Trying to Conceive? Natural Ways to Boost Fertility By Nicole Kerr, ND, LAc
T
he journey to parenthood is an exciting experience. You read books, watch videos, listen to podcasts, and talk with friends and family that have experienced the joy of pregnancy. All in anticipation that you will join them in the ranks of being a mom or dad. The stories you hear can give you feelings of happiness, fear, uncertainty, and elation. The plethora of information at your disposal offers fascinating facts you never knew happened in your body, but you can also be exposed to contradicting information of the best ways to do everything in preparation to conceive. When the decision to start trying to conceive (TTC) has been made, preconception healthcare should be on the top of any couple’s list. Preconception health refers to the health of a baby’s mother and father before the woman gets pregnant. It is important for both men and women to be healthy before conceiving a baby. Improving one’s health before becoming pregnant improves the health outcomes for both mom and baby. Preconception care should start three to four months before actively TTC. This seems like a long time for many, but taking this time prior to TTC can improve the overall chances of conception and decrease potential pregnancy complications that could be prevented if addressed prior to becoming pregnant.
Why is 3-4 Months of Preconception Healthcare Suggested? The oocyte, female egg, that will eventually be fertilized by a single sperm starts to develop months prior to being selected as the primary follicle to be released out of the ovary. Allowing 3-4 months of preconception care will give enough time to positively affect oocytes being recruited as the primary follicle. Improving the egg health prior to primary follicular selection will improve chances of conception, the health of mom, and the health of the baby. Sperm take arguably 60-120 days to undergo all stages of development. The final stages occurring in the epididymis allow the sperm to become motile. The process of sperm production includes repeated oxidation reactions. During these times of oxidative stress, sperm is essentially left without intracellular defense mechanisms against oxidative damage. Only enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in seminal plasma provide cellular protection. If high oxidative damage occurs without adequate antioxidants in the body, this can damage the developing sperm to swim in circles or not move at all. During preconception time is when male patients receive antioxidant therapy to improve sperm motility. This is a time when work can be done to improve the overall health of the sperm and male partner.
Balancing hormones for optimal fertility needs three months time to allow for proper signaling and homeostasis to be established between the sex organs, ovaries and testes, and the brain. Although powerful drugs like the oral contraception pill (OCP) can shut down reproduction immediately, new forms of male OCP need 2 months to show effect in a semen analysis. Regaining proper signaling between the brain and sex organs can take time and varies from person to person. Your health today is directly influencing the quality of the recruited follicles and sperm that are preparing to be chosen three months from now as the potential egg and sperm that will develop into your baby. The neuroendocrine system is vital in fertility and needs to be in balance. For example, recruited follicles are bathed in cortisol with high cortisol concentrations present in the pre-ovulatory follicles just prior to ovulation. It has been suggested that cortisol may function to reduce the inflammatory-like reactions occurring in connection with ovulation, though too high levels of cortisol are problematic to healthy functioning fertility. One study involving IVF patients showed follicular fluid from unfertilized eggs had levels of cortisol significantly higher than the levels in follicular fluid from follicles containing successfully fertilized eggs. This suggests that glucowww.NaturalNutmeg.com
35
