Ready to Start a Family: Support your Fertility Naturally

(April, 2011) You’re healthy, you’re in love, and you feel secure. That should be all you need to conceive and deliver a healthy baby, right? Not necessarily—at least not right away: Most women will become pregnant within the first six months of trying, but, even after a year, some 15 percent of American couples will not have made a baby.

Potential Problems
About 10 percent of American women have trouble getting pregnant or carrying a baby to term, and in women generally, fertility begins to decline when they reach their mid-30s. Here are some other reasons why a woman may have trouble conceiving:
• Excessive abdominal fat, especially in obese women
• Abnormal menstrual periods or delayed puberty
• Early menopause resulting from cancer treatments, immune system disease, or even smoking
• Hormone imbalance (including pituitary or thyroid problems)
• Endometriosis (a condition in which uterine tissue grows outside the uterus)
• Fallopian tube blockage or damage
• Pelvic adhesions (bands of scar tissue resulting from appendicitis, pelvic infection, or surgery)
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition linked to insulin resistance and obesity in which the female produces too much male hormone
• Uterine fibroids (benign tumors common in women in their 30s and 40s), which can interfere with implanation of a fertilized egg.

Other factors that can reduce a woman’s fertility include alcohol and tobacco use, being overweight or underweight (particularly with a history of eating disorders), consuming too much caffeine, and exercising too strenuously.
Approximately 20 percent of infertility is caused by male problems, most commonly impaired sperm count, mobility, or shape. And generally, men over 40 are less fertile than younger men. Many other factors may reduce male fertility:
• The presence of antisperm antibodies (in either the man or woman)
• Exposure to environmental toxins (such as lead, herbicides, pesticides, and plasticizers)
• Erectile difficulty, premature ejaculation, or relationship problems
• Genetic abnormalities
• Any number of other health problems from cancer to cystic fibrosis as well as severe injury and the effects of major surgery
• Hormone imbalance, caused by estrogen mimics in the environment or testosterone deficiency
• Infections, from mumps to STDs
• Other physical problems that may block ejaculation, the result of diabetes, medications, or surgery
• Substance abuse (particularly cocaine or marijuana, but also including tobacco)
• Testicular problems (including overheating from excessive use of hot tubs and saunas).

It Takes Two to Tango
Between 30 and 40 percent of fertility issues involve both partners. These include
• Stress (including stress over not conceiving!)
• Insufficient sleep (25 percent of Americans recently surveyed say they are too tired to make love)
• Timing (sperm can survive in the woman’s reproductive tract for up to 72 hours, but the egg must be fertilized within 24 hours of ovulation)
• How you make love (the missionary position seems to increase the chances of conception)
• And how often (some studies suggest that more than three times a week may reduce sperm quality).
While medical exams and tests can be useful, getting pregnant often comes down to learning to accommodate each other—and that’s where the fun begins! Make time for real loving, focusing on pleasing your partner and making sure you’re both ready. Herbalist Brigitte Mars, AHG, suggests that men build up sexual “chi” by not ejaculating for a week. Use only natural lubricants—and then only if necessary.

Conception Countdown
Before you decide to start a family, get a thorough physical and review your vaccinations. You may want to get any recommended booster shots prior to conception.

A healthful diet—organic whenever possible—is also important, even before you decide to get pregnant. And, if you’re like most American women, you don’t get enough folate (or folic acid). Start taking 400 micrograms of this B vitamin right away to prevent possible neural tube defects, which can occur even before you know you’ve conceived. Also increase your intake of leafy greens (such as chard and spinach) and legumes (for example, lentils and chickpeas).
Many experts recommend that women trying to get pregnant—as well as those who succeed—take omega-3 supplements containing 200 milligrams of DHA. While fish is an important food, avoid varieties that may be high in mercury—canned albacore tuna and tuna steak, swordfish, king and Spanish mackerel, tilefish (golden or white snapper), orange roughy, grouper, and game fish such as shark and marlin. Instead, eat rainbow trout, salmon, canned mackerel, and canned “light” tuna (no more than once a week). Nix sushi (or undercooked fish or seafood) before or during pregnancy.

A well-balanced daily multivitamin/mineral formula is essential for both would-be parents. Low levels of vitamins C and E can decrease male fertility. The antioxidant CoQ10 can increase fertilization rates, and zinc is also critical to male fertility.

Supplementing with iron can improve fertility in women with low levels of this critical mineral, but get a ferritin test and red cell analysis beforehand. A number of herbs may enhance fertility.

Dong quai, an herbal source of vitamin B12, helps fight infertility resulting from anemia. False unicorn, used for centuries to enhance female fertility, helps regulate periods and strengthens the uterine lining, potentially preventing miscarriage. Red clover, rich in plant estrogens, also promotes fertility, while red raspberry (a gentle herb) helps to prepare the uterus for conception.

Women with ovulatory disorders can try vitex, also called chaste tree, which stimulates production of luteinzing hormone and helps reduce high prolactin levels, another factor in female infertility. The Ayurvedic herb Tribulus terrestris strengthens the reproductive systems of both men and women.

Chinese ginseng has been found to increase sperm count and motility as well as male hormone (testosterone) levels. Traditionally used by the Mayans of Central America, damiana helps restore reproductive health to men who experience premature ejaculation—and it enhances libido in both sexes.