Many everyday habits can affect how easily someone becomes pregnant. Weight plays a significant role: being underweight or overweight can make it harder to conceive and can reduce the chances of success with fertility treatments like IVF.
- Moderate exercise can support healthy ovulation, but exercising too hard or too often may interfere with fertility.
- Smoking clearly harms both male and female fertility, lowering egg quality, sperm quality, and implantation rates.
- Heavy alcohol use can also make it harder to get pregnant, especially when both partners drink heavily.
Food choices also matter.
- Diets that include more plant protein, whole grains, high-fat dairy, and iron-rich plant foods appear to support ovulation.
- Eating large amounts of red meat and poultry may increase the risk of ovulation problems.
- Soy foods may lower sperm counts in some men, while women may see better IVF outcomes with moderate soy intake.
Vitamins and supplements show mixed results
- Antioxidants and CoQ10 may improve sperm quality, while vitamin D results are inconsistent.
- Folate stands out as one of the most helpful nutrients, with higher supplemental intake linked to better outcomes in women undergoing IVF. Folate supplementation may be helpful.
Overall, focusing on maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in moderate exercise, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol, and eating a balanced, plant-forward diet may support natural fertility.
Managing stress through practices such as yoga or cognitive-behavioral therapy may also improve the fertility experience.
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