Its so ironic. You spend time, maybe in your teens or 20’s doing everything to not get pregnant. Then your life changes, and now you are actively trying to get pregnant, but it is not happening, or at least not fast enough. What’s up?
First, lets go over some statistics. Amazingly, getting pregnant is not as easy as you may think. Overall, the chances of a pregnancy is 15-20% each month, if there are no issues with either partner. Looking at pregnancy rates by age may be more informative. On average, 86% of women between 20-24 will get pregnant within one year, 78% of women between 25-29, 63% between 30-34, and 52% between 35-39.
Even assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as IUI and IVF have humbling statistics. With IUI, women under age 35 will have a 10-20% success rate, over 35 10%. Success rates for IVF are often quoted as 34-40% after three attempts. There are also significant variations based on age.
So, whether you are trying to get pregnant naturally, or are using ART, there are some things that are under your control, that will improve your health, and your ability to get pregnant.
Eat Well – this means nourish your body with the best ingredients available to you. Eat real food, not processed foods. Eat organic or at least non-GMO as much as possible. Real foods include fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, as many different types as you can find. Eat quality proteins: pasture raised eggs, grass fed/grass finished beef and lamb, sustainably raised pork, organic chicken, organic beans and grains. Quality fats include organic butter, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, lard.
Decrease Exposure to Chemicals – drink filtered water, avoid food and drinks stored in plastics, use the “cleanest” personal care products you can find. Look for non-toxic household cleaning and laundry products.
Manage/decrease Stress – this is really all about balance. You can not eliminate all stress, rather, you should balance times of stress with time to rest and rejuvenate. Spend some time doing things that bring you joy. Think about leisure activities that allow you to focus on something other than your reproductive life. Give your brain a break with activities such as meditation or mindfulness practices. Schedule some acupuncture sessions, and let us focus on helping you manage and process stress.
Exercise Not too Much, Not too Little – this is not a time to start a high intensity work out plan. If you are already doing high intensity exercise, consider cutting back to no more than three days per week. If you don’t exercise at all Walking and Yoga are a great place to start.
The process of creating life is not directly under our control. So, focus on the things you can control, you will feel better, and your body will thank you.
Let us know if we can help, Take Care,
Dr. Ann
