Boosting fertility: what are the solutions?

The menstrual cycle is a precise and rhythmic hormonal dance that plays a key role in conceiving a baby.

To conceive a child, the first thing to pay attention to is the timing of sexual intercourse. It is often wrongly assumed that you are fertile when you ovulate or just after ovulation. In reality, we are fertile a few days before and during ovulation, and as early as 24 hours after ovulation it is too late to conceive.

Under the influence of oestrogen, a few days before ovulation, the body produces cervical mucus (vaginal discharge) that supports sperm survival, and the cervix opens to allow sperm through. This enables them to wait for the day of ovulation and fertilise the egg at that point. After ovulation, under the influence of progesterone, the cervical mucus favourable to sperm survival is suppressed, the cervix closes again, and the egg transforms into the corpus luteum. Fertilisation is no longer possible.
 

Having sex outside the fertile window (a few days before and during ovulation) will therefore, in principle, not be fruitful for conceiving a child.
 

You can identify the fertile window in your cycle using several methods. 

A healthy diet cannot make up for a lifestyle that is incompatible with fertility. So that is where to start in order to increase your chances of having a positive pregnancy test. To conceive, pay attention to the following points.

Our range of female fertility booster is a concentrated source of nutrients with scientifically proven effects to support fertility.

Ovo+ also helps when looking for how to improve egg quality.

Cocooning+ also helps to reduce stress during the conception period.

Struggling to sleep? Try our sleep food supplement Mama Dreams. We developed it so that your nights are more restful, thanks to the action of lemon balm and chamomile which, working in synergy, will soothe you, help you relax and promote a good night's sleep. Our innovation? We added glycine, an amino acid, which offers truly restorative nights, without the feeling of fatigue upon waking.

A healthy dietary foundation is the cornerstone of fertility, just as it is for overall health. It is the nutrients from food that provide the raw materials for our hormones and enable all the chemical reactions of our physiology to take place. Here are the golden rules to follow.

Avoid refined sugar
 

Whether in the form of sweets, pastries, fizzy drinks, refined cereals… By disrupting blood sugar levels, refined sugar creates inflammation, which is the breeding ground for hormonal imbalances.

Avoid processed foods
 

They often contain additives, endocrine disruptors, hydrogenated fats and refined sugar, which contribute to hormonal imbalances, and are often quite low in the micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients) we need to support fertility and health in general.

Cook from scratch
 

It is therefore advisable to cook as much as possible from raw, natural ingredients.
 

Eat organic as much as possible
 

To avoid synthetic pesticides, which act as endocrine disruptors, and to maximise the micronutrient content of foods.
 

Prioritise food quality

The higher the quality of the ingredients, the richer they are in micronutrients and the fewer potentially harmful substances they contain. This is particularly true of animal products, where quality is especially important.
 

Avoid large fish
 

Avoid large fish (such as tuna) and other sources of exposure to heavy metals, which can disrupt hormones and compromise fertility.
 

Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
 

To benefit from the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients we need to support fertility.
 

Don't be afraid of healthy fats
 

Healthy fats are the raw material for the production of sex hormones, amongst other things. They are found in small oily fish, avocados, olive oil, seeds, nuts…
 

Stay well hydrated
 

Drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day to avoid dehydration and support elimination.
 

Avoid alcohol

It has a negative impact on the liver, which is a key organ for hormonal balance; it increases circulating oestrogen, prevents the absorption of B vitamins that are essential for oestrogen and progesterone balance… and is harmful to the baby.

The aim of a preconception diet is not only to support fertility but also to support the healthiest possible start to pregnancy.

Certain nutrients in particular may help boost gamete quality and preserve the ovarian reserve, support hormonal balance and the production of sex hormones, healthy embryo morphology, initiate the cell division process, help prevent certain malformations, and encourage the healthy development of the baby… these include:
- vitamin B9: leafy green vegetables in particular (or the delicious pregnancy gummies strawberry, sugar-free Lemon Folates, which cover your vitamin B9 needs in a well-absorbed form, or even our pregnancy snacks). Please note, however, folic acid and pregnancy do not mix well — it is a poorly absorbed form.
- other B vitamins: meat, pulses, green vegetables, seeds, eggs, oilseeds…
- choline: eggs, meat, fish… (to supplement your choline intake, opt for our pregnancy choline Choline Mama)
- the zinc: oysters and other shellfish, meat, pumpkin seeds… (Cocooning+ for boosting fertility is rich in zinc)
- iodine: seaweed, fish, and shellfish
- selenium: Brazil nuts, meat, shellfish…
- omega-3s: small oily fish, avocado, olive oil, flaxseeds, pumpkin or chia seeds… Our pregnancy omega-3s vegan is rich in DHA.
- vitamin A: red, yellow, and orange fruits, offal… Please note: avoid eating liver once pregnant. Liver is particularly rich in vitamin A, and too much vitamin A of animal origin (retinol) can be teratogenic.
- vitamin C: red fruits, citrus fruits, kiwi, green vegetables…
- magnesium: green vegetables… or our pregnancy magnesium with 100% bisglycinate. 

Want to stock up on nutrients? Baby Bump, our pregnancy supplement, contains 14 nutrients, choline, and omega-3s (DHA), and helps prepare your body for pregnancy. 

Given that our soils are becoming depleted in nutrients, that our lifestyle contributes to exhausting our stores of certain nutrients (stress depletes magnesium and B vitamins, the pill depletes zinc, magnesium and B vitamins…), and that it is preferable not to take any risks when trying to conceive, supplementing before conceiving a baby is recommended.

At a minimum, it is recommended to supplement with vitamin B9 at 400 micrograms per day to prevent neural tube defects in the child. A deficiency or insufficiency in vitamin B9 could lead to these congenital malformations of the brain, spine and/or spinal cord, including the well-known spina bifida, which forms by day 28 of pregnancy — in other words, before most women even know they are pregnant. To find out more, read our article on folic acid or vitamin B9 and conception: what you're not being told.
 

In addition, it is ideal to supplement with all the nutrients mentioned above, often combined in prenatal supplements. To choose a prenatal supplement suited to your needs, it is recommended to seek guidance from a healthcare practitioner. 
 

Please note, not all prenatal supplements are equal! Many supplements do not contain the right form of nutrients — that is, forms that are less well absorbed by the body. For example, folic acid, and oxide forms of minerals (magnesium oxide, etc.). Pay close attention to dosages as well. 

BABY BUMP

Baby Bump is our prenatal supplement with vitamins and minerals in their directly active forms! It covers over 100% of requirements for all B vitamins, 500% of vitamin D3, nearly 100% of vitamin K and 200% of vitamin B9 in methylated form. It also covers 50% of daily zinc requirements and 133% of iodine intake. It also contains DHA and choline. A real nutrient boost.

Bump Essentials and Bump Powder are the vegan alternatives in capsule and sachet powder form to Baby Bump. They are prenatal vitamins with the same active ingredients, the same benefits, but without the fish oil. 

A baby is made by two people, and boosting fertility also means addressing male fertility. The advice in this article can equally apply to men, in order to reduce the chances of getting a negative pregnancy test.
We must emphasise how particularly important it is to stop smoking: smoking leads to lower sperm count and motility, can damage sperm DNA, and impairs spermatogenesis. A male fertility test, or semen analysis, helps to assess the quality of semen and sperm. More specifically, certain nutrients are essential to male fertility, including:

More specifically, certain nutrients are essential for male fertility, including:

It is therefore equally important to involve them in optimising your chances of conceiving.

Because fertility is 50/50, the male fertility food supplement in powder form Cocooning+ men will help boost male fertility. Based on 3 active ingredients (CoEnzyme Q10, carnitine, and N-acetyl-cysteine), it helps to improve sperm quality, motility, and concentration.

Supporting fertility can take a little time, especially if any underlying imbalances have been present for a long time. As a minimum, it is advisable to start thinking about your fertility at least 3 months before trying to conceive, as the egg in your current cycle and the sperm released today have taken 3 months to develop. It is never too late to support your fertility, but ideally, the earlier you start, the better.

Be careful not to self-supplement: food supplements are not without risk and may interact with other supplements, foods and medicines, or may not be suited to your personal situation — without even considering that they need to be carefully chosen and doses properly adjusted. It is therefore advisable to seek guidance from a healthcare practitioner specialising in nutrition (such as a naturopath or nutritional therapist).