Fertility Supplements for Women
Table of Contents
Infertility can be a distressing and challenging journey for many women. The desire to unlock the potential of fertility and conceive a child is a deeply ingrained instinct. Thankfully, there are natural supplements available that can support reproductive health and hormonal balance, helping women increase their chances of conception. In this blog we will take a close look at fertility supplements for women and provide you with science-backed information to help you through the maze of options.
Understanding Fertility and its Challenges
The Role of Hormones
Hormones play a crucial role in the female reproductive system. They regulate ovulation, control the menstrual cycle, and create the optimal environment for conception. Hormonal imbalances can disrupt this delicate balance, leading to difficulties in getting pregnant.
Factors Relating to Fertility
Several factors can influence fertility, including age, lifestyle choices, underlying health conditions, and genetic issues. These factors may impact hormone production, egg quality, and overall reproductive health, making it important to address them when trying to conceive.
The Impact of Age on Fertility
Age plays a significant role in a woman’s fertility. As she gets older, the quantity and quality of her eggs decline, leading to a decrease in fertility. Understanding the impact of age on fertility is essential for women who are planning to start a family.
Benefits of Fertility Supplements for Women
Fertility supplements for women have been found to support and encourage ovulation, leading to increased chances of conceiving. These supplements often contain key nutrients and ingredients that promote hormonal balance and regulate the menstrual cycle. Natural supplements provide a convenient way to boost those nutrient levels which are essential for reproductive health. They provide many of the vitamins, and minerals that nourish the body, ensuring a plentiful supply of the nutrients needed to support fertility.
Vitamins, minerals, and herbal remedies play a vital role in supporting fertility. For example, folate is essential for healthy foetal development, while iron helps prevent anaemia during pregnancy. Herbal remedies, such as maca root and raspberry leaf, can help regulate hormones and support the menstrual cycle.
Fertility supplements are not only beneficial for reproductive health but also for overall wellness. Some supplements include immune boosting ingredients that help strengthen the body’s defences, creating a favourable environment for conception.
Preparing for Conception with Fertility Supplements
Preconception Care
This is crucial for optimising fertility and ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Fertility supplements can be a key part of preconception care, providing your body with the necessary nutrients and support to prepare for conception.
Nutrients and Vitamins
Certain nutrients and vitamins are essential for fertility. Folate (Vitamin B9) or the synthetic version folic acid for example, can help prevent neural tube defects in the developing foetus. The recommended dose per day is 400 micrograms unless you are diabetic or have a BMI of above 30 in which case your GP may suggest a higher dose of 5 mgs.
Other B Vitamins can be beneficial for reproductive health so supplementing with a B Complex is an option. It is always best to opt for a food-state vitamin over synthetic.
Other important nutrients include zinc, vitamin D, and omega 3 fatty acids, which all contribute to reproductive health.
Iron can be important for preventing anaemia during pregnancy.
Herbal remedies
Plant extracts, such as maca root, ashwagandha, raspberry leaf, and tribulus terrestris, have been used for centuries to boost fertility. These remedies can regulate hormones, and support a healthy menstrual cycle, making them a valuable addition to a fertility supplement regimen.
Hormone Regulation
Natural supplements, like agnus castus, can help balance hormone levels, ensuring optimal conditions for conception. By supporting hormonal balance, these supplements can help with irregular periods and other hormonal imbalances that can hinder fertility.
Popular Fertility Supplements for Women
Maca Root for Fertility
Maca enhances fertility and hormonal balance. A root vegetable indigenous to the Andes Mountains of Peru, maca has gained popularity as a fertility supplement. Known scientifically as Lepidium meyanii, maca has been used for centuries due to its various health benefits, including its potential positive impact on fertility.
One of the key benefits of maca for fertility is its ability to support hormonal balance. Maca is considered an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body to adapt to stress and hormonal imbalances. It has been reported to support the endorphin system, which is responsible for producing and regulating hormones in the body. By promoting hormonal balance, maca may help regulate menstrual cycles, promote ovulation, and generally improve fertility.
An additional way maca may benefit fertility is by enhancing sexual function and libido. Many studies have shown that maca can increase sexual desire in both men and women. This may be particularly beneficial for women with low libido, which is a common problem, but one which can inhibit conception. By improving sexual function, maca may increase the chances of conception.
Maca is also known to have antioxidant properties which may protect the reproductive system from oxidative stress. This is important because oxidative stress can damage reproductive cells and impair fertility. By reducing oxidative stress, maca may help improve egg quality.
Furthermore, maca is rich in essential nutrients beneficial for reproductive health. It’s a good source of vitamins including vitamin C, the B vitamins, and vitamin E, as well as minerals like calcium, zinc, and iron. These nutrients are crucial for maintaining a healthy reproductive system and supporting optimal fertility.
Ashwagandha for Fertility
Known for its power to regulate the menstrual cycle and improve fertility, ashwagandha has been a much-valued Ayurvedic medicine for over three thousand years. Modern science has found that it works in valuable ways to support women’s health, particularly with regard to increased fertility and hormonal balance.
It has also been found in clinical studies that ashwagandha gives support with stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and low libido. All these issues may have an impact on the ability to conceive.
Raspberry Leaf
Promoting cervical mucus and supporting the menstrual cycle, raspberry leaf is another well regarded fertility supplement that promotes cervical mucus production and supports a healthy menstrual cycle. It is known for its ability to strengthen the uterus and prepare it for pregnancy.
Agnus Castus
Also known as chasteberry, Agnus Castus is a powerful herb that can regulate hormone levels and address irregular periods. By supporting hormonal balance, it can improve fertility and increase the chances of successful conception.
CoQ10 for Fertility
Boosting egg quality and improving fertility, CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that can improve ovum quality and enhance fertility. It works by protecting the eggs from oxidative damage and promoting energy production within the cells, increasing the chances of successful conception.
Omega 3 for Fertility
Supporting reproductive health and improving chances of conception, omega 3 fatty acids, commonly found in cold-water fish oils, but also available from certain algae. These essential fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and are crucial for hormone production and overall reproductive health.
Choosing the Right Fertility Supplement for You
Individual Needs
You may find it useful to have a chat with a healthcare professional who specialises in reproductive health to identify your individual needs to help select the right supplement for you.
Evaluating Quality
Not all fertility supplements are created equal. It is crucial to evaluate the quality and reliability of the supplements available on the market. Look for ethical, reputable brands, and positive customer reviews to ensure you are investing in a high-quality product.
Combining Natural Supplements with Other Fertility Treatments or Interventions
Fertility supplements for women can be a valuable addition to other fertility treatments or interventions you may be undergoing. It’s important to discuss with your healthcare professional how these supplements will interact with any other medication or existing health conditions. Be sure to also be aware of any potential side effects of any medications you choose to take, either natural or pharmaceutical.
Fertility Supplements
Supplement Place products are sourced from the highest quality ingredients available. Our vitamins and minerals are also wholefood, never synthetic. Our formulas are developed using our own expertise based on extensive research. All recipes and blends are manufactured especially for us to our own high standards.
Supplements which may help to improve fertility for women include:
Medical Recommendations Pre-Conception
Nutrients and vitamins are a vital part of preparing for conception but are not the only considerations. There are other lifestyle factors which are medically recommended if you are planning to get pregnant or preparing for fertility treatment:
Vaccinations
Ensure you have had the MMR vaccine to protect yourself from rubella, also known as German measles. This virus can cause birth defects so it’s important to safeguard against it.
Cervial Screening
Have a cervical screening test if you haven’t had one in the past three years.
Smoking
Stop or cut down on smoking. Many research studies have shown that smoking damages sperm and egg quality. It also jeopardises implantation rates for fertilised eggs. Smoking is an addiction that can be hard to kick but support is available. If you feel in need of some help, give ‘Quitline’ a call on 0800 002200.
Alcohol
Alcohol reduces fertility and causes damage to sperm. Standard safety limits are no more than 14 units per week for both women and men, and these are best spread out throughout the week rather than taken in one slam. However, medical advice is that when trying for a baby, a man should limit his alcohol intake to no more than 6 units per week (2.5 pints of beer or 2.5 medium glasses of wine). For a woman trying to conceive, and during pregnancy, strong medical advice is to abstain completely from drinking alcohol.
Diet
Eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, lean meat, or plant-based protein, wholemeal bread, pasta, and rice. Dairy foods are also necessary to make sure you are getting sufficient calcium, protein, and other nutrients. If you are reducing your weight you may like to go for low fat varieties where possible such as skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, 0% fat yogurt, and cottage cheese.
Low fat varieties of yogurt, milk and cheese contain just as much calcium as full-fat options. This will improve your fertility and will also be good for your baby’s future health. However, be wary of an increased sugar content when sourcing “diet” or low-fat options.
If you follow a vegan diet, you can get calcium from, chia seeds, almonds, dried figs, sunflower seeds, broccoli, kale, sesame seeds, sweet potatoes, mustard and collard greens, okra, butternut squash, arugula. Certain products such as soy milk, tofu, orange juice and breakfast cereals are fortified with calcium so these will make useful additions to your diet.
Water
Drink plenty of water. You need between 8 and 10 cups or glasses of fluid each day and it is much better to drink water than drinks containing caffeine or sugar. Studies have found that excessive caffeine can lower fertility, and tea, coffee, cola drinks and energy drinks are very high in caffeine.
Exercise
Exercise improves your physical strength and fitness; it will also help you reach your ideal weight and relieve stress levels. Aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, swimming, pickleball, badminton or tennis are all good. If it’s hard to factor actual sporting activities into your routine, a twenty-minute walk two to three times each week will be highly beneficial.
Medication
You may feel that you don’t want to be taking pharmaceutical drugs while trying to become pregnant but it’s vital to check with your GP before stopping any regular medication. It could be dangerous to simply stop taking a prescribed drug.
Recreational Substances
Recreational substances are very bad news and will harm your chances of pregnancy, as well as causing damage to you and your unborn child should you conceive. See effects of pre-natal substance abuse.
Weight Management
This is known as your body mass index (BMI). Both you and your partner should ideally be as close as possible to a healthy BMI. Being either over or underweight can interfere with your fertility. The recommended BMI is between 21 and 30 and if you need help in achieving this, your GP can refer you to a dietitian. It is healthier to aim for a slow, weight loss or gain. When trying to lose weight you can feel very happy with a loss of between 1-2 lb (0.5-1.0 kg) per week.
Conclusion
Unlocking the potential of your fertility and conceiving a child is a journey that requires dedication and support. Fertility supplements for women can provide the much-needed boost to enhance reproductive health and increase the chances of conception. Remember to consult with a healthcare professional to find the right supplement for your individual needs and goals. With the right knowledge and guidance, there is hope and optimism on your journey to start a family.
Further Reading
You may find the following blogs on women’s health and particularly, reproductive health of interest:
Our Promise
When it comes to keeping you informed on health and nutrition, we’re here for you and aim to help where we can. If you would like to discuss any aspect of using natural supplements, or would find advice helpful, please feel free to contact us on 01297 553932