3 steps to optimize your fertility- From an acupuncturist
Are you struggling to become pregnant? Women are born with all of the eggs they will ever have so many people believe there is an expiration date for women to become pregnant. Have you ever felt this way?
I even had people at my wedding tell me that I should start thinking about having kids now. The amount of input my husband and I had about when and how many kids we should have was pretty astonishing. I wish this wasn’t common!
People are waiting longer to have kids these days. And when I say people, I am talking primarily about the millennial population (you know, the ones we always hear about?) Which is not a surprise given high inflation, large student loan obligations, expensive costs of living, and the desire to have a steady, stable career before having children. Having a child now can be incredibly complicated, so I can understand people’s desire to wait!
But, this pressure to have kids by a certain date or year of your life often causes so much stress and worry on the back end of this decision.
But, I have good news!
Research has actually shown that it is not age that impacts fertility in the biggest way, but other factors like inflammation, cortisol, and decreased blood flow to the ovaries. As we age, people tend to decline in health. But, what this is actually telling us is that it our own health that determines fertility. Which is great news because we can change our lifestyles to improve our health!
There is SO MUCH that we can do with lifestyle recommendations and changes to optimize your fertility. Start small. The small changes are the most beneficial. They can be the most profound as well.
Here are three steps I recommend to my patients to optimize their fertility:
Take a high quality prenatal supplement with methylated folate. Methylated folate is a more bioavailable form of folate- meaning you can actually absorb it! I recommend Metagenics brand- they even have an Optimal Man supplement to help support sperm health. I recommend my patients (if they are in a couple) to both take supplementation from a trusted brand.
Reduce the use of plastic in your household. Look to your plastic containers that you store your food in. Look to the quality of clothes that you wear the majority of the time. Look at the bed sheets you lay on for hours at night. Most of the things in our world are made from plastic. Plastic can leach into our food, from our clothes, sheets and disrupt our endocrine system (sing it with me- hormones). I highly recommend small changes to start for this because it can be tough and expensive. It can also be a little scary to realize just how much plastic is in our lives. First, try glass containers instead of plastic for food storage. We eat food every day, we don’t want to eat tiny particles of plastic or chemicals from plastic every day. I also recommend switching your bra and underwear to 100% cotton. These garments are the closest to our skin and are in constant contact. Your underwear is also incredibly close to your genitals- think about that! I finally recommend cotton sheets for your bed. You sleep there every night (most likely) and laying on plastic based fabric is also not great.
Eat a unprocessed, whole foods diet. Foods that are premade are full of sugar, salt, and inflammatory facets. Food companies do not care about you and your health- they only want things to taste good so you keep buying their product. Opt for a ton of veggies especially dark leafy greens and root veggies, complex carbs, animal proteins with plenty of fat (fat becomes hormones!). Check the labels at the store- you would be surprised to find that a lot of generic foods have fillers and additives- like half and half generally has guar gum in it. What the heck is guar gum? So, if you are going to buy something premade- check the back of the label and if you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it.
Acupuncture offers a holistic and natural solution to supporting your fertility & reproductive health as well as pregnancy & postpartum support.
If you’re ready to experience the benefits of acupuncture for yourself, schedule an appointment today.
Raku Acupuncture
(720) 230-3225 | micaela@rakuacu.com
Proudly serving Doylestown, Bucks County, PA. Located near Chalfont, New Britain, Solebury, Perkasie, Newtown, Yardley, New Hope, and Lambertville.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended for the purpose of providing medical advice. All information, content and material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment.
