Getting pregnant isn’t always easy, but there are ways to give yourself a boost when trying to conceive.
Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor of FoxNews.com, recently spoke with Dr. Pina LoGuidice from InnerSource Health on Long Island, N.Y.
LoGuidice said it’s important to become healthy the year before you start trying to conceive, and not to worry if it doesn’t happen right away – she said six to eight months is typical.
“If that hasn’t happened then, that’s usually when I start recommending you try some of the botanicals,” she said.
Couples trying to conceive need to get their bodies in tip-top shape – eating right, detoxing and quitting smoking, all of which is crucial when thinking about a baby.
LoGuidice said it's a good idea to “get on a good prenatal, take some essential fatty acids, like omega oils, and take a very good, high-quality probiatic.
Essential fatty acids help decrease any inflammation in the body, and research shows that taking them after conception can help enhance your baby’s brain development.
LoGuidice also recommended adding a chasteberry supplement to your diet.
“It’s actually an adaptogen, meaning if you don’t have enough of a hormone, it will raise it up, or if you have too much, it will lower it,” she said. “It actually boosts just enough of the woman’s progesterone so that when she does try to start conceiving, it will help hold the pregnancy more significantly,” LoGuidice said. “You can find this herb in capsule form at any health food store. Taking 400 milligrams twice a day should do the trick.”
Red raspberry leaf is another option, because it helps to strengthen the uterus, and it’s also found in a pill form or as a tea or liquid tincture. Also helpful is evening primrose, LoGuidice said.
“Why I like it regarding fertility is, it actually enhances ovulation, and it helps enhance the egg quality,” she said. “Capsule form is the best way to take this herb, twice a day.”
Acupuncture can be helpful too, she added.
“Once that stress management is down, your body doesn’t release the hormone cortozal, which is our stress hormone. And for us to make that hormone, our body takes away progesterone, which is obviously the most crucial hormone for pregnancy,” LoGuidice said.