Ovulation is a complicated process that HAS to happen in order for a woman to become pregnant. Issues with ovulation or anovulation (the absence of ovulation) is the number one cause of female infertility. Luckily, there are many ways that we can support the process of ovulation outside of Western medicine (although I totally support this route as well).

In this blog post I’ve included three lists that outline some of the key dietary, supplemental, and lifestyle habits you can incorporate into your life immediately that will support ovulation.

Diet:

• Whole grains
• Fresh fruits and vegetables (antioxidants)
• Lean meats
• Olive oil and other healthy fats
• Beans and lentils
• Wild seafood and lean meats
• Nuts and seeds
• Avoid processed and refined foods
• Limit sugar and artificial sweeteners
• Avoid trans fats
• Reduce intake of high glycemic carbohydrates

Supplements:

• A comprehensive multivitamin or prenatal (containing folic acid, B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamins A, C, E and D)
• Omega 3 fatty acids

Lifestyle:

• Buy ovulation strips and track luteinizing hormone (LH) peaks or absences
• Consider tracking your basal body temperature to determine ovulation (blog post on how to do so is coming soon!)
• Chew your food thoroughly and with gratitude
• Find enjoyable activities that will inspire you to move your body (this can simply be a walk outside or a stretch while looking out at a beautiful view)
• Take a few deep breaths before and after a meal to engage your relaxation response and increase digestive function
• Reduce intake of alcohol and caffeine
• Improve sleep by avoiding screens an hour before bed and being in bed before 10pm
• Quit smoking if this applies to you
• Consider seed cycling (blog post to come on why and how to do this)

Working with a registered holistic nutritionist like myself to support ovulation during the period of time before you hope to become pregnant (preconception) will make a world of difference when it comes time to start trying. We will make sure that you are ovulating and if not, work to support that process. We can even work alongside your other medical practitioners to ensure we are doing everything possible to get that egg out of the ovary and into the Fallopian tube for fertilization (aka ovulation).

What’s important to know is that each person is different and every one of their monthly cycles is different. Finding a health care practitioner who can support you and your unique needs is crucial to finding out what is contributing to infertility and how best to enhance your chances of becoming pregnant.

This is the kind of care I provide in my Preconception Package so please reach out to sarah.sajnovic@gmail.com if you have any questions or want to schedule your FREE discovery call with me. I can’t wait to work with you on your journey to conception and pregnancy!