If you’ve decided it’s time to stop birth control pills so you can try to get pregnant, you might be wondering if there’s anything you need to do. How quickly does fertility return? Are there extra nutrients that you need? What’s the fastest way to get pregnant when you stop contraceptives?
If you’re older than 35 and you’re ready to get pregnant, chances are you’ve encountered the words “advanced maternal age.” While those words don’t inspire confidence, it does not mean that you won’t be able to have a healthy baby. This is just the standard wording used to refer to women who are 35 or older and trying to have a baby.
Conventional prenatal advice says that pregnant women need folic acid supplementation to prevent birth defects. But this actually misses a key aspect about folic acid: it’s not methylated or active. The body must go through several conversion steps to make it usable.
PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, is a female metabolic condition. It was initially named because cysts in the ovaries were found. However, you don’t have to have cysts to be diagnosed with PCOS. The primary symptoms of PCOS are insulin resistance and hormonal imbalance. These can result in problems conceiving, weight gain, acne, and other mood changes.
More than 13 million Americans of reproductive age are impacted by fertility issues. That’s 9 percent of men and 12 percent of women in that age group. (1, 2)
Welcome to this week’s Dirty Genes Podcast. Today I’m interviewing our Editor in Chief at Seeking Health, Kinsey Jackson, MS, CNS. She shares her personal story of recurrent miscarriage and the steps she took to finally bring her rainbow baby into the world.
Fertility rates in the U.S. are on a steep decline. While there are many factors at play, the fact that more women are becoming mothers at an older age may play a role. The average age of first-time motherhood across the world is now 31. (1)
Trying to get pregnant might seem like it should all be fun, but it can feel hopeless if it doesn’t happen effortlessly. But keep the faith! Understanding the many factors at play can increase your odds of a positive pregnancy test.