Why you should care about your fertility status, even if you don’t want to get pregnant right now.
Whether you are wanting to fall pregnant or not, your fertility is important. The health of your reproductive cycle and your fertility can say a lot about your overall health- think of it like 5th vital sign!
There are many factors that can impact your fertility, such as your lifestyle, environment, genetics and hormonal factors. However, just because you are told you are infertile doesn’t mean you can’t reverse it and improve your fertility and overall health. Even if you are not worried about your fertility status, you should care about your overall health- keep reading to find out why fertility impacts your overall health.
Approximately 10-15% of couples are affected by infertility. Yet, less than 50% of couples follow a preconception care plan and over 85% frequently follow behaviours that can affect fertility, such as alcohol consumption in the lead up to conceiving. If you are wanting to fall pregnant even if it is in a couple of years- start looking at your fertility status NOW. Even if you know you want to have babies in the future, but not anytime soon, your health should still be a number one priority! You don't have to wait until 3 months before thinking about preconception care. But 3 months is the recommended minimum.
Infertility is not necessarily a disease, rather a disruption of the body’s function or genetics, that are linked with other diseases and conditions such as nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances and nervous system dysregulation. For example, it is common for women with PCOS to suffer from insulin resistance. Fixing underlying metabolic and hormonal imbalances through lifestyle improvements can go a long way at enhancing your fertility and overall health. For those women who have PCOS but aren't worried about fixing it because they don’t want to have babies- this is your sign that having a healthy menstrual cycle and fertility status is crucial for your overall health and longevity!! P.S PCOS is certainly treatable without the use of the oral contraceptive pill or metformin.
“Fertility is a reflection of your overall health”
Do you care about your health but you are not wanting to get pregnant? It is still highly important to be informed about your fertility status. This is because you can feel 100000% better when our menstrual cycle and hormones are in check.
When you are in tune with your body, you can avoid pregnancy naturally- without the side affects of hormonal birth control. In order to do this, you need to be aware of when your fertile window is. You can do this by tracking your basal body temperature.
PSA: period apps cannot accurately predict ovulation.
Your menstrual cycle doesn’t have to be a burden, when your hormones are in harmony, your cycle can be a wonderful thing. It has soooo many health benefits other than just the purpose of baby making! Ovulation, is the main event of your menstrual cycle and healthy ovulation is the foundation of fertility. Without ovulation our body is ‘robbed’ of our beneficial hormones oestrogen and progesterone.
Benefits of each monthly surge of Progesterone:
Benefits of each monthly surge of Oestrogen:
Calms the nervous system
Reduces inflammation and regulates immune system
Promotes sleep
Supports thyroid hormones
Protects against breast cancer
Glowing skin
Stimulates libido
Enhances insulin sensitivity
Regulates metabolism
Encourages muscle gains
Supports strong bones
Supports a healthy heart and brain
Fertility status is not only important for females and their menstrual cycle. The fertility status of males can say alot about their health too. Research has shown men with low testosterone levels and low quality semen to have higher chances of hypertension and heart disease. The rates of coronary heart disease is 60% higher in infertile men compared to other men. It has also been reported that one in ten infertile males have metabolic syndrome. These health conditions are not ideal for anyone, especially those who are wanting to have a baby.
More than 50% of male infertility cases are of ‘unknown causes’ and many couples are told that it must just be genetic or it's just the way it is. However, this is not always the case, there can be underlying factors that can be improved through supplementation support and lifestyle/dietary changes. A semen analysis test can give you more insight to your overall predictor of fertility and help direct what areas of your sperm need support. Read more here.
If you would like more guidance on how to improve your fertility status or get it checked- please reach out.
I have created a step by step guide on how to optimise your fertility with easy, practical and proven implementations. If you would like to learn more, please click here.
