If you’re a woman finding it difficult to get pregnant despite countless attempts, this article will help you learn more about the issue. In this article, we’ll explore what is the cause of infertility in women? And, How to boost fertility? First up, you should know that infertility is not rare, and there are millions of women and men who face this problem.
To simply put, infertility means one’s inability to get pregnant or conceive even after trying over 12 months of intercourse. Moreover, women who can’t stay pregnant for longer than a few weeks may be infertile as well. Having said that, anyone can face the problem of infertility and, thankfully, it can be treated using various methods. Yes, you heard it right.
What are the symptoms of infertility?
The foremost symptom of infertility is one’s inability to conceive. Secondly, if a woman is not ovulating, she may be facing infertility. Overdue or very short menstrual cycles are also a sign of infertility in women.
What causes infertility in women?
Like men, women also face the problem of infertility due to various reasons. In some cases, more than one reason may lead to infertility in women. Let’s find out more about these causes in detail.
Damaged or Blocked Fallopian Tubes
Sometimes, fallopian tubes tend to get blocked or damaged due to surgeries, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. When fallopian tubes are blocked or damaged, the sperm and the mature egg can’t fertilize. Damaged fallopian tubes may also stop the egg from entering the uterus, thus preventing it from fertilizing.
Improper Ovulation
Improper ovulation means that you are not ovulating at frequent intervals, or there are no signs of ovulation at all. Improper ovulation is caused due to improper functioning of ovaries or a problem called POI or Primary Ovarian Insufficiency in women under 40.
Moreover, some women may also experience improper ovulation due to polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. PCOS is one of the primary reasons for female infertility; it happens due to hormone imbalance and is known to reduce ovulation rate in women.
Some women may also face improper ovulation because of hypothalamic dysfunction. The pituitary gland produces Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in women, which are responsible for increasing ovulation. As per studies, A lot of stress, be it physical or emotional, significant changes in body weight might hamper the growth of these two hormones and reduce ovulation.
Uterine Problems
The uterus is an important part of the female reproductive system, and its problems may cause infertility. Scars due to surgery or endometriosis may leave it scarred, which prevents the eggs and the sperm from fertilizing. Moreover, tumors may also block the fallopian tubes and thus causing problems getting pregnant. The other uterine problems include improperly shaped uterus and other complications present by birth itself.
Which factors increase the risk of infertility in women?
Age
Age tends to play a key role in female infertility. As per numerous studies, women over 35 years of age tend to have poor-quality eggs. Moreover, women aged 35 or above lose follicles rather quickly, thus increasing the risk of miscarriage.
Smoking
Smoking poses various health risks to both men and women. In women, smoking damages the fallopian tubes, thus increasing their chances of having a miscarriage. Moreover, smoking also degrades the quality of a woman’s eggs and ages their ovaries.
Weight
Staying fit is an important part of getting pregnant and delivering a healthy baby. If you’re obese or underweight, improper BMI may prevent you from getting pregnant in both scenarios. One must exercise and stay healthy to get pregnant.
Alcohol
Consuming a lot of alcohol isn’t good for anyone, and it certainly is a worse idea for women trying to get pregnant. If you can’t avoid alcohol while trying to get pregnant, you must ensure that you do not consume it in huge quantities.
Sexual History
If you have had multiple partners with whom you had unprotected intercourse, STDs or sexually transmitted diseases may damage your fallopian tubes. Especially infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea have higher chances of damaging fallopian tubes and causing infertility in women.
How to Boost Fertility in Women?
As we said at the beginning of this article, you can boost fertility in women. Simply changing your lifestyle and adopting healthy eating habits can significantly benefit and help you get pregnant. But, that’s not all. Now, let’s find out the best ways to boost fertility in women.
Consume more foods rich in Fiber
Fiber keeps hormone levels under control, and it also maintains blood sugar levels in the body. Consuming foods and fruits like oats, sweet potatoes, and avocados can help the body lower estrogen levels.
As per experts, women must consume up to 25 grams of fiber daily. Various research shows that slightly increasing the fiber intake in women over 30 years can help them prevent infertility. Moreover, it can also help them enhance the function of their ovaries.
Start consuming multivitamins
It is a no-brainer that one needs to be healthy to get pregnant. Multivitamins can help you achieve your goal as they can ensure your body has all the essential nutrients to get pregnant. Various medical experts suggest women consume multivitamins rich in folate as folate can significantly help women keep away ovulatory infertility.
However, do not forget to consult your doctor about adding a multivitamin to your diet and its recommended dose.
Hit the Gym or Start practicing Yoga
If you’re facing issues in getting pregnant, working out regularly can be the best bet on your way to fertility. It is well-known that exercising has significant health benefits, and it can certainly help both men and women increase their fertility. Stretching your body, losing excess fat, and maintaining appropriate BMI levels can help women get fertile.
However, if you plan to adapt to working out or yoga to get fertile, you must not over-tire yourself. As per reports, working out too much may fire back and increase infertility in some women.
Increase the intake of foods rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants have proven to be highly beneficial for the human body, all thanks to the health benefits they offer. A variety of antioxidants like folate and zinc may also help women increase their fertility and get pregnant. As per research, folate and zinc can protect a woman’s eggs from free radicals.
To increase your intake of antioxidants, you may consume walnuts, avocados, radish, spinach, orange, papaya, etc. Moreover, it is easy to consume foods rich in antioxidants as they’re readily available.
Start having a healthier and bigger breakfast
Balancing the diet is an important aspect of moving towards better health. Having a bigger size meal for breakfast can boost fertility in women. If you wonder how? The answer to how is, bigger breakfast enhances hormones and helps women with PCOS. Studies show that women who increase the size of their breakfast meal and decrease their dinner size have better ovulation.
However, do not forget to have a smaller-sized dinner if you have a bigger breakfast. The reason being, a lot of calories may make you put on weight and increase the concentration of fats in your body.
Reduce your consumption of carbs
Carbs seem to be problematic for women having infertility problems. If studies are to be believed, it has been found that excess carb intake in women with PCOS increases their fat significantly. Moreover, foods rich in carbs also have a high concentration of insulin that slows down ovulation.
In case you love bread, rice, or other foods rich in refined carbs, you should cut their consumption as well. Various types of carbs may increase your body weight and make you gain fat. Infertile women trying to boost fertility must stick to healthy eating habits and reduce their intake of carbs.
Research shows that increased blood sugar levels and higher carb decrease the production of reproductive hormones. Additionally, some studies also show that higher carbs also lower the chances of egg maturation.
Try to stay calm and relaxed
Frustration, stress, and anxiety are very common in women who can’t get pregnant even after numerous attempts. It helps if you can stay calm and relaxed; however, we know it is easier said than done. But, there is evidence that being relaxed can help women get pregnant faster.
As per studies, infertile women must relax and take their time before making another attempt. Stress changes our hormones, and it also impacts fertility in both men and women. You may even consult a counselor to loosen up yourself and relax.
Ensure that your body has enough Iron
Like other minerals, Iron is of utmost importance for the human body, and its deficiency may cause various health complications. If you have improper ovulation and you can’t get pregnant, iron supplements may help significantly. If possible, you may also consume plant-based iron for enhanced fertility. We advise you to speak with your doctor about adding plant-based iron to your diet and the recommended dose.
Stop consuming large amounts of Caffeine
If you love your coffee or tea, do ensure you’re not over-consuming the caffeine. Some studies show significant caffeine consumption may increase the time you take to get pregnant. So, to ensure you can get pregnant with ease, you may reduce your coffee intake to maximum cups a day.
Conclusion
Not being able to get pregnant may be frustrating, but infertility is not a rare problem. In most cases, it can be treated naturally or with medical assistance, if required. If you’re wondering what is the cause of infertility in women? Simply put, women like men face infertility problems due to various factors like improper ovulation, uterine problems, etc.
Now, if you ask us how to boost fertility in women? Women can boost fertility in numerous natural ways; some of them include getting fit, eating healthy, and staying relaxed.