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[Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical practitioner. Any medical information is strictly my opinion based on research and personal experience, and not to be taken as advice. Always seek the advice of a licensed physician for your medical needs. Read my full disclaimer here.]
After getting a diagnosis of “unexplained infertility,” I was determined to figure out what was really affecting my fertility. How could I increase my chances of getting pregnant? I did a ton of research — see TTC Tips: Fact or Fiction? — on what really can help you conceive (and what were just old wives’ tales that had no evidence base). In the end, here are my conclusions on what really matters (and what probably doesn’t) when it comes to fertility:
(Click on the links if you want to read more details about the research!)
What DOES matter:
1. Balancing your hormones/figuring out if there’s another issue first
If your bloodwork shows that your hormones are off, or you have a short luteal phase (or any other hormonal issue that is preventing pregnancy), that needs to be fixed first. There are a lot of different ways to do this, though — for instance, Fertilitea (vitex — a natural supplement) has been shown to be as effective as other doctor-prescribed medications to “fix” some problems. There are plenty of other natural remedies out there, too, that others swear by. (Even Robitussin can fix other issues you might have!) In addition, male-factor infertility can be greatly improved with certain supplements.
[What may not matter as much as people once thought: AMH levels. While they were once believed to have a great insight into fertility, doctors’ opinions are mixed now.]
2. When you have sex
This should be obvious, but it needs to be included. If you’re not timing it correctly, pregnancy is just not going to happen.
[What DOESN’T matter: If you’re “doing it right.” Other things your friends have suggested like positions and laying down after really don’t matter.]
3. What you eat + how you live
Diet plays a pretty big role in fertility. Eating a Mediterranean Diet (with added dairy) has generally been found to be most beneficial for fertility. Seafood has also been found to be extra beneficial. Obviously your diet needs to be personalized and tailored to your own individual needs as well (for instance, if you have PCOS, your diet may need to be extra specialized). I’d highly recommend seeing a functional doctor or dietician if you are looking for more natural ways to conceive. Your lifestyle in general is important, too — no smoking, getting to a healthy BMI, etc.
[What DOESN’T matter: Eating pineapple. I know some people swear by it, but pineapple really seems to be more of a symbol for the infertility community than anything else.]
Beyond these things, honestly, I don’t want to say that nothing else matters…but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from hours of research, it’s that essentially almost all of the research on all things related to fertility is inconclusive (besides the rather common sense things I’ve listed above).
All that’s to say: If you’ve been TTC for less than a year, it may just be that the timing isn’t right yet (you’re probably doing nothing wrong). And if you’ve been trying for longer than that, trying random things likely won’t help you — unless the things you’re trying target a specific issue you know you have. So don’t let other moms you know, the self-proclaimed baby-making experts (since they got pregnant once), tell you that a simple, random tip will get you pregnant like it did for them. If you have been TTC with infertility, read my ONE TTC tip for infertility here.
