Trying to conceive can bring a huge mixture of emotions, including hope, excitement, and sometimes frustration. Fertility isn’t always a straightforward process, and it helps to know what is within your control and when you should seek extra care or support.

Let’s have a look at what affects fertility, what steps you can take, and how treatments like IVF may fit into that picture.

Understanding Fertility Basics: What Affects Your Ability to Conceive

Fertility depends on many small but connected factors. For women, it’s all about having healthy ovulation, open fallopian tubes, and a receptive uterus. For men, it’s about sperm count, motility, and shape.

Age plays a huge role, too. For women, fertility begins to decline slowly in your early 30s and more sharply after 35. For men, sperm quality can also slowly decline with age, though usually at a much slower pace than in women.

Lifestyle matters. Things like your diet, stress levels, whether you smoke and drink alcohol, and your sleep patterns can affect your chances of conceiving. While no single food or vitamin guarantees results, maintaining a healthy body supports your reproductive function.

How to Improve Fertility Naturally: Steps You Can Take at Home

Start by tracking your cycle. Knowing exactly when you ovulate helps you be able to time intercourse around your most fertile window. This will give you the highest chance of conceiving naturally. Many apps and ovulation predictor kits make this easier.

Aim to have a good, balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Exercise helps regulate hormones, but intense, sustained activity can have the opposite effect.

If you smoke, quitting can also improve fertility for both partners. Limiting alcohol and caffeine is also worth considering. It’s also a good idea to manage your stress, whether it’s through yoga, mindfulness, or simply taking more time to rest.

It is a good idea for both partners to get a general health check, including simple blood tests, to address any underlying issues.

When to See a Fertility Specialist and Seek Medical Advice

If you are under 35 and have been trying for a year without any success, or you are over 35 and trying for six months, then it is time for you to talk to a fertility specialist. This does not automatically mean that you are going to need to have any complex treatment. It just means that you’re going to get a much clearer picture of what is actually happening.

A fertility specialist will run detailed tests for both partners. Sometimes, the results will show a simple issue that can be corrected by using medication or even small lifestyle changes. Sometimes, assisted reproductive techniques may be more appropriate.

Depending on the results of the fertility assessment, IVF treatment may be recommended. IVF, or in vitro fertilization, involves combining eggs and sperm in a laboratory and transferring the resulting embryo into the uterus. It is often recommended when other methods haven’t worked or when specific medical conditions (like blocked fallopian tubes) are present.

Moving Forward with Confidence on Your Fertility Journey

Fertility challenges do not define you. There is no single timeline that you must follow, as everybody’s journey is going to be different. Some people may conceive naturally after small lifestyle changes, while others may need more medical help. What is most important is that you are getting the right support for your situation.

This information has been medically reviewed by Tendai M. Chiware, M.D. the Director of the Third Party Reproduction Program at Genesis Fertility