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For any couple trying to conceive or planning to, it’s helpful to know how certain health factors can impact the process. A woman’s health has a significant impact on her fertility. There are ways to improve or maintain the health of female eggs so that the chances of conception and baby’s health are greater. Here are the best ways to make sure female egg health is at the top of its game for pregnancy.
Keep Stress In Check
Nearly every piece of health-related advice focuses on stress management, whether you are trying to conceive or not. Stress can negatively affect multiple facets of our overall well-being—and this includes reproductive health. The following is said about stress and how it relates to the quality of female eggs in Parents.com:
“Look at your lifestyle, and if you find that exercise reduces stress walk more, learn a relaxation technique, hang out with your friends—think about what feels good and reduces your stress level,” Domar says.
The idea is to find your specific formula for managing stress so that your eggs can function at their optimal rate. Everyone has a different idea for what feels best to them. The article also mentions that multiple studies have found that the more stressed a woman is, the longer it can take to get pregnant.
Maintain An Optimal BMI
One important factor in maintaining health is having your body mass index—or BMI—in the ideal range. Both men and women should have a BMI in the normal range for their body type if they want optimal fertility. This means not being underweight or overweight.
For women specifically, eggs are likely to not develop properly if there are issues related to weight, as well as problematic menstruation and ovulation, which are crucial for getting pregnant. Anyone that is overweight should be careful to shed pounds safely and gradually as overexercise and malnutrition can have adverse effects on egg health and hormones.
Avoid Cigarettes, Limit Alcohol & Caffeine
Tobacco is a big no-no for anyone who hopes to get pregnant someday. Smoking cigarettes leads to egg loss and makes others unsuitable for conception because its chemicals mutate the DNA. It’s recommended to abstain completely. Caffeine and alcohol can also negatively impact the health of your eggs. It’s still being studied exactly how much of either one can make a difference, or in what way, but doctors generally recommend steering clear.
The Mayo Clinic does say that it appears less than 200 milligrams per day of caffeine, the equivalent of two cups of coffee, shouldn’t negatively impact conception. If you avoid them while pregnant, it’s best to avoid them while trying to conceive. If you’re not yet trying, just knowing that they can have an impact on the health of your eggs or reproductive cycle can help you stay mindful. Limiting or cutting back could be a good place to start.
Research Supplements
There is a plethora of old wives’ tales or recommendations we’ve likely heard from friends and family relating to natural remedies to enhance reproductive success. It’s always best to talk about these options with your doctor to ensure that they’ll serve your body in particular and that they will not negatively impact egg health. Healthline references some of the supplements that studies have shown to increase fertility in animal studies:
- Royal Jelly
- Bee Propolis
- Bee Pollen
- Maca Plant
The first three products come from bees, and the maca plant is grown in central Peru.
Prioritize Nutrition
The food you eat is a natural way to get more vitamins and minerals into your body. Foods rich in antioxidants can prevent damage to both male sperm and female egg cells. This might include foods high in vitamins C and E, folate, lutein, and beta-carotene. Eating more fiber, more animal proteins, and less trans fats and refined carbohydrates can all improve areas of your health that relate to your eggs and reproduction.
Consider Freezing Your Eggs
There are many changes that occur in a woman’s body around age 35. It’s recommended that women who aren’t planning to get pregnant around or before this time consider freezing their eggs. This is a process where eggs are retrieved from a woman’s body and preserved for future use.
Fertility Centers of Illinois explain:
With time, a woman’s natural fertility declines, but frozen eggs remain the same biological age as when they are cryopreserved, boosting your chances of future success.
If eggs are frozen before the age of 35, a woman can utilize their optimal condition at whatever age they want to conceive.
Female eggs are a vital part of creating human life. In order to maintain ideal health conditions for them in preparation for conception and pregnancy, it’s helpful to know the ways we can allow them to perform optimally. What we put in our bodies and the overall well-being of our bodies are all connected to reproductive health.
Sources: Healthline, Fertility Centers of Illinois, Parents.com, Mayo Clinic
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