Online Pregnancy Guides

Archive for the ‘Fertility’ Category

What is a Male Fertility Supplement?

There are few health conditions that don’t have a “natural cure or treatment” available on the market. When couples are trying to conceive, the temptation to look for an herbal treatment for their fertility problem, or a supplement that will increase sperm production or motility and improve the chances of conception may be strong. However, there is limited research as to the real benefits obtained by many of these products and couples should be careful about taking products with ingredients that may hurt more than they help.

When Should You Consider Using a Male Fertility Supplement?

For many couples, the decision to improve their chances of conception isn’t based on a diagnosis or even on the amount of time they have spent trying to conceive. Once they have made the decision to start trying, they try to do everything they can to maximize their chances. Just as a woman begins to take B Vitamins and folic acid to ensure a healthy pregnancy, the man may take a variety of supplements to improve the quality of the sperm. After all, this is his contribution to conception whereas the woman must not only conceive but also carry the baby to term and supply all of its nutrition.

Please click here for more information about male fertility supplement!

Is There a Male Fertility Supplement That is Proven to Work?

While there is no compelling evidence that shows any herbal supplement will improve your chance for fertility, one study showed evidence of an increase in sperm motility in men who took a combination of acetyl-L-carnitine and L-carnitine. There was a slight increase in pregnancies in those cases. In a separate study, men who took Vitamin E that had low sperm counts showed a higher rate of fertilization than those taking a placebo. There have also been suggestions that coenzyme Q10 and folic acid may improve sperm count or motility but there haven’t been enough studies to determine conclusively that they are beneficial.

When Shouldn’t You Take a Male Fertility Supplement?

Many people believe that herbal products are always safe to take because they are natural products. This is a dangerous misconception in many cases. While products made with herbs aren’t monitored for safety like other drugs, they can still act as a drug and may cause dangerous reactions when taken with other medications. This is especially true when you are taking fertility drugs since they are complex regimens that may have unpredictable interactions when taken with a male fertility supplement that contains herbs.

If you are considering a supplement because you have been having problems trying to conceive and haven’t seen a doctor, then you should see a professional first before trying any home remedy. If there is a legitimate, medical reason for your infertility, then it is important to get a diagnosis and a treatment for the problem. You may also be surprised to find out that there is actually no reason that you haven’t been able to conceive. It is normal for a healthy couple to take a while before pregnancy takes place. Even those who are tracking their fertility and improving their odds of conception often take a year or longer before conception occurs.

When you take a vitamin or other supplement that is normally found in your body and is a part of good nutrition, complications are unlikely. However, a male fertility supplement that contains herbs with no known benefits that may have health risks is never a good idea.

Please click here for more information about male fertility supplement!

When a couple starts trying to conceive, the man’s only role in the process is the contribution of his sperm. While that may seem like a simple part to play, there are many different factors that can cause a low sperm count. To learn how to increase sperm count, you may turn to the internet for advice on what will improve your fertility before you decide to undergo a fertility evaluation.

For starters, only consider advice from reliable sites on how to increase sperm count. Otherwise, you may waste your time with home remedies that won’t help. Legitimate medical sites that have research to back their claims can provide you with the advice you need and help improve the quantity and the quality of your sperm!

Both the quality and the quantity of your sperm determine its viability and there are a number of things that may be done to improve both factors. While you can’t always control all of the factors that influence your fertility, taking the steps to improve your sperm count may be all you need to conceive!

Getting Down to Numbers

Why do you need to know how to increase sperm count? To be fertile, you need to have more than 20 million sperm for every milliliter of semen produced. This may seem like an incredible number considering it takes only one sperm to fertilize an egg. Of this number of sperm that is present in ejaculate, only about 200 make it to the egg in the fallopian tube. Although those men with a lower number of sperm aren’t as likely to be fertile, there is still a possibility conception will occur.

Please click here for more information about how to increase sperm count!

Motility of the Sperm

You probably know that the sperm must swim into the fallopian tube in order to fertilize an egg. The sperm’s ability to wriggle and swim in order to get to the egg and penetrate it are important to your fertility as well. The sperms motility is an indication of how healthy it is.

How to Increase Sperm Count and Produce High-Quality Sperm

So, your goal is to produce a larger number of sperm that is motile enough to get to the destination point. There are some steps you can take that will accomplish both. For instance:

• Take a multivitamin. You need a variety of nutrients to improve sperm production and a complex multivitamin should have everything you need without your having to figure out what the individual supplements are that you need.
• Relax. Even in men, stress can cause hormones to alter the production of sperm and can also decrease sexual function.
• Eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables. Make sure you get the antioxidants you need to improve the health of your sperm.
• Exercise and watch your weight. Not only is that great advice on how to increase sperm count, it is great advice for any man who needs to stay healthy for his family. Too much or too little body fat can affect your sperm count and cause an increase in abnormal sperm.

Other advice on how to increase sperm count that is healthy is to eliminate or reduce exposure to some toxins. Between 50 and 70 percent of a man’s sperm are healthy enough to fertilize an egg, so increasing the number of healthy sperm may be more a matter of reducing your exposure to those factors that damage fertility. Heavy metals, chemicals in solvents, pesticides, tobacco smoke (first or second hand), consumption of alcohol, illicit drug use, hot tubs and hot showers, lubricants, and steroids are all dangers to your fertility.

As you can see, you will find a lot of advice on how to increase sperm count and have healthy, motile sperm. It’s just up to you to follow it!

Please click here for more information about how to increase sperm count!

It may be surprising to learn that over the last fifty years, there has been a decline in the quality and quantity of sperm in men. Recent studies have attributed this decline to an increase in toxic exposure along with other factors. Despite the fact that environmental changes have caused this decrease, there are ways to increase male fertility.

When there is a fertility issue, 30% to 40% are directly the result of male fertility problems. Male fertility problems can be a low sperm count. Motility is also a common problem with sperm that can make it difficult to get your partner pregnant. This means the sperm is not as mobile as it should be.

Lifestyle changes can reverse these issues in some and increase male fertility. With plastic being part of daily life and virtually everywhere, it can be hard to avoid all plastic. However, avoiding plastic food containers and utensils can start to reverse the effects of plastic on sperm quality. Also, powerful chemicals such as bleach and chlorine both have been shown to take a toll on the production of healthy sperm. Refraining from using bleached coffee filters, napkins, paper, and not drinking chlorinated water is a good idea.

Helping to increase male fertility goes beyond what you may use on the outside, what you eat with, or the type of water you drink. The food you eat can also take a negative toll on sperm. Many foods are filled with additives, preservatives and a high amount of pesticides. Choosing organic foods that are relatively free of pesticides can help you begin to create healthier sperm.

Please click here for more information about how to increase male fertility!

Aside from organic fruits and vegetables that are pesticide free, other foods can help increase male fertility. Staying away from animal-based foods that contain added hormones is encouraged as a way to help produce better sperm. It is quite common to find added hormones in both meats and milk today. You can easily avoid these added hormones by buying more natural or organic milk and meats.

You can increase male fertility by how you care for your body in general. Maintaining a healthy weight is one simple way to reach optimal sperm production. When you are overweight, the added fat increases your body temperature around the testes. This directly affects the sperm count. Heat from weight or tight clothing ‘cooks’ the sperm in a sense. The lower count that results can be easily reversed if body temperature is the reason.

The healthier your weight, the better sperm count you have. However, be mindful of how you maintain that ideal weight. Too much exercise can also have a negative effect on male fertility. Men who exercise too much also have lower sperm counts. Keep a regular but not too intense exercise regimen when working to conceive a baby.

Vitamins and minerals also play a role in how to increase male fertility. Vitamin C and zinc are both vital in healthy sperm production. Vitamin C can prevent clumping of sperm. Zinc increases both sperm count and motility.

The road to ensuring healthy sperm involves both increasing sperm count and also quality. Everything your body comes into contact with and everything you ingest can affect your sperm and your fertility. Increasing fertility can be as easy as taking notice of what you choose to use and eat on a daily basis. Not only will this increase fertility, but it will increase your health overall.

Please click here for more information about how to increase male fertility!

Many women spend years of their youth trying to avoid pregnancy. However, when the time comes to start a family, many women find it a challenge to conceive according to the timeline they have mapped out for themselves. When you want to help the process along, there are simple steps to increase fertility in women that may lead to conception in less time.

While there is plenty of misinformation and old wives tales that have long promised to result in pregnancy, there are realistic and natural ways to increase your fertility also. Many of the natural techniques simply involve what you put into your body. It is common sense that the healthier you are, the more likely you are to have a healthy and safe pregnancy. However, the healthier you are also accounts for how fertile you may be. Simply put, overall optimal health can help increase fertility in women.

One way to help increase fertility is to eat the right foods. Getting the majority of your protein from vegetables rather than animal foods is ideal. Also, foods that may help increase fertility in women include beneficial fats. Fats derived from sources such as olive oil can help. Up to two servings of full fat dairy – like milk or cheese – is also known to help your chances of getting pregnant. Remember to keep track of other fat sources if you choose to increase these fats.

Please click here for more information about how to increase fertility in women!

Aside from the adjustments in diet to help increase fertility, there are supplements that are equally important. Taking supplements like prenatal vitamins is a good idea when trying to conceive. Iron is especially vital because it helps regulate a woman’s cycle.

There are certain herbs that have also been shown to increase fertility in women. Chaste berry can help balance hormones which will lead to regulation of the menstrual cycle. This can be essential to timing ovulation. Evening primrose oil is known for increasing cervical mucus. This makes the environment more conducive to conception. The herb ‘dong quai’ is also known for balancing hormones. False unicorn root has been shown to stimulate the ovaries.

While herbs are considered relatively safe, it is always best to let your doctor know if you are taking any herbs regularly and also how much. They can sometimes interfere with other prescription medication. These particular herbs work primarily to keep hormones in balance, which keeps the menstrual cycle in check. If your fertility issues are due to any kind of imbalance or unpredictability in your cycle, they may be of benefit.

Perhaps the easiest way to increase fertility in women is to relax and stop focusing so much on your fertility. It is no secret that stress leads to hormonal and cycle disruptions. One highly recommended way to accomplish a stress-free uptick in fertility is acupuncture. This can even help if your fertility problems are not stress related, but due to fibroids or endometriosis. Acupuncture has been proven as a means of reducing the effects of fibroids and endometriosis, therefore increasing your chances of getting pregnant.

If you have been trying to get pregnant for some time and have been given the all clear from your doctor, you may wish to try a few of these tips to conceive. Usually, 80% or more of all women who are trying will get pregnant within a year. If you simply want to improve your chances and try to get pregnant quicker, utilizing these herbs, adding supplements that will improve your health and eating the right kinds of fats are a step in the right direction. They all can help increase fertility in women.

Please click here for more information about how to increase fertility in women!

When you and your partner are more than ready to start trying to have a baby, there are many simple tricks you can try to get pregnant quickly. Once you both have had a medical checkup and there seems to be no issues affecting your fertility, you may be wondering just how to increase fertility.

Simple Changes to Your Life to Increase Fertility in Both Men and women

Giving up smoking is one thing you and your partner can both do to up your fertility level. Smoking can lead to miscarriage before you may even realize you are pregnant. This is why it is best to quit before you begin trying to conceive. For the male, smoking actually lowers sperm count. For both men and women, smoking simply adversely affects all efforts to conceive. The sooner you quit, the sooner your body will be ready for pregnancy.

When it comes to how to increase fertility for women, outlook and mental health is important. Women who are anxious or deal with clinical depression typically have a harder time conceiving. A positive outlook and a relaxed mind and body can increase fertility. If you are on medication for depression or any other mental health issue, you will want to discuss your plans for conception with your doctor. Do not simply stop taking any prescribed medication to increase your fertility.

Please click here for more information about how to increase fertility!

Making yourself more welcoming, so to speak, to your partner’s sperm is one simple step towards how to increase fertility. Avoiding irritants to the vaginal area such as scented sprays, douches or scented tampons is best, even when you are not trying to conceive. Douches especially make the environment difficult for sperm to survive as helpful fluids are stripped from the area. Using mild cleansers are all that is necessary and help give sperm an environment that they can survive in.

It is proven that sperm is more vital and plentiful in the mornings. Therefore, having intercourse in the morning on the days right before ovulation is one way how to increase fertility. The old advice of boxers over briefs is also a vital step to increase fertility in men. It helps the man develop a healthier sperm count.

Do not assume that when it comes to how to increase fertility that more is always better. Having sexual intercourse every day for the purpose of pregnancy can make it more of a hassle or chore than it should be. Also, studies show that with increased release, sperm quality is reduced. The recommended lapse time to keep tapping into a supply of healthy quality sperm is typically 48 hours. During the few days where ovulation is probable, having intercourse every other day is better.

What you do after sexual intercourse can be just as important to how often you have it when you are dealing with how to increase fertility. Let gravity help. Afterwards, stay lying down for a few minutes to give semen the opportunity to make the journey up the cervix. If you immediately jump up, you decrease the amount of semen that remain inside the cervix and the time the semen need to fertilize the egg.

Keep in mind that with every incident of unprotected sex between healthy, child bearing aged partners, pregnancy will statistically occur 25% of the time. Also, within one year of having consistent unprotected sex, 85% of all couples conceive. It may take time, but these simple adjustments can help you conceive a little quicker and increase your overall fertility.

Please click here for more information about how to increase fertility!

You may have heard all the praise for health benefits of pomegranates, the newly discovered Acai berry, and other things. but what you may not realize is that these are some of the newly recommended foods to increase fertility. These “super fruits” are packed full of antioxidants which are tools your body needs to help fight illness and to strengthen the immune system. More importantly to those who are trying to conceive, they are an important nutrient for men who are concerned with the quality of their sperm.

A man’s physical contribution to a pregnancy starts and ends with his sperm. When he uses foods to increase fertility, it is to produce a larger volume, more active, or a higher quality of sperm. Studies have been performed to prove that men who didn’t get enough antioxidants had poor quality sperm, so these foods are among those that should top your list.

We develop free radicals in our bodies partly due to the consumption of junk food. These are incomplete molecules that have lost an electron. Free radicals run about in your body trying to get electrons from other cells and damaging them in the process. Signs of aging are visible evidence of free radicals but they can also cause a number of health problems and they can cause infertility as well.

Please click here for more information about foods to increase fertility!

Antioxidants are the answer to free radicals. They attack and break down free radicals and can even repair damaged DNA. If you are going to use foods to increase fertility, those with large amounts of antioxidants should be at the top of the list. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants as are Vitamin A, selenium and folic acid. Foods rich in these nutrients will give your body what it needs to fight damage. Some good choices include:
• Raw carrots
• Oranges
• Berries
• Nuts

For women, there is still a need for antioxidants but they also need other nutrients to prepare their bodies for conception and for pregnancy. The longer a woman waits to conceive, the more she will need to use foods to increase fertility since women naturally lose nutrition as they age. Following are some of the categories they will need to include with their daily diets:

• Complex Carbohydrates – Unlike simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates are those that are digested slowly and can improve ovulation and your chances of getting pregnant. Simple carbohydrates will actually reduce your chances. Complex carbohydrates are found in vegetables and whole fruits (not juices), whole grains, beans and lentils.
• Calcium and Vitamin D – Not only are these important ingredients in foods to increase fertility, they are also important during pregnancy. Calcium provides you with the necessary hormone balance and Vitamin D has been linked to infertility. Choose low-fat dairy products fortified with vitamin D and get fifteen minutes of natural sunlight a day.
• Iron – Those foods that are rich in iron include lean meat and poultry. While there is no specific connection to infertility, women who don’t get enough iron have been show to be 40% less likely to conceive.

While the new super foods are packed with nutrition and are a good source of antioxidants for women looking for foods to increase fertility, don’t choose just one and ignore the rest. The body and the reproductive system are complex machines that require a variety of different nutrients in order to perform to their maximum potential. By eliminating junk food from your diet and replacing it with the nutrient packed foods mentioned here, you can improve your chances of conception as well as your overall health!

Please click here for more information about foods to increase fertility!

If you are looking for natural ways to increase fertility, then there are two different approaches you can take. Although this usually means using natural or herbal products instead of prescription medications, you can choose a safer approach that will work even better in many cases. These natural ways to increase fertility involve making changes to eliminate the causes of infertility indirectly.

Eat a Healthy Diet

While this may seem like an obvious suggestion to some, many people don’t realize the important role nutrition plays in fertility. For one, having excess body fat may cause you to have a hormonal imbalance that will affect your fertility cycle. When you change your ovulation, you change your odds of conception. Having too little body fat can also effect hormone production. Reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight is important to improving your chances of becoming pregnant.

Balanced nutrition is also one of the best natural ways to increase fertility since vitamins play a large role in the length of your menstrual cycles. A lack of nutrients can prolong the cycle and cause less frequent ovulation which lessens your odds of conception, and increases the risk of an early miscarriage. Protein, Vitamin C, iron, and zinc are all essential to your fertility.

Please click here for more information about natural ways to increase fertility!

No one should have to be told that cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and even caffeine should be avoided during pregnancy. However, these are also practices that you should eliminate before you start trying to conceive. Toxins from cigarettes damage a woman’s eggs and cause problems with the fertilization and implantation process. While you will retain some permanent damage from smoking, kicking the habit will help you get some ovarian function back.

Another of the natural ways to increase fertility is to learn when you are most likely to conceive by tracking ovulation. A woman’s most fertile period is around the time of ovulation which is easy to deduct for women with a regular 28-day cycle. Ovulation normally occurs around day 14 but for those with an irregular cycle, you will need to determine when ovulation occurs. You can do this by noting changes in your body and temperature or by investing in an ovulation test kit. Since your odds are much greater of conceiving during ovulation, knowing when it occurs will improve your odds substantially.

Reducing stress is also important if you want to increase your odds of getting pregnant. Both stress and depression have been shown to impair a woman’s ability to conceive. This may be directly related to hormone changes but regardless of the reason, you must learn to manage your stress. Use meditation, yoga, or reading a book to put your mind at rest. Whatever you find relaxing, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to unwind!

One of the most natural was to increase fertility is by increasing your sexual activity. Studies have shown that when a woman has sex regularly, she is more likely to have a normal menstrual cycle including ovulation. While you will want to have sex more frequently during ovulation since this is your most fertile time, it is also beneficial to increase your frequency to at least once a week to improve your odds. As an added benefit, sex is a great way to alleviate stress!

Not all of the natural ways to increase fertility relate strictly to the woman. Sperm motility and production are also important aspects of conception and it is important that the man improve his lifestyle and eating habits to increase his chances of producing viable sperm.

Conception is a partnership just like parenting and both members need to focus on using all the natural ways to increase fertility available to them in order to improve their odds of conception!

Please click here for more information about natural ways to increase fertility!

While you may realize that leading a healthy lifestyle and reducing your contact with some environmental factors can affect your fertility, what you may not know is that there are foods that increase fertility as well. At least, that is the theory that many experts hold. Many of the common beliefs in foods that increase fertility are based on the nutrition they provide and the known effects these nutrients have on the reproductive system.

Following are some of the foods that increase fertility and make your chances of conception even better:

• Fruits and Vegetables – There are lots of vitamins to be found in fresh produce including those that contain antioxidants. These improve your immune system and provide healing which is believed to affect the reproductive system in men as well as women.

• Avocados, Olives, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and Healthy Fish – These are foods that contain healthy fats which can help you improve your chances of getting pregnant unlike those foods which contain Trans fats which can lead to infertility.

• Plant Based Foods – In addition to the fruits and vegetables, there are other plant based foods that are rich in nutrients such as nuts, legumes, and more. These are foods that increase fertility by replacing those foods that will inhibit it, such as food with protein or Trans fats. Some studies have shown that a single serving of red meat per day can decrease your chances of conceiving by nearly 33%.

• Complex and Simple Carbohydrates – Not all carbohydrates are created equal and they can have different effects on your health as well as your fertility. Processed carbohydrates can cause chronically high blood sugar or insulin levels which are symptoms that are common in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome. Anything made with white flour, potatoes, and sugar should be avoided and replaced with foods that increase fertility like whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

• Foods That Contain High Amounts of Folate and Iron – Folate is essential for building DNA, a process that takes place rapidly during conception and pregnancy. It also maintains homocysteine levels to reduce the occurrence of high blood pressure and miscarriage during pregnancy. Not only are the foods that increase fertility by adding folate to your diet a good choice when trying to conceive, they are also essential throughout your pregnancy. Those foods that contain folate include lentils, spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce, and oranges. Iron, which also plays an important role in DNA synthesis, can be found in legumes, fruits and vegetables, and other plant-based foods as well.

Foods that increase fertility by supplying you with one nutrient will often provide other nutrients that will contribute to your overall nutrition that is important prior to, during, and after conception. Eating these foods daily will also help you to maintain a healthy weight that is a key factor in fertility.

In addition to eating foods that increase fertility, it is also important for you to avoid some of the unhealthy foods that can impair your ability to conceive such as caffeine, trans fat, or sugar. In addition to contributing to an unhealthy diet, they restrict the amount of healthy foods you are able to consume thereby diminishing your ability to conceive and to have a healthy pregnancy. Get your calories from the right foods and you will increase your odds of becoming pregnant and staying at a healthy weight even after you do conceive!

Please click here for more information about foods that increase fertility!

Infertility is the inability of a woman to conceive, or of a man to impregnate. Since the cause can lie in either or both partners, the cure for infertility depends on which of many causes it has. Fertilization is a very complex process that requires every aspect to be right before it can occur.

Fertility in Women

The pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland in the woman’s brain. Each month, it sends the signal via the hormones FSH and LH to her ovaries to begin ovulation and drop an egg from the ovaries. Ovulation lasts about three days and this is her most fertile time. The released egg travels through the fallopian tube and can be fertilized for about 24 hours once it has been released.

The cure for infertility in women who are not ovulating or are not having a regular menstrual cycle may be lie in solving a problem with this process. The problem may involve the pituitary gland, the ovaries, or any other part of the process involved in the ovulation.

Although the woman’s most fertile period is during ovulation, she is most likely to get pregnant from having intercourse before ovulation begins. Sperm lives for three to five days and is capable of fertilizing the egg for up to 72 hours. The sperm needs to be present in the fallopian tube at the same time the egg is there in order for conception to occur. The sperm must be present in the right amount and must also have the right shape and movement in order to fertilize the egg.

Please click here for more information about cure for infertility!

Fertility in Men

The cure for infertility in men who are not producing adequate or the right quality of sperm, may require taking steps to encourage sperm to grow. Switching to boxer shorts instead of briefs and avoiding hot tubs and saunas is sometimes a simple cure for infertility that will increase sperm production by reducing the temperature of your body and preventing sperm production from being reduced due to overheating.

In approximately 20% of the cases where a couple are unable to conceive, the infertility is related to the male partner while in 40 to 50% of cases, it is entirely related to a problem with the female. However, 30 to 40% of cases are due to problems involving both partners.

Finding the Cure for Infertility

It is easy to understand why finding the cure for infertility can be such a difficult task. There are so many different areas where things can go wrong in either partner and even when one cause has been detected in one partner, there may be an additional cause with the other partner. The only way to determine what is preventing you from conceiving and find the cure for infertility that will help you conceive is by getting professional help to determine what is causing the problem and to address it specifically. Sometimes the answer is simple while at others it may involve more complex treatments.

Some of the measures that every couple should take before trying to conceive include changing their lifestyle and stopping any unhealthy habits they may have. This means giving up smoking and other tobacco use, alcohol, substance abuse, and eating an unhealthy diet. Infertility can be the result of anything as simple as stress or a vitamin deficiency, or something as serious as cancer. To find the cure for infertility, start by taking steps to get to the root of the problem and make any necessary changes in your life and you will be on your way to successful conception!

Please click here for more information about cure for infertility!