Are you struggling with getting pregnant and are not sure why? This could be due to hormonal imbalance, lifestyle or poor egg quality.
If you’re having difficulties conceiving, even when you’re fertile it may be due to reasons such as hormonal imbalance, chronic stress, poor lifestyle and diet choices, low egg quality, etc. Signs of low egg quality include high levels of FSH, low levels of estradiol, irregular periods, low follicle count and miscarriages. However, you can up your chances of getting pregnant by balancing your hormones, weight and stress levels. If you’re trying to conceive during ovulation, you should be aware of the signs such as increased sex drive, mucus and breast tenderness.Â
In order to address why you didn’t get pregnant while ovulating, we’ll go through signs of poor egg quality, how to fix fertility and which signs to look out for during ovulation.
Why Am I Fertile But Not Getting Pregnant?
Contrary to what you might think, getting pregnant isn’t something that can happen instantly. It’s actually not very uncommon to get a few negative pregnancy tests before finally getting a positive result.
Of course, everyone’s pregnancy journey will vary depending on their situation and lifestyle.
According to research, your chances of conception are 75 percent after trying for 6 months. This percentage goes up to 90 percent after trying for a year and then to 95 percent after trying for 2 years.
However, keep in mind that it’s not just simply a matter of trying over different intervals of time. There are a variety of factors that have an impact on your fertility and when you’re able to conceive.
For instance, if you’re having high levels of stress, then it may have a negative impact on your fertility. When you feel extra stressed, the level of cortisol, which is a stress hormone, increases. This may have a negative impact on your ovulation, cycle and overall fertility.
Research also suggests that high levels of stress can increase the risk of infertility.
Hormonal balance is also crucial for fertility and healthy pregnancy.
Your hormones play an important part in regulating your menstrual cycle, ovulation and your general reproductive system.
An imbalance of hormones can disrupt the regular production and release of eggs from your ovaries, which can lead to anovulation or the lack of ovulation.
If your body has excess estrogen, referred to as estrogen dominance, it can disrupt the regular menstrual cycle and even lead to poor egg quality, which in turn can reduce the chances of successful fertilization.
In addition, your weight may have an impact on the chances of you conceiving and being underweight may disrupt reproductive functioning. Plus, it can impact the level of estrogen in your body.
On the other hand, being overweight also leads to an imbalance of hormones. It can elevate androgens, which can disrupt the balance between androgens and estrogen.
When trying to conceive, you also need to ensure you’re timing intercourse during your most fertile days. Each woman has a fertile window, which is basically the ovulation day and the five days prior to it. It can last up to six days.
It’s best to figure out your fertility window and time intercourse accordingly as it’ll increase the chances of you conceiving.
Certain health conditions may also have an impact on your fertility, for example, diabetes or thyroid disorder.
Research also suggests that around 70 to 80 percent of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have fertility-related issues.
Your general lifestyle has a huge impact on your chances of conceiving. Your diet, exercise routine, sleep schedule and general environment all can influence your level of fertility. For instance, smoking and drinking alcohol may lower fertility rates.
If you’re not getting pregnant while being fertile, know that egg quality also impacts the chances of pregnancy – but how can you tell when your egg quality is deteriorating?
What Are The Signs Of Poor Egg Quality?
A diminishing ovarian reserve or poor egg quality has an impact on your fertility. Generally, the quality of your eggs reduces as you age.
However, this does not mean that younger women don’t face poor-quality eggs, as there are various factors that can impact your ability to conceive.
Here are five signs that you can look out for which might indicate a reduction in the quality of your eggs:
1. High Levels Of FSH
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) is the hormone secreted by your pituitary gland to signal egg production in your ovaries.
As egg quality gets worse, they become more resistant to FSH, which leads to an increase in FSH in your body. As a consequence of poor egg quality, the FSH reserves in your body decrease.
2. Low Levels Of Estradiol
Estradiol is the hormone that sends signals from your ovaries to your brain. The growth of your ovarian follicles is stimulated when there’s an increase in estradiol. High levels of estradiol during the early stages of your cycle can indicate a reduction in egg quality.
3. Irregular Periods
If your period cycle is irregular or abnormally long, it can indicate that there’s an issue with your ovulation cycle. You may be facing this issue because your eggs are unable to form properly or due to the low quality of eggs.
4. Low Follicle Count
Follicles are the small fluid-filled sacs in a woman’s ovaries that contain immature eggs. A low follicle count indicates that there might be issues with the quality and quantity of eggs in your body.
5. Miscarriages
If you’ve been trying to conceive for a while and have suffered through multiple miscarriages, then this is a sign of low egg quality. The aneuploid or abnormal egg can get implanted in your uterus and eventually result in a miscarriage.
If you’re noticing one or more of these signs, perhaps it’s time to work on improving your fertility – here’s how!
How Can I Fix My Fertility?
If you didn’t get pregnant yet, while being fertile – don’t let it discourage you. There are a variety of ways through which you can boost your fertility to improve your chances of conceiving.
You’ll have to make some adjustments to your overall lifestyle to ensure optimal health. If you’ve been feeling extra stressed these days, try taking some time to relax. Regular exercise, sleep, and unwinding emotional stress can help you feel more relaxed.
You can also seek guidance through counseling or therapy to help reduce stress, anxiety or depression.
Maintaining a healthy weight is important as being under or being overweight has been associated with increased risks of infertility. This is mainly because the stored fats in your body have an influence on your menstrual cycle.Â
If you are overweight or underweight, I’ll personally recommend changing your lifestyle to stabilize your weight.
If you’re struggling to lose weight, it might help to pick an exercise regime and diet plan that’s suited to your hormone type. You can use my FREE Hormone Type Quiz to help you figure out your hormone type and how to effectively reduce weight accordingly.
In addition, it’s crucial to ensure hormonal balance to increase your chances of conceiving. I suggest taking a look at my FREE eBook Kickstart To Hormonal Balance to get an easy six-step guide on how to transition towards a healthier lifestyle.
If you’ve already shifted towards a healthier lifestyle, you may see some noticeable signs that indicate you’re fertile.
What Are Fertile Signs?
If you’ve been struggling to get pregnant while being fertile or are not sure when you’re ovulating, there are a few signs to look out for.
These include:
Changes In Cervical Mucus
Keep an eye on any changes in your cervical discharge as a possible sign of fertility. Generally, cervical discharge may appear sticky and cloudy when you’re not ovulating.
However, as the production of estrogen increases near ovulation, the discharge becomes clear and stretchy.
Increase In Sex Drive
During your fertile window, right before ovulation, you may notice a shift in your sexual drive. Due to a rise in hormones like estrogen and testosterone, your sexual desire might also increase.
Abdominal Pain
Lower abdominal pain is one sign that can indicate that ovulation is occurring. Some women experience sharp, lower pelvic cramps that can last from a few minutes to several hours during the middle of their cycle.
Don’t panic if you’ve never experienced abdominal pain, as it’s quite common for some women to never experience this cramping.
Tender Breasts
Did you notice that your breasts get extra sore and achy nearing your period? Well, that’s because there’s an increase in progesterone after ovulation which causes your breast to feel heavy and tender.
Change In Cervical Position
The cervix dilates during labor to allow you to deliver the baby. What most women don’t know is that during your menstruation cycle, the cervix also changes its position. Nearing ovulation it becomes higher, softer and more open.
To check your cervical position you can visit your ob-gyn or even check yourself. Although, the latter would require some additional understanding and practice.
Enhanced Sense Of Smell
You might be surprised to discover that nearing your fertility window, your sense of smell also enhances. There’s actual research that supports this. It was discovered that women’s sense of smell tends to sharpen near the ovulation period.
Spotting During The Middle Of Your Cycle
Worried about spotting in the middle of your cycle? Well, this might actually be a positive sign. After ovulation and the release of the egg, your estrogen levels will drop significantly before rising up again during the luteal phase. The drop in estrogen might cause spotting for a day or two.
The best way of moving towards a healthier lifestyle is to ensure your body gets all the nutrients and minerals it requires for regular functioning.
There are certain foods that not only reduce infertility but can help boost your chances of conceiving.
What Foods Make You Super Fertile?
A simple way of improving your fertility is to shift to a healthier diet. You can incorporate a variety of different foods to increase your chances of conceiving.
Incorporate foods that are rich in antioxidants like folate and zinc, which improve fertility and also protect your cells from free radicals. Research suggests that higher folate intake is linked to healthier implantations and pregnancies.
As mentioned, excess stored fats have been linked to an increase in infertility. This disrupts ovulation by having a negative impact on insulin sensitivity. It’s best to avoid trans fats that are found in fried food, processed products, baked goods and hydrogenated vegetable oils.
If you have PCOS, it’s best to cut down on your carbohydrate intake as studies have suggested that managing your carbohydrate intake may help reduce PCOS.
You also need to manage the intake of refined carbohydrates as they have a high Glycemic Index (GI), which can raise blood sugar levels. High levels of insulin in your body can prevent your body from producing reproductive hormones, which in turn has an impact on egg production and ovulation.
Speaking of hormones, it’s also important to maintain hormone balance. For women struggling with estrogen dominance, it might help to eat food rich in fiber. Research has suggested that certain types of fiber can help lower levels of estrogen and progesterone.
Generally, to improve your fertility, here are some food items to add to your diet:
- Proteins: Beans, nuts, seeds, fish, lentils, liver
- Antioxidants: Citrus fruits, tomatoes
- Nutrient-rich food: Asparagus, oysters, egg yolk, berries
- Folate: Leafy greens, avocado
It may also help to take supplements and multivitamins to make for any deficiencies and improve overall fertility. Research suggests that around 20 percent of ovulatory infertility could be avoided if women consume more multivitamins.
If you’re struggling to figure out if you’re lacking any vitamins and minerals, I can help you take a test or you can test your vitamin levels at the doctor.
Final Thoughts
If you’re having difficulties conceiving, I’ll recommend you look into your lifestyle, stress levels and diet as it can have an impact on your fertility.
