As a family herbalist and dietitian, I frequently encounter women struggling with fertility concerns. Perhaps you are one of them. Here, we will consider how to boost fertility in your 30s.
According to the CDC, 1 in 5 couples over the age of 30 struggle with infertility. One-third of the time, the infertility issues come directly from the woman.
Boosting fertility in your 30s involves adopting a holistic approach to health and lifestyle. A healthy diet, regular physical activity, reducing stress, getting enough sleep, and regular wellness checkups will help your chances of conception.
Whether you are seeing a specialist or trying to work through infertility to conception alone, here are some things a woman should evaluate.
How Hormones Affect Female Fertility in Your 30s
In a woman’s 30s, hormonal changes play a significant role in fertility. As women age, their ovarian reserve decreases, meaning fewer eggs are available for fertilization. This decline is primarily influenced by a decrease in the production of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which regulate the menstrual cycle and ovulation. Additionally, levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) rise as the ovaries become less responsive to its signals, indicating diminished fertility.
Irregularities in hormone levels can disrupt the timing and quality of ovulation, leading to challenges in conceiving. Moreover, aging also affects the quality of eggs, increasing the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and miscarriage. Therefore, understanding the hormonal shifts in the 30s is crucial for women seeking to conceive during this stage of life.
6 Ways to Boost Fertility in Your 30s
Stop Taking Birth Control if You Want to Get Pregnant
Approximately 70% of women have used oral contraceptives sometime throughout their lives. Oral contraceptives can increase estrogen levels. Increased estrogen disrupts embryo implantation, decreasing the woman’s chance to conceive. One year is a normal amount of time for these hormones to “rebalance” in the body.
The same oral contraceptives decrease a woman’s folate levels. Folate is a B vitamin necessary for proper neural development. Low levels can cause neural tube defects and miscarriages. If you have experienced a miscarriage, you may want to test your folate levels to make sure they are in their optimal range. Replacing folate to optimal levels can take about three months.
Optimize the Body
Whether you are coming off of birth control or trying to balance hormones, start by optimizing your liver’s function. The liver is responsible for breaking down unnecessary hormones and ridding the body of daily toxins, including endocrine disruptors.
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mimic natural hormones or block normal hormone function. Some of these chemicals are PBA, herbicides, PCBs, phthalates, triclosan and perchlorate (think fireworks). These chemicals can be on our foods, in our drinking water, in our cleaning products, at our workplace and even in our personal care products. The more we are exposed to these chemicals, the more toxic our body can be and the harder it can be to get pregnant.
You can optimize liver function with a liver detox. A liver detox is a functional food designed to optimize liver function. Reach for a liver detox that includes herbs like milk thistle, dandelion, turmeric and green tea. The same detox should offer a good amount of protein and antioxidants, all of which a liver needs every day to rid itself of unnecessary hormones and chemicals.
Learning how to boost fertility in your 30s may involve reading product labels. Do your body a favor by reviewing each label ingredient on your household cleaning supplies, beauty products and foods. If you don’t know what it is, don’t use it.
Optimize the Cells
The next step in optimizing your body for fertility is to optimize your cell’s hormone receptors. Think of hormone receptors as docking sites for hormones. Each hormone fits perfectly into its matching receptor. Over time, these receptors can get blocked by harmful chemicals we come in contact with daily.
Herbs like cilantro, chlorella, parsley, dandelion and milk thistle help clean hormone receptors. Gaia Herbs’ Fertility Support and Nordic Naturals’ Fertility Support supplements include such ingredients. These nutrients allow your own hormones (estrogen and progesterone) to couple with the cells, allowing for proper hormone signaling and better hormonal balance.
Change Your Diet
Food always matters in terms of fertility. The typical American diet with high red meat intake, sugary desserts, refined grains, and high-fat processed foods combined with alcohol and low physical activity are associated with decreased fertility.
So, if you want to know how to boost fertility in your 30s, what you eat does matter. Maintaining a balanced diet rich in nutrients such as folate, zinc, and antioxidants can support reproductive health. Specifically, nourishing your body with organic, grass-fed, wild-caught food could be the very thing you need to hold a healthy baby.
Incorporating nutrient-rich foods like leafy greens, fruits, and whole grains can support fertility by providing essential vitamins and minerals. Foods high in antioxidants, such as berries and nuts, can help combat oxidative stress, which may improve reproductive health. Additionally, including sources of healthy fats like avocados and salmon can optimize hormone production, potentially enhancing fertility.
Also avoiding smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and illicit drugs is crucial as they can impair fertility.
Work Out Regularly
Moderate regular exercise can help regulate hormones, such as insulin, cortisol, and testosterone, which play crucial roles in reproductive health. It can also improve blood circulation to the reproductive organs, help manage weight, reduce stress levels by increasing the production of endorphins, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, enhance mood, boost libido, regulate menstrual cycles in women, and contribute to overall health and well-being, which can positively impact fertility outcomes.
Get Regular Wellness Checkups
Finally, it’s essential to prioritize regular check-ups with a healthcare provider to address any underlying medical conditions and optimize fertility potential. Overall, embracing a healthy lifestyle while being mindful of reproductive health can significantly increase the chances of conception in your 30s.
Summary
Women struggling with fertility in their 30s can take steps to optimize their chances of conception by addressing factors such as birth control use, liver function, exposure to endocrine disruptors, and diet. By making lifestyle changes and incorporating supportive herbs and supplements, women may be able to enhance their fertility and increase their likelihood of a healthy pregnancy.
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/health/materials/endocrine_disruptors_508.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jsbmb.2020.105599
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25673548
