Ways to Boost Your Fertility
Ah fertility. Before my husband and I were trying to get pregnant, I thought we would get pregnant rather easily. Yes, I know that it takes time, but I thought we’re healthy people, we eat good food, have a good lifestyle, exercise, take supplements, and are are always working on our health, surely after a handful of months, we’ll get pregnant.
Do you remember sex ed at school? I don’t remember much about it at all, but what I do remember thinking was if you have unprotected sex, you WILL get pregnant, and you need to prevent that from happening! Because it’s so easy to get pregnant. Yea, maybe in your teens or young twenties.
However, it becomes a different story when you’re in your 30s. Not so easy.
Why I Wish We Were All Taught More About Fertility and Reproductive Health at a Young Age
Did you know fertility rates have gone down significantly? In the past 70 years, fertility rates have been decreasing worldwide, with a total decline of 50%. Let that sink in for a minute… 50%!!!! That’s a lot! There are many factors that go into this.
When you look into this statistic, here are a few of the main factors:
Women’s Empowerment, Especially in the Workforce and in Education
Lower Child Mortality
Increased Cost to Raising Children
Decline in Male Fertility
Decline in Male Fertility
In 1992, a study found a global 50% decline in sperm counts in men over the previous 60 years. This study focused on total sperm count, and multiple studies since then have had the same results.
There was also a study done to asses sperm motility in 2019. That study found that the proportion of men with a normal total motile sperm count had declined approximately 10% over the past 16 years.
What does this boil down to? Men produce many fewer sperm today than in the past, and the sperm are less healthy. If your sperm aren’t motile (aren’t swimming), there is no way they can get to the egg.
Did you know that when men get a sperm test now, the results that are labeled as “normal” now are the same numbers that years ago were listed as infertile. So if a man gets a test and gets his results and thinks, “Oh I’m good.” That very well might not be the case.
According to Marc Skylar - fertility specialist and doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine as quoted in the book The Fifth Vital Sign by Lisa Hendrickson-Jack
Optimal Sperm parameters are defined as the following
At a minimum sperm concentration of 40 million sperm per mL
50 percent normal motility
and 14 percent normal morphology
These numbers are in line with a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine
Optimal Sperm parameters were defined as the following
At a minimum sperm concentration of 48 million sperm per mL
greater than 63 percent normal motility
and greater than 12 percent normal morphology
The above numbers are much higher than the lower reference limit set by the World Health Organization
Their numbers are the following - these are the numbers you will often see on a sperm test and they will be listed as “normal”
15 million sperm per mL
40 percent motility
and 4 percent normal morphology
Did you know you should start thinking about your fertility before you want to have kids?
There are many things both women and men can do to improve their fertility, that’s the good news! The bad news, is this isn’t really common knowledge. And most couples don’t start thinking about fertility until they decide they are ready to have kids. Often when couples reach that decision, they want to have kids right away! Natural ways to increase fertility take some time, the amount of time it takes depends on your starting point. But for anyone, it isn’t something that happens overnight, or even in a month or two typically.
Mainstream Medical Care Doesn’t Assess Fertility Until A Couple Has Been Trying to Conceive and Has Been Having Regular Sex for One Year
If you’ve ever been trying to start a family or add another child to your family, you know that a year feels like a REALLY LONG time. That’s a lot of negative tests and potential heartache. If you aren’t addressing fertility at all during this time, then you’re starting from ground zero one year in. When we were trying to get pregnant, I didn’t want to wait that long to address the situation.
Ladies, What Are Some Signs That You May Have a Fertility Challenge?
The biggest clue women can get about their fertility without any tests is to look at their monthly cycle. While periods do have some variance month to month, here are some signs that your period/hormones likely need some help:
very heavy bleeding
very light periods
skipped periods
spotting
Period not stopping
large clots
moderate to severe pain with menstruation (i.e. pain that requires the use of painkillers, or is so severe that you’re unable to go about your normal daily activities)
painful cramps (anything more than mild cramping or discomfort)
irregular cycles (time between cycles varies greatly)
PMS symptoms
headaches
nausea
depression
mood swings
bloating
breast tenderness
anxiety
nervousness
irritation
impatience
neediness
crying
PMS symptoms continued:
fatigue
dizziness
fainting
heart palpitations
sugar cravings
insomnia
confusion
forgetfulness
weight gain
swelling
joint pain
back pain
What If Most Women You Know Have Periods with Multiple of the Things Listed Above?
If you quickly scanned that list and thought it sounded like every period you’ve ever had, and like the periods of most of your friends and family members, that means they aren’t having normal cycles. Does this blow your mind? When I found this out, I thought, every woman I’ve ever known has a period like that. They’re usually terrible, painful, with tons of symptoms. And that’s not a normal period?!
What Is A Normal Period Like?
Ok, so what are the characteristics of a normal period then?
lasts 3-7 days and has a flow pattern that starts heavy and gradually tapers off
total bleeding in a normal period ranges from 25 - 80 mL
normal color is a variant of red - bright red to a deep burgundy
no cramping or very mild cramping or discomfort
Another Way a Woman Can Know If She Has a Fertility Challenge - THE DUTCH test!
At my office, I do testing called Dutch testing. It’s stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. There are several versions of the test, they are all great! When you’re working with me I will help you figure out which test is best. Their flagship product the Dutch Complete Test is excellent, and may be all a patient needs. If there are some big period signals that something deeper may be going on, they have a Cycle Mapping Test, that can map out your menstrual cycle, it shows your entire progesterone and estrogen cycle and has tons of useful information! I love the DUTCH test as a tool because it gives huge insight into a person’s health and can really help indicate which direction to take for a patient’s treatment.
How To Know if a Man Has a Fertility Challenge
The best way here is a sperm test to see counts, motility and morphology. Refer to the Decline in Male Fertility section above to reference the actual normal sperm numbers, versus what may be labeled as “normal” on your results.
Ways to Boost Fertility
For Men
Men’s treatments tend to be easier and less complicated, so I thought we would go through this first.
If a man gets a sperm test and finds out that he has a sperm count, motility, or morphology challenge, here are some things he can do. Some of these items you can do at home, and some of course require a practitioner.
Things to do:
Maintain a healthy weight
Get Exercise
Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections
Manage Stress
Eat healthy - more veggies, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats. Less carbs and inflammatory foods (i.e. breads, pastas, rice dishes)
Things to AVOID:
Smoking
Alcohol (limit or avoid completely)
Lubricants during sex
Toxins - lead, pesticides and other toxins can affect sperm quality and quantity
Overheating - increased scrotal temperature can affect sperm
No hot tubs
No saunas
looser fitting underwear
No laptops on the lap
No cellphones in pockets often or for long periods of time
Something to see a practitioner for (that I can’t do at my office):
Sperm test (this is usually step one for men in assessment for fertility)
Things to see a practitioner for (I can do all of these things at my office):
Chiropractic Adjustments
Acupuncture
DUTCH test
Nutrition Testing & Specific, High-Quality Supplement Recommendations
FSM treatment
Detox
For Women
Alright ladies, I didn’t forget about you, let’s dive in! Again some of these things you can do at home, and some require seeing a practitioner.
Things to do :
Seed Cycling: What does that mean? Read about it on my blog here
Eat for Your Cycle: contact me to learn more about this - you eat/drink different things during the estrogen phase of your cycle than during the progesterone phase of your cycle
Eat more protein from good sources
Eat healthy fats
Eat more fiber
Drink lots of water
De-stress
Exercise
Get good sleep
Take prenatal vitamins
Things to AVOID:
Caffeine
Alcohol (limit or avoid completely)
Smoking
Being overweight or Underweight
Environmental toxins (this includes in the products you use for your home and your personal care products)
Things to see a practitioner for (I can do all of these things at my office):
a DUTCH test!!
Chiropractic adjustments
Acupuncture
Nutrition Testing & Specific High-Quality Supplement Recommendations
Hormone Evaluation and Treatment/ Support to Get Them into Balance
Detox
If You Want Some Help
This is an area I have a ton of knowledge in. Did you know that chiropractors can help people that are having fertility challenges? Some specialize in this more than others. If you read this blog and you thought any of the following things:
you would like help with your period so that it isn’t as painful/a hard time of the month/irregular
you know you want to have kids in the future, but you think you may need some help with hormones.
You’ve been actively trying to get pregnant and it isn’t happening
and/or you’ve successfully gotten pregnant, but have lost the pregnancies :(
I would be so happy to help you!
This is a very specialized discussion, and treatment that is developed specifically for you to meet you where you’re currently at in terms of hormone health and fertility. There are SO many options in terms of treatments, therapies, and nutrients that I can use to help you with period challenges, hormones, and fertility. There are treatments at every price point that we can use to improve your health and get you started on a healthier path.
If You Feel Like You’re the Only One Struggling
I know it can be so disheartening if you’ve been trying to have a successful pregnancy with no luck and it seems like everyone around you is announcing their pregnancies/babies, you are not alone! Lots of couples struggle with fertility challenges, they often don’t feel like sharing their struggles until they’ve had a successful pregnancy. But I guarantee other people are having a difficult time too. Let me help you if you find yourself in that situation. I was surprised when I shared that we had fertility challenges with our first pregnancy, how many people opened up and told me that they had also struggled, and I had no idea that they had gone through any challenges.
