Are there any vitamins for those who are trying to conceive? Find out here.
What you can read in this article?
- What are the best vitamins for those trying to conceive?
- Why do doctors advise taking folic acid if you’re planning on being pregnant?
- Other factors that affect fertility
We know that pregnancy involves eating nutritious foods, having a caring environment and support group. It also includes a healthy lifestyle, taking food supplements and vitamins to support the proper growth development of the baby in the mother’s womb. There are also vitamins for trying to conceive.
While some pregnancies come as a surprise, there are also other couples who have been planning to get pregnant for a long time. And to achieve their goal, they make sure to take good care of their bodies to increase the chance of fertility and prepare them for pregnancy.
Three months before preparing for a baby, a woman’s body must be ready for pregnancy. Therefore, in addition to vitamins to make a woman pregnant immediately, moms should also adjust and nourish their bodies in preparation for the nine months of bearing a child.
When it comes to nourishing their bodies, a lot of doctors recommend that women who are trying to conceive take folic acid as early as when they are still trying to conceive.
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Vitamins for couples who are trying to conceive
According to Dr. Maria Carla Esquivias-Chua, an OB-Gynecologist from Capitol Medical Center, there is nothing wrong with recommending vitamins to couples who cannot produce children even though their sexual contact is regular.
But before giving vitamins especially to the woman, it’s better to consult their doctor to see if they have other fertility issues. Experts believe that the couple needs to have an active sex life and has been trying for at least a year before they can say they’re having trouble conceiving.
If that is the case, they can undergo some tests to determine the cause of occurring infertility, and how to address it.
Dr. Gergen Dizon, an OB-Gynecologist from Makati Medical Center, said that while there is no concrete evidence of vitamins or supplements aiding with fertility, they can still play a role in increasing the chances of pregnancy.
“May mga supplements that we can give but they are not evidence-based. I mean you can pero wala namang masyadong proof na nakakatulong. Sa babae sometimes we give them ang mga medyo may age na binibigyan ng mga supplements to improve the quality of the eggs. Like binibigyan ng coQ10, omega, vitamin d3, mga ganyan. Sa lalaki, binibigayan ng mga antioxidant, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc yung mga yan. Pero of course as I’ve said, hindi siya evidence-based.” she said.
Does folic acid help with pregnancy?
While there’s no evidence that taking folic acid helps a woman conceive or get pregnant, it is a very important micronutrient that the body needs to prepare for pregnancy. It aids in the development of a baby’s nervous system and reduces the risk of major birth defects.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC said that women should take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day a month before trying to conceive.
Vitamins for women who want to get pregnant
Aside from folic acid, Dr. Chua said that Vitamins E, C, D, B, also help to improve the cervical mucus which in turn promotes good sperm penetration into the woman’s reproductive organ and increases the likelihood of her conceiving and getting pregnant.
Based on the information gathered from health and medical information websites, here are other vitamins to help women who are trying to conceive. Some of the common benefits that can be obtained from these vitamins are the production and the regulation of ovulation in women.
Image from Freepik
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B Vitamins
All types of B vitamins help a woman release eggs during the ovulation period. B6 is particularly important in raising progesterone levels, which is important to keep the pregnancy intact after conception.
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Vitamin C
In addition to boosting the immune system, it helps in the reproduction of progesterone and in the effective absorption of iron by the body.
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Vitamin D
It helps in the reproduction of sex hormones and enhances these hormones, a reason to prevent cases of infertility in women.
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Vitamin E
It has something to do with the production of fluid that covers the woman’s eggs which may be still developing or already intact. In turn, it contributes to good quality of fertility for women.
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Iron
Iron deficiency in females is one of the main causes of not producing and lack of ovulation occurring within the body. This is an effective vitamin for women who are trying to conceive.
Taking a prenatal vitamin that contains iron can help prevent and treat iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy.
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Zinc
It prepares a woman’s vital organs for a healthy pregnancy. Eventually, it is one of the key vitamins that help prevent bleeding and miscarriage of the baby in the womb.
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Coenzyme Q10
This improves the quality of the eggs that females produce and release.
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Omega 3 Free Fatty Acid
It is important for the release of ovarian follicles into the female body, maintaining good blood flow to the uterus, and balancing hormones.
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Selenium
Considered a “powerful detoxifier,” it is a great help for the metabolism of estrogen hormones in women.
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Bromelain
It helps in the proper digestion of protein in the body. In addition, it is an important ingredient in the implantation of a fertilized egg — or your zygote cell that results from the fusion of a woman’s egg and a man’s sperm after sexual contact — in a woman’s body.
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Vitamins that help men increase their chances at fertility
Of course, the issue of pregnancy is also a matter of improving the physical condition of men. As they say, it takes two to tango. According to Dr. Dizon, 20 percent of the cases where a couple is having trouble conceiving are due to male factor infertility.
Different types of vitamins are can help a man’s body to develop and produce healthy semen during his sexual contact with his female partner. This way, it improves the quality and the chances of a woman getting pregnant right away.
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Antioxidants
It helps improve the quality of a man’s semen.
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Coenzyme Q10
It improves the quality of semen produced and released by men.
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Vitamin E
It boosts the sperm health of men and serves as an excellent antioxidant in the body.
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L-carnitine
It serves as an energy provider and helps in the maturation and metabolism of semen.
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Selenium
It improves the ability of the sperm to move and swim (sperm motility) until it comes together with the woman’s egg.
It also improves sperm motility and the overall quality and health of semen. Zinc is considered one of the more important vitamins for couples who are trying to conceive.
Other factors that can help with fertility
Image from Freepik
Meanwhile, there are other important things that couples should consider to increase their chances at conceiving.
According to Dr. Esquivias-Chua, the couple needs to adopt a healthy lifestyle, especially for women because it is a big factor in their proper ovulation. He described a stressful lifestyle as overthinking and having a lot of negative thoughts about the pregnancy.
Also, it is advisable to avoid being physically drained. This can happen due to strenuous activities and excessive exercising or lifting heavy weights.
Being overweight or obese is also a factor in a woman’s capacity to get pregnant.
“Usually kasi kapag mataba ang babae at hindi ‘yan nagreregla. Mayroon kaming tinatawag na syndrome. Ito ‘yong PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome. Usually ‘yan, mataba ang pasyente, irregular o maaaring wala talagang regla, at hindi siya nag-o-ovulate,” said Dr. Esquivias-Chua.
To counter this, a woman needs to lose weight the right way by being conscious of her food intake and engaging in moderate physical activities.
“You have to lessen you sweets, tapos exercise siya. ‘Yong enough exercise for her to lose weight. Dahil kung mataba siya, hindi siya mabubuntis,” Dr. Esquivias-Chua said as a matter of fact.
The men need to do their part as well. Some ways to keep their sperm in optimal health and increase their chances at fertility include maintaining a healthy weight through proper diet and exercise, staying hydrated, avoiding smoking, and limiting alcohol intake.
As mentioned, taking vitamins can be beneficial for couples who are trying to conceive. But to really increase your chances of pregnancy, it’s still best to consult a doctor to determine if you have any fertility issues and get the proper treatment right away.
Read the Filipino version Here!
Sources:
The Bump, Parents, WebMD, babyMed
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