Increasing fertility naturally

Increasing fertility naturally should be a primary consideration of every couple seeking to conceive. It is always a good idea to get guidance from a physician who specializes in reproductive medicine, but the methods of increasing fertility naturally enhance your chances of getting pregnant.

Here are the top ten natural methods for increasing fertility naturally, five methods for women and five for men.

For Women:

1. When PCOS is an issue, lose weight. The process of losing just 2 to 5 pounds takes enough sugar out of the bloodstream that the ovaries come off their "sugar buzz" and stop making harmful amounts of testosterone.

2. Consider taking dong quai or herbal formulas featuring dong quai if endometriosis is a concern. Dong quai lowers estrogen levels during the first half of a woman's period, reducing the inflammation of tissues that may be blocking the release or implantation of the egg.

3. Consider taking evening primrose oil (EPO), but do not take it after you have had intercourse in an attempt conceive, until your next menstrual period. EPO often improves the tensile qualities of the cervical mucus so that it can be more readily swum by sperm.

4. Consider taking vitex. This herb reduces production of luteinizing hormone (LH), which in turn reduces production of testosterone. Lower levels of testosterone enhance female infertility but reduce male infertility, so men should never take vitex.

5. Avoid douching for the week at the midpoint of your menstrual period. The cervical mucus is necessary for transporting sperm to the uterus.

For men:

6. Woo your lover with words, not foreplay. The front wall of the uterus rises during foreplay, creating a longer path for sperm to travel to the opening of the fallopian tubes.

7. Become skilled in the missionary position (on top). In the missionary position, the penis is forced into a "boomerang" configuration which forces the ejaculate further into the cervix.

8. Think zinc. Sometimes when sperm counts are low, taking 60-70 mg of zinc a day brings them high enough for conception. Even men who are not zinc-deficient can become more fertile after taking zinc.

9. Get your folic acid. This applies to women wishing to become mothers, too. Folic acid is needed for sperm production and sperm motility. In women, it prevents birth defects. You don't need to megadose. A single B vitamin supplement a day is usually enough to get folic acid and all its B vitamin co-factors.

10. Abstain. Building up semen volume can compensate for low sperm counts. Semen volume, however, typically only builds for about 3-4 days.