How long have you been trying to get pregnant for?
I didn't have to look for natural fertility boosters until we were trying for our second one. I was lucky the first time – within a week of getting off the pill, I was pregnant.
I was pretty proud of myself for that one. However, I ate my words pretty quickly when we went for round two. Slowly but surely, the days turned into weeks, and then the weeks turned into months. Nothing was happening.
There is a lot of advice out there online around what to do and what not to do if you're trying to get pregnant. There's every chance you've heard a lot of them, or maybe them all. However, none of them seem to be viable or practical when it all comes down to it.
You know that when I started looking around for some help, I wanted a natural booster for my fertility. I didn't want to go to the doctors and get loaded up on some hormone pill that was going to give me five to ten adverse side effects.
I wanted to believe in myself and believe in my body. I also wanted to nourish it and give it a good chance of happening naturally.
Dr. Jose Chavarro of Harvard University headed up a review published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. It says that there is evidence pointing towards there being a connection between what women are eating and their likelihood of falling pregnant.
Foods to Eat to Boost Fertility
1. Salmon
Salmon is personally one of my favorite things to eat. I truly can't get enough of it and would eat it every day if I could.
The reason why salmon is recommended to eat if you're trying to boost your fertility is because of all the omega-3s. These fatty acids have been proven to encourage blood flow to your reproductive organs.
But wait, there's more. Not only do these acids promote reproductive blood flow, but they also can increase how much cervical mucus you produce. They can also regulate your body's hormonal levels and encourage ovulation.
I really don't need to be told twice to eat more salmon. But hey, if it's going to help my body get pregnant, don't mind if I do!
2. Spinach
Spinach is another favorite of mine – although it tends to end up in my smoothies more these days, purely for the convenience.
Folate found in spinach is a B vitamin that plays an essential role in the reliability and rate of ovulation.
You might have already heard of this important vitamin because it's also called folic acid. We're always being told to get enough folic acid in our diets when pregnant, so it must be good pre-pregnancy, too.
Folic acid helps with cell division and the production of DNA, keeping your pregnancy healthy from beginning to end.
Iron and calcium found in spinach can also reduce the risk of spine and brain birth defects.
If this isn't enough, chlorophyll found in dark greens like spinach can also increase your libido, because it promotes blood flow.
3. Beans
The folate, high fiber, and protein found in beans have been closely associated with fertility.
A Harvard Public Health study found that women who ate animal protein had a higher chance of infertility than women who ate plant-based protein – 39%, to be exact.
Another great reason to eat beans when trying to get pregnant is the iron. As women, it's important that we get enough iron in our diets – growing a baby is hard work and takes a lot out of us.
4. Whole Grains
Whole grains are a great natural fertility booster because they contain the most important B vitamins, such as B9 and B12. Several studies have shown that being low in B12 can increase your chances of infertility.
Antioxidants are also abundant in whole grains. Antioxidants are great at protecting the cells that constitute your precious eggs.
Barley, oatmeal and brown rice are great sources of natural whole grains that can boost your fertility.
5. Dark Chocolate
It's hard to beat salmon, but I think that this one's my favorite – for obvious reasons. Who doesn't want to be told that they should eat more chocolate for the health of their yet-to-be-conceived child?
There's some bad news, though. Eating dark chocolate as a natural fertility booster has actually been linked to increasing the semen quality in men.
You know what that means. It sounds like we're sticking to the salmon while the men get all the sweets.
The antioxidants in dark chocolate are beneficial for you, too, so don't feel you have to abstain completely. Antioxidants are great at promoting good blood flow, which is important for fertility in both men and women.
My favorite organic dark chocolate is Green & Black's USDA certified fair trade. They really care about the quality of their chocolate and ensure that the production is sustainable, too. Get your Green & Black's to munch on here.
I took the liberty of eating a lot of my favorite dark chocolate while I was trying to get pregnant. Because it was good for both of us, we could share it over a movie in bed or with some vanilla ice cream for dessert.
If you're trying to get pregnant, don't despair. There are some amazing natural fertility boosters that you can easily add to your diet. Not only will they keep you nice and healthy, but they'll increase your chances of bringing that baby on board.
If you find yourself becoming anxious around bedtimes as you try to achieve the seemingly impossible, check out my blog post on using lavender extract to help you sleep.
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What natural fertility booster are you most looking forward to trying? Let me know!
