Dealing With Unexplained Infertility – Why Not Me?

Infertility is a subject you rarely hear about among your friends and family. However, the CDC reports that infertility affects about 1 in 10 women. So why is this subject so taboo? It’s a sad and scary experience and many women feel that they have to go through it alone.

You always think that it won’t happen to you – And then it does. You ask yourself “what am I doing wrong?”, “how can I fix it?”, or “why me?”. The truth is, there’s only about a 30% chance that you’ll end up pregnant every month if you do ALL the right things. If you missed your ovulation, you were sick, or experienced stress, your chances can drop to practically zero. 

My story? We tried for 19 months to get pregnant and I can tell you, there just wasn’t enough support or information for unexplained infertility (I’ll save that story for another time). I had prior genetic testing done and, at a glance, there was no reason that my doctor could find for my infertility. We finally succeeded (YAY!) after trying about a million different things and here’s what I believe actually attributed to finally getting pregnant with our rainbow baby:

Take Prenatal Vitamins

It’s recommended that you take prenatal vitamins at least 6 months before you start to try to conceive, but not all prenatal vitamins are created equal. Look for vitamins that have folate, not folic acid – like these: Garden of Life Vegetarian Prenatal Multivitamin Supplement with Folate – Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Whole Food Vitamin for Mom and Baby, 180 Capsules. Folate is absorbed more efficiently than folic acid so it’s important that you find the right vitamins. Don’t forget to increase your folate intake through consuming more leafy greens and other foods rich in folate.

Track Ovulation

In order to have the best chances of getting pregnant, you have to know when you’re ovulating. The problem with that is that you can ovulate anytime between periods. Ovulation prediction kits (OPKs) tell you when your LH (Luteinizing Hormone) is spiking. Once you see that your LH is elevated, that’s your signal to have unprotected sex. My favorite tests are Wondfo Combo Ovulation and Pregnancy Tests (50 LH + 20 HCG) that also include a few pregnancy tests. It’s best to keep a ton on hand because you’re going to be testing at least twice a day.

Time Intercourse Correctly

Now that you know when you’re ovulating, how often should you have sex? There are so many different recommendations but the best advice I can give you is to have sex every other day and then every day during your fertile window. If you can’t have intercourse that often, just make sure you have sex on the day you have a positive ovulation test and the day after. For more details on how to time intercourse correctly, read The Conception Plan: Getting Pregnant Faster.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Coenzyme Q10s found in most cells in the body and aids in cellular energy production. Essentially, this should help with your egg health. If there are any issues with the health of your eggs as they get fertilized and try to implant, CoQ10 should help. Nature Made Coq10 200 Mg, Naturally Orange,Value Size, 80-Count is the one I used. Ensure you speak to your doctor before adding additional vitamins/compounds into your diet.

Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B plays a huge roll in reproductive health. Along with your prenatal vitamins, this can help ensure you pregnancy is healthy when you finally succeed. I used Kirkland Signature One Per Day Super B-Complex with Electrolytes and Garden Of Life® B-COMPLEX. Ensure you speak to you doctor before adding additional vitamins into your diet.

Herbal Tea

There are quite a few herbals teas that can assist with infertility. Organic Raspberry Leaf Tea can help tone the uterus and is recommended for use to get pregnant and during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Get Genetic and Hormone Testing

I was lucky enough to have had genetic testing prior to my run in with infertility. To find out more information about your hormone levels and fertility, schedule a visit with a specialist or you could even get started by using this at-home test (Use code EVERLY to get 12% off).

Exercise

I regretted taking so long to start exercising because I honestly feel like this is the one factor that made the biggest difference. Exercise releases endorphins which makes you feel happier and less stressed. Stress can seriously mess with your hormones which is why exercising to release that stress is so important.

Eat Healthier

I was already eating relatively healthy before beginning our journey but I still needed to make some serious changes. Once we decided to try to get pregnant, I completely eliminated processed foods and stopped drinking alcohol (except for the occasional celebration). I also followed a diet plan similar to The Mediterranean Diet, but I added in a sweet treat every day (because chocolate is life!). You can also try a recipe and grocery delivery service. That way, you can learn how to eat healthier without having to do all the work.

If you have already tried everything on this list and more, I completely understand. Sometimes, getting pregnant just takes patience. If you are convinced that something just isn’t right, try making an appointment with an infertility specialist – they will be able to run some routine tests to determine what may be going on.

I sincerely hope that this information can help you get pregnant. Please know that you can contact me directly through the “Contact Me” link if you need any support on your journey – whether it’s a shoulder to cry on when that second line doesn’t show (again) or an excited squeal when you finally succeed. My hope is that every woman can have support through their battle with infertility. If you have any additional advice for women on their journey, please leave it in the comments.

If you are looking for natural ways to boost fertility, check out The Conception Plan: Getting Pregnant Faster, now available on Amazon.

The Conception Plan: Getting Pregnant Faster

Disclaimer: This post is the opinion of the author. Always speak to your doctor before beginning any exercise plan or changes to your lifestyle. The information provided in this post is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to provide medical, legal, or other professional advice. Read and/or use any of the information from this post at your own risk. Some or all of the links displayed on this site may be affiliate links.