Vitamins can help boost your fertility and prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. If you know you want to get pregnant, changing your health routine can help benefit your journey. You want to create a good foundation for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Taking a broad spectrum multi-vitamin can help, but you should know which vitamins you need most when getting ready for pregnancy. Vitamins play an important part in reproductive health and are essential for menstruation, ovulation, thyroid function, energy production, and much more. Adequate vitamin and mineral intake is essential when preparing for pregnancy.
1. Folate (Vitamin B9)
Doctors used to recommend taking folate, also known as folic acid, as soon as you become pregnant. Today, experts suggest supplementing folic acid before you try to have a baby. Folate, or vitamin B9, is one of the most important vitamins for fertility and healthy fetal development. Folate is found in foods like dark, leafy greens, and a folic acid is a synthetic form of Vitamin B9 that the body converts into folate. Few people get enough folate in their diets, and supplementation is usually necessary. Your healthcare provider can advise you on how much folic acid you should be taking, as it can vary depending on your health history.
Low levels of vitamin B9 can lead to irregular ovulation and impact progesterone levels, both of which can reduce fertility. Low levels of folate are also linked to poor sperm health. Folic acid helps ensure the baby’s neural tube closes properly, which can happen as early as two to three weeks after conception before you even know you are pregnant.
Making sure you are supplementing all the prenatal vitamins and nutrients you need can feel overwhelming, especially if you are a woman who struggles to conceive due to lower than recommended levels of certain micronutrients. You can address vitamin deficiencies with an IV drip. IV therapy delivers nutrients directly into your bloodstream for maximum absorption. Drip Hydration, Mystaire, and Vida-Flo offer vitamin IV in Nashville formulas that include nutrients that help improve fertility.
2. Vitamin C
The best way to ensure that your body has the right level of vitamins to support a healthy pregnancy is to establish good eating habits before you become pregnant.
Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables, especially in citrus fruit, peppers, and berries. It is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes excess free radicals and prevents cellular damage in the body, supporting general reproductive health. Vitamin C also boosts your immunity, stimulates progesterone production, and promotes iron absorption. In one study of women undergoing IVF, more Vitamin C in follicular fluid helped to improve egg quality.
3. Vitamin E
Vitamin E works to repair cells and is found in the fluid surrounding the developing eggs. Vitamin E is found in foods like avocados, sweet potatoes, leafy greens and nuts, and seeds.
Oxidative stress can impair fertility, so antioxidants like vitamin E may help you to conceive. It is an essential nutrient for the ovaries, and there are indications that it supports egg quality. A combination of selenium and vitamin E is believed to promote semen quality and the motility of sperm.
4. Selenium
Selenium is a trace element that helps with fertility and pregnancy because of its antioxidant qualities. Brazil nuts, sardines, ham, and shrimp contain high levels of selenium.
Selenium is a micronutrient that helps to promote healthy uterine follicles, which prepare and release eggs. Selenium deficiencies can result in miscarriages and damage the nervous system of the fetus. A lack of selenium can also lead to poor sperm quality and mobility.
5. Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 is a vitamin-like, fat-soluble compound that’s necessary for the basic functioning of cells. It is present in every cell and acts as a potent antioxidant, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Egg cells need the energy to develop and are prone to oxidative stress, which means that CoQ10 can increase fertility in women and optimize egg quality.
As it thickens the uterus lining, it benefits women with a thin uterine lining who may have greater difficulty in getting pregnant. CoQ10 occurs naturally in the body, but production declines with age, making supplementation necessary.
CoQ10 showed a remarkable increase in egg and sperm quality in animal testing. More human studies need to be done, but in one human study of IVF patients, a higher level of CoQ10 was associated with higher-quality eggs and a better pregnancy rate.
