method- Your basal body temperature is your temperature when you're fully at rest. Ovulation may cause a slight increase in basal body temperature. You'll be most fertile during the two to three days before your temperature rises. By tracking your basal body temperature each day, you may be able to predict when you'll ovulate. In turn, this may help you determine when you're most likely to conceive.If you're hoping to get pregnant, you can use the basal body temperature method to determine the best days to have sex. Similarly, if you're hoping to avoid pregnancy, you can use the basal body temperature method to determine which days to avoid unprotected sex. 

NB: Temperature need to be taken upon waking each morning, before you get out of bed. Using this method may not be effective if you suffer from thyroid irregularities. 

The egg is only viable for 12 hours. The sperm can survive for around 3-5 days in the female reproductive tract. So there is no real use in waiting until the day of peak fertility to have sex. You are best to start trying at the first sign of mucus change. Please note here- if your partner has low sperm count, it is best to ‘save’ ejaculation until the most fertile time so the highest amount of sperm are available for fertilisation.

2    Eat more antioxidants- every 120 days, the reproductive cells renew. Why not try and have the healthiest sperm and egg available to fertilise? This blog has a great explanation on how epigenetics work. Antioxidants are not only essential to producing happy, healthy sperm & eggs, but also to help protect them as they make their journey to fertilisation. Studies have shown women who have high intake of fruit & vegetables tend to have more antioxidants in the fluid surrounding the reproductive organs. Some good food choices are: Pomegranate (fresh or juice), Acai, Chia seeds, Watermelon, Dragonfruit, Pineapple, Berries, Tomatoes, Avocadoes, Parsley, and Kale. (Aim to make half your plate raw food and rainbow in colour!)

3   Sleep more, and stress less- the nervous system governs all other systems in your body. If you are constantly in a stressed state, your body thinks it needs to run away from a big bad wolf/job/person. It prioritises the muscles and brain, and takes the blood flow away from digestive and reproductive organs. The body thinks ‘no way are you going to ovulate if there are so many big bad wolves around!’. There is cortisol and adrenaline floating around in your bloodstream from being so stressed during the day, you might fall into bed exhausted, but you can’t sleep. You feel fatigued no matter how much sleep you are getting, because you simply aren’t getting true rest day or night. If this is you, some changes need to be made. See below.

4     Practice mindfulness-  
     A lot can be said for positive thoughts and visualisation. I have been pleasantly shown many times the amazing calmness a few long, deep breaths can bring. If you can find time to stress/think about anything, you have time to be mindful and breathe!
Take the time for you whenever you get the chance. Each time you sit down to eat, take the time to chew your food, taste it, feel it, take notice of it, breathe. Each time you get into your car, turn off the music and breathe. Take notice of your heartbeat as you feel your belly and lungs fill with air and life. As you exhale, let go of worries about the past and future, and simply be in the present moment. 
There are many yoga classes available in your local area, which will almost always begin and end with some form of conscious, mindful breathing and meditation. Make the effort for yourself and those who you share your life with.

The 3^rd, and final blog post of this series on fertility will focus on functional pathology, and how one might benefit from having their hormones tested.