It’s a brand new year, full of possibilities and opportunities ahead of us over the next twelve months. You may have set some goals and motivational resolutions for yourself, and one of those may be to fall pregnant this year. Did you know that you can actively improve your fertility in the summer months to increase your chances of conception at the beginning of the year? It’s true!
It’s common knowledge that stress isn’t good for you in general. It can also negatively impact your fertility. If getting pregnant is on your mind, why not use this summer as an opportunity to de-stress, cultivate your sexuality and bond with your partner?
Here are some tips to de-stress and boost your fertility this summer:
Get your daily Vitamin D: Get out in the sun and soak up this important vitamin for fertility health. If you can’t get out for about 10-15 minutes of sunshine each day, ask your doctor to have your level checked and whether you should consider a Vitamin D supplement.
Don’t forget the sunscreen: While you’re absorbing your daily Vitamin D from the sun, healthy organic or toxin-free sunscreens – – or some shade – – can keep you safe if you are in the sun for a prolonged period.
Drink a LOT of water: Avoid water bottles made from toxic plastics. Dehydration is dangerous, especially when doing sports or otherwise sweating in the summer heat. Keep those fluid levels up!
Feel the sand on your feet: It’s a fact: “earthing” or “grounding” reconnects people with the electrons on the surface of the earth allowing them--simply through being barefoot outdoors daily-- to access this “untapped health resource”. The widespread potential benefits of this environmental medicine protocol earned earthing the description of a “global treatment table” and an important way of naturally improving health.
We can’t stress this enough….get exercise: What better time than summer to take advantage of the many outdoor activities available to work up a sweat and stay healthy? Swimming in particular works all the major muscles, doesn’t put pressure on joints, and doesn’t cause sweating. Of course, if you don’t have access to a pool, any form of exercise is great, even if it’s for 10 minutes a day.
Decrease your screen time: Get outside and away from screens of all types. Read a book on the beach. Talk by the braai. Disconnect from social media. You won’t regret it.
Boost nutrition: Eat a healthy diet. If your budget allows it, eat organic fruits and vegetables. Consider growing some of your own. Pesticides are harmful to fertility in both men and women so try to take advantage of farmers markets and organic sources of local produce this summer.
Mood boosting sunshine
Summer sunshine can also improve mood. Many couples who have difficulty getting pregnant feel stressed, burned out and less connected to each other. Baby-making can seem like a chore for them rather than a fun and loving way to connect to your partner. Finding time to relax and refocus on your relationship can do wonders for your fertility potential. Even if you are trying to conceive through insemination or IVF, don’t forget to nurture the intimacy in your relationship. Or if you are a woman who is trying to conceive on your own with donated sperm, it’s still important to cultivate your sensual side!
According to research, women who have sex frequently (not just during ovulation) are more fertile. This could be the result of increased blood flow to the reproductive organs or oxytocin released from orgasm. It could also be due to an alteration in the immune system: A 2015 study at Indiana University found preliminary evidence that sexually active women had shifts in their immune system throughout their cycle that could assist with sperm motility, fertilization and acceptance of an embryo.
Summer-friendly fertility activities:
Get outside while the sun is shining and the sky is clear and soak up as much vitamin D as possible! Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin,” is produced in the skin as a response to sunlight exposure. Some studies show that having plenty of vitamin D improves success rates in both in vitro fertilization (IVF) as well as the transfer of donor egg embryos. Get your vitamin D this summer by getting outside for water sports, trips to the beach, and a stroll through the park with family and friends.
For women: Stay fit by engaging in stress-busting exercise. Women with high-stress levels can take up to 29 percent longer to conceive than those with low stress. Activities like outdoor yoga classes, taking long walks, and meditation sessions are recommended as good sources of stress relief.
For men: Men should avoid high-intensity exercise in hot weather, as not to overheat the testicles. Avoid tight-fitting clothing when working outdoors in the summer as an extra precaution. Less heat to the testicles promotes better fertility.
Men and Women: Summer is a great time to kick your nasty habits. Vices such as smoking and consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can negatively impact fertility. To combat this, try using the long summer days to distract from these cravings for outdoor activities.
And lastly, we probably don’t need to tell you this but we will anyway: Smoking can be harmful to fertility health as it can damage the ovaries and Fallopian tubes in women. Likewise, smoking also affects men by reducing sperm count. Smokers are 54 percent more likely to take over a year to get pregnant, while 13 percent of infertility cases are directly linked to smoking.