DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may get a commission if you decide to purchase something through my links at no cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer for more info.
Trying to conceive can be an exciting time however it can quickly become exhausting if you’re dealing with fertility issues.
Some causes of infertility such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), low sperm count, etc. Regardless, if you’re trying to conceive, fertility supplements can prepare your body for pregnancy in ways such as, optimizing egg health and production, increasing sperm count and motility, and giving your body all the necessary vitamins and minerals it needs!
In addition to drinking adequate water, taking supplements, and eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and caffeine can help increase your chances of conceiving. It’s also important to optimize your health and weight before or while trying to conceive for an even higher success rate!
And for any parent trying to conceive, I highly recommend looking into Toxic Chemicals You Need to Avoid for Your Fertility where I go over all kinds of products and food chemicals to watch for that can disrupt your endocrine system.
Now let’s get into the best fertility supplements!
1. Prenatal Vitamins
First, switch out your multivitamin with a prenatal vitamin before you become pregnant. A prenatal vitamin is beneficial to help provide you with higher amounts of some vitamins and minerals such as folate, iron, calcium, and vitamin D.
Some tips while looking for a prenatal vitamin:
- Folic acid has been proven to reduce the chances of neural tube defects in your baby. Folate is the natural form of folic acid, however, it has not been studied or proven to also reduce the risks of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
- At least 400mcg of L-methyl folate. Some believe that L-methyl is better than the alternative, synthetic form of folate that some people cannot break down properly into active folate.
- A prenatal vitamin containing DHA is also crucial as this is building block involved in your baby’s growth and development.
- 27mcg of iron will provide enough for your and your baby if you aren’t getting enough from your diet. Ensuring optimal intake of iron will reduce your chances of anemia during pregnancy. Be aware that gummy prenatal vitamins do not usually contain iron.
This Pink Stork Prenatal Vitamin includes these essentials for increasing your fertility trying to conceive. Additionally, Pink Stork is a woman-owned business and their products are third-party tested which is crucial!
2. Vitamin D for Fertility
Vitamin D is important for immune function, healthy cell division, and bone health. It’s also needed to absorb calcium, which research has sown to be one of the most important vitamins to have enough while trying to conceive and while pregnant.
The consumption of vitamin D has also been shown to produce various benefits for female reproduction, including trying to conceive. Sufficient amounts of vitamin D have been linked to better fertility and healthier pregnancies in women. Plus, there are even receptors present in female organs, including the ovaries, uterus, and placenta
A recent study shows that women taking 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily had the greatest benefits in preventing preterm labor, infections, and diseases.
The Pink Stork Prenatal Vitamin only contains 15mcg of vitamin D, so if you’re interested in a vitamin D supplement to meet these recommendations, I love the NOW brand because their supplements have always shown real effects for me. Here are the NOW Vitamin D Supplements with 5,000IUs with a 240 day supply!
3. Maca Root
Maca root is a nutritional superfood from South America containing high iron and iodine levels to promote healthy cell functions and high amounts of potassium, calcium, and amino acids.
Clinical trials have shown the effectiveness of maca in increasing sperm count and motility plus increasing egg health. But there are different types of maca root, such as red, yellow, and black. Red maca is known to be the most effective for sexual functions so this is the one I recommend!
The common dosage of maca root for fertility is 500-1000mg three times daily.
Maca can be added to your diet by the common forms of capsules or powder. But, in experimental studies, it is shown that maca is only effective after it is boiled in water, and that is how it has been used traditionally. Therefore, I highly recommend choosing a maca root powder to boil before consumption rather than an encapsulated raw maca supplement.
4. Evening Primrose Oil
Evening primrose oil is high in omega-6, and it is made from the seeds of the evening primrose plant.
It’s used for PMS, menopause symptoms, preparing your cervix for labor, regulating your menstrual cycle, and alleviating cramping during the first few weeks of breastfeeding.
I used evening primrose oil to regulate my menstrual cycle to conceive and it worked within the first month! I used the NOW Super Evening Primrose Oil with 1,3000mg daily and then conceived my daughter 5 months later.
5. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) for Fertility
CoQ10 is naturally produced in the body and acts as an antioxidant. It may improve fertility in both men and women. In men, CoQ10 may improve sperm motility and function when taking a dosage between 200-300 mg daily.
Women are recommended to take 300-600mg of CoQ10 daily to improve their fertility.
However, it would be best to stop taking CoQ10 once you become pregnant because higher doses of this antioxidant during pregnancy have not been researched yet.
In a 2017 study, women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) resulted in women with higher levels of CoQ10 (found in follicles) having higher-quality eggs and higher pregnancy rates. Overall, more research is needed to prove that supplementing CoQ10 outside of IVF is effective for women’s fertility.
6. DHEA
DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands, the gonads (the reproductive glands), and the brain.
Supplementing with DHEA has shown incredible improvement in egg health and quantity in women preparing for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Studies have also shown a significant increase in pregnancy rate and live birth rates following supplementing with DHEA.
During IVF, the standard dosage of DHEA is 25mg, three times daily for 75mg daily.
DHEA is typically recommended for women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). It has vastly increased pregnancies in young women suffering from premature ovarian aging (POA) and women over 40 whose ovarian reserve is declining due to natural aging.
Studies have shown that premature ovarian insufficiency is often caused by the adrenal glands lacking in DHEA production. This happens naturally with aging and can occur because of autoimmunity (a response that causes your body to attack its own healthy cells and tissues), thyroid complications, or endometriosis.
To know for sure if DHEA may help increase your fertility and chances of conceiving, you should get your current levels of DHEA and testosterone tested as a precaution because DHEA could increase your levels of testosterone.
DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may get a commission if you decide to purchase something through my links at no cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer for more info.
DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
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