Unfulfilled Desire for Children – Possible Reasons Why Pregnancy Isn’t Happening
Some of you may be wondering what this topic has to do with fitness. My answer is: a lot. In this blog post, I will explain how and why exercise and the right diet can help you get pregnant if you have an unfulfilled desire to have children.
In my years as a personal trainer, I’ve had more than a handful of clients who wanted a baby but just couldn’t get pregnant.
In the past few years, as I have been studying functional medicine, I have come to realize that I can help my clients in this area as well.
Length of infertility and history
When assessing whether there is a problem and what should be done at this time, it is very important to consider for how long one has been trying to have children. For younger people, this should be considered from 12 months, and even less for people over the age of 35.
Your medical history is also very important. Do you already have a child? Then it has already worked. Have you had any abortions? Such questions can provide initial answers.
Anatomical reasons why “women” do not get pregnant
There may be anatomical “blockages” in various places that prevent a sperm from reaching the egg in the first place. One possible cause is endometriosis. There are others. It is necessary to see a doctor to find out. The same goes for a sperm test.
Lifestyle reasons for infertility
Body fat is an important factor in infertility. Both overweight and underweight have direct and indirect effects on hormones and other processes such as the aromatase enzyme. I wrote more about this in this blog post on “What body types have to do with hormones”.
Smoking and alcohol are habits that can strongly influence the possibility of pregnancy. They affect both the woman’s ability to conceive and the motility and number of sperm. A healthy man should have 40-150 million sperm per ejaculation.
Oxidative stress: This is no longer an unknown phenomenon that is written about a lot and used to try and sell supplements. Basically, it is nothing more than reactive waste products produced in the mitochondria during the production of ATP from oxygen. This also happens during cardio or HIIT and to a much greater extent than during weight training. The thyroid and gonads are sensitive to this oxidative stress.
Blood sugar management, which is highly dependent on diet and stress levels, is also an important factor in successful fertilization. For example, blood sugar affects organs such as the thyroid, adrenal cortex, and pancreas. More on this in the next section.
Hormonal reasons for not conceiving
A regular menstrual cycle is also important for getting pregnant because it shows that the sex hormones are in the right proportions and that the uterus is ready to receive an egg. In the case of PCOS, for example, this is often not the case, which is why PCOS can also be a cause of infertility. Conclusion: Periods that are too short or too long are suboptimal.
One of the first things you should do is check your levels of the different sex hormones. This can be done by a doctor or with DUTCH Cycle Mapping by a recognized practitioner. The big advantage of DUTCH Cycle Mapping is that it provides a result over an entire cycle, not just a snapshot of hormones. I also explain what the DUTCH test is in the article on body types and hormones linked above.
The thyroid gland can also affect the length of the menstrual cycle and thus a possible pregnancy. The hormones TSH, T4, and T3 are analyzed in a blood test to rule out possible under- or over-function (less common). It is also important to test for the two antibodies TAK and MAK.
Other reasons why you may not be able to get pregnant
Autoimmune disorders are also a serious problem. If your immune system does not recognize certain cells as your own, it can attack your own sperm, for example. There are many causes of autoimmune disease. Food intolerances, mold, histamine, and chemicals are just a few.
Infections with bacteria such as chlamydia or fungi such as candida can also create a suboptimal basis for conception. For example, they can alter the acidic environment of the vagina. They also often affect things like sleep and digestion, which are important for hormones and micronutrient absorption. Somehow, everything is always connected!
5 strategies that can help with infertility
- See a doctor to rule out the above causes.
- Change your lifestyle. Exercise regularly (but not too long and intense cardio sessions), eat a healthy balanced diet with enough protein and all vitamins and micronutrients. Also avoid things like smoking and alcohol. You can find out if your blood glucose management is correct with the Freestyle Libre, regular HRV measurements or with the HbA1c value (blood marker). Keep in mind that lifestyle changes take weeks or months to take effect.
- Consider other tests such as DUTCH Cycle Mapping. Many doctors are still too conventional and closed to these tests, which are very good but not covered by insurance.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of supplements that may be beneficial during pregnancy
- Green drink (antioxidants)
- Magnesium
- Vitamin C
- Fish oil or fish eggs
- Beef liver (contains all of the following, which can be given in isolation with appropriate laboratory testing)
- Zinc (liver enzymes are a good marker)
- B vitamins
- L-carnitine
So: Try it out! Consultations are available on a variety of topics. For more lifestyle tips, check out our free lifestyle guide (GERMAN)
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SOURCES
- Konsultationen Eoin Lacey, Irish Strength Institute
- https://www.kinderwunschzentrum.org/fileadmin/media/Rauchen.pdf
- https://www.kantonsspitalbaden.ch/Schwerpunkte/Endometriosezentrum/Endometriose/index.html
- https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/pdf/10.1055/s-0033-1358125.pdf
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