Considering having a baby? From the best times to have sex to the best time to give birth, there is so much to figure out when you’re trying to conceive. You can boost your chances of getting pregnant and prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy by taking prenatal vitamins and supplements. Men should also take some vitamins to contribute to his fertility. These suggestions should help put your mind at ease by letting you know you and your man are doing all you can to have a healthy child.
Folic Acid. If there’s one thing that most women know, it’s that folic acid will benefit the pregnancy and help the baby grow. Folic acid should ideally be taken long before you even get pregnant. If you start taking folic acid when you want to conceive, then you are protecting your baby from serious birth defects from the moment of conception. Take at least 400 mcg of folic acid a day, through a multivitamin or on its own.
Vitamin C. Vitamin C benefits female hormone levels and can improve your fertility prospects, especially if you have luteal phase defect. Vitamin C also improves sperm quality and can even protect sperm from DNA damage. When men have healthy sperm, studies show that the chance of miscarriage is lower, as is the probability of chromosomal problems. One positive effect of Vitamin C for men is that it seems to keep sperm from clumping together, thereby making them more motile, and more likely to impregnate you.
Iron. According to scientific studies, women who do not get enough iron can suffer from what is called “anovulation”, which means a lack of ovulation. Low iron could also mean poorer egg health, which impairs pregnancy at a rate that is a full 60% higher than for those who do have enough iron in their blood. You can supplement your iron intake by eating foods that are rich in iron. You should also take iron supplements. One study even found that in women who struggled to ovulate, 40% became fertile once they supplemented with iron.
Zinc. Zinc is one of your body’s most important vitamins. For women, zinc, collaborates with more than 300 distinct enzymes to keep all of the body’s functions in good working order. A lack of zinc interrupts proper division of cells, makes your estrogen and progesterone levels out of whack and has an overall negative effect on your reproductive system. The Centers for Disease Control’s Assisted Reproductive Technology Report indicates that low levels of zinc have been directly linked to miscarriage. That makes zinc absolutely essential to your fertility.
Guys also need zinc because it increases semen and testosterone production in men, according to the American Pregnancy Association. There is a correlation between zinc deficiency and impaired sperm production. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, men should have 11 mg of zinc and women 8 mg every day. Oysters are the best food for zinc intake, but since many people aren’t fond of oysters, you can also consume dairy products, beans, whole grains, crab or lobster.