Ways to Enhance Fertility Naturally

By Dr. Jennifer L. Yocum, Licensed Acupuncturist

In the United States, about one in five married women (ages 15-49) who have not previously had children are unable to get pregnant within a year, and one in four have challenges carrying a pregnancy to term (CDC, 2023). I’ve been blessed in my acupuncture practice to be able to help many women get and stay pregnant using natural methods (and yes, these methods work for men with fertility concerns as well), which I will share with you in this article.

Quick note: In the world of creating a family, there are many ways to get there. In this article, we will discuss things from a biological perspective, with the understanding that a person can be on this journey solo, with a partner of the opposite sex, with a partner of the same sex, and/or have a gender identity that does not match their biological sex. For any additional support on your fertility journey, reach out to a local healthcare provider who specializes in your particular needs.

There are many reasons for fertility challenges. In men, it is most often due to sperm count, sperm motility, and/or sperm quality or morphology. For women, things get more complicated. Gynecological issues such as endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ovulation disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can cause roadblocks on the journey to a new family member, with some of these concerns being easier to address than others. What if you’ve been tested and there is no found reason for your fertility struggles? Oftentimes, whether there’s a known reason or not, fertility can be greatly enhanced by making a few gentle shifts to your diet and lifestyle.

Diet

Let’s start with diet. In Chinese Medicine, the uterus is the beautiful, fertile valley that the baby will grow in, so we must prepare it to be such. Foods that help to build blood and nourish the spleen according to Chinese Medicine are the best foods to eat. These include: beets, dark leafy greens, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, moderate amounts of red meat (grass-fed or regeneratively farmed is best if it is in your budget, with 2-3 oz per serving), ostrich meat (not the easiest to find, but incredibly good for fertility!), garlic, walnuts, eggs, avocado, sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin, pineapple, adzuki beans (also called azuki beans), white rice, seaweed, miso soup, tofu, ham, artichokes, jujube dates (found at Asian grocery stores), pomegranate, organ meats (such as chicken livers), clams, oysters, omega-3 rich fish (such as salmon or sardines), spirulina or blue-green algae, and flax seeds, just to name a few.

Both men and women looking to increase fertility should eat the following items less frequently (I recommend once a week or less): dairy, gluten, processed sugar, ultra-processed foods, and alcohol. Focus on eating “whole foods”- in other words, meat, seafood, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. An apple is a whole food, but apple pie is an ultra-processed food. The more whole foods you eat, the healthier you will be. Additionally, lightly cooking most of your food will help to ease digestion and nourish the spleen. Aim for around 80% of your food to be lightly cooked and made up of whole foods.

One of the most healing meals those with a uterus can eat* is a dish made of ground ostrich meat and beets, as odd or exotic as that may sound. It combines many of the blood building foods I mentioned above into a fertility-boosting super dish! I was taught more of a “loose” recipe, but the following is a good start, and you can modify it to your tastes.

* See below if you have endometriosis for alternative dietary advice.

Ground Ostrich & Beets Recipe for Fertility

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium raw beets with beet greens (alternatively, you can purchase mixed greens with baby beet greens in them if you cannot find beets with the greens attached; you may also use pre-cooked beets if that is all you can find)

1-2 garlic cloves

1 lb ground ostrich (Note: If you cannot buy it locally, online retailers such as this one can mail it to you); emu may also work as an alternative if it is more accessible to you

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

 

Instructions:

1. Peel and dice raw beets (if using pre-cooked beets, skip to Step 5) in about ½” cubes, and set aside.
2. Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and sauté on medium to medium-low heat in about 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil until fragrant.
3. Add the diced beets and cook for 3-4 mins to slightly soften them.
4. Add the ground ostrich, and cook until the ostrich and beets are cooked through, approximately 8-10 mins. Add water if needed to deglaze the pan at any point.
5. While the meat and beets are cooking, chop the beet greens. If you want to add the stalks (optional), add them to the pan after the meat has been cooking for 2-3 minutes. Once the meat is cooked through, add the beet greens to the pan and cook 2-3 mins until softened. If you are using precooked beets and baby beet greens, add them at this step and just heat them through for 2-3 minutes.  

The dish is typically served all mixed together in a bowl. It is very sweet tasting due to the beets, so if you prefer having ostrich and the beets separately, they will still help to boost your fertility. Alternate versions of this dish could include:

• a salad made of mixed baby greens (including baby beet greens), topped with warm ostrich meatballs seasoned with minced garlic or garlic powder and spices, with warm roasted beets and some walnuts for crunch, with a little vegan feta and a balsamic vinaigrette (ensuring that the meat and beets are warm will help this dish be less dampening according to Chinese Medicine)
• a burger patty made of ostrich meat seasoned with garlic and spices, with a side of sauteed greens and roasted beets

Diet and Endometriosis

I want to write a quick note about endometriosis, because it is slightly different than the most common “patterns of disharmony” as we call them in Chinese Medicine that may cause fertility challenges. Endometriosis is mostly commonly due to Blood Stasis, or poor circulation of the Blood and Qi, which can then also lead to Coldness in the womb (Poh, 2023). For most women, it is usually best to avoid eating a lot of meat, and instead focus on consuming more fish and seafood, as well as vegetables (including sea vegetables), fruits, nuts and seeds. Additionally, because it is a condition where there is too much Cold in the body, you should avoid eating cold, raw foods such as salads, raw veggies, raw fish or seafood such as sashimi, or cold soups. Note that if you have heavy blood loss or bleeding, you may need to consume some red meat and other iron-rich foods, so it is best to consult with your local acupuncturist, medical doctor, or nutritionist to determine the best diet for your personal needs.

Lifestyle

Beyond dietary changes, there are other things that may help you prepare your body, mind, and spirit for enhanced fertility:

1. Use pads instead of tampons during your period. Tampons contribute to Blood Stasis or Stagnation, symptoms of which include clots, cramps, endometriosis, and more. Pads allow the blood to flow more freely and not remain stuck in the body.
2. Supplement with flaxseed, evening primrose or fish oil, and bioflavonoids like pycnogenol. These supplements have been shown to be helpful with fertility. Consult with your doctor or nutritionist to determine if one or more of these supplements is right for you.
3. Engage in regular physical exercise. Daily exercise is important for clearing most of the patterns that can be causing endometriosis or fertility challenges; at the same time, you want to make sure not to exercise too much. Moving your body for at least 30 mins a day is good. Any cardio over 60 mins can become harmful if it’s intense, though walking is fine. Exercises like tai chi, qi gong, or yoga can be great to help move blood stasis or stagnation, and can help build qi as well. There are lots of free videos online to try!
4. Try bodywork such as massage, tui na, or cupping. Massage, tui na (a therapeutic Chinese Medicine-based massage technique), or cupping may also be helpful on your fertility journey. These methods help to move stagnation in the energy channels and get things moving again. When your energy is flowing better, fertility is enhanced.
5. Find ways to relieve stress. The fertility journey can be a stressful one, especially the longer you’ve been trying to get pregnant. It’s important that you take care of yourself and don’t wait until you’re burned out from tracking dates and numbers, having sex just as a chore, and crying in the shower. The thing is, what is stress-relieving to one person is not to another. Think about what makes your shoulders sink away from your ears, what has you completely forgetting about time because you’re so in the moment, and what brings you joy. For some that might be yoga, meditation, working out at the gym, hanging out in the sauna, relaxing on the beach or outside in a hammock, reading a book, having sex just for the fun of it and not based on what day(s) you’re the most fertile, getting a facial or your nails done, punching the crap out of an MMA bag, taking a nap, and the list goes on. Schedule time each day, even if it’s just five minutes, for you to do whatever helps you feel most relaxed and free.

Acupuncture

Sometimes we simply have an energetic blockage that is causing our fertility challenges, or we need support to clear sturdier patterns that are hindering the process. This blockage can be at the body, mind, or spirit level, and can affect any of the 14 main meridians (energy pathways/channels) or even the various extraordinary meridians. While I won’t get into the theory deeply here, regardless of where the block is occurring, regular acupuncture treatment can help bring you to a better state of dynamic balance.

Acupuncture works naturally by using thin, solid, filiform, single-use needles inserted in various points throughout the body in the meridians to improve energy flow. Both men and women can benefit from acupuncture treatment. Often, one or both partners are depleted, burning the candle at both ends, and/or have high stress jobs or personal lives. This can take a toll on your fertility, because Chinese Medicine believes that the body is wise, and will prevent you from having a baby when your resources are low. In Chinese Medicine, both the male and female “kill” themselves a little in order to donate their “jing,” or life essence, to create new life (the baby). If your body or your partner’s body is jing-depleted, or if you have blockages that prevent the easy flow of qi (energy) throughout the body, you will not be able to conceive until your energy is replenished and your energy meridians/channels are flowing more freely. It should also be noted that Chinese Medicine holds that your baby’s spirit will not want to inhabit a uterus in which it cannot thrive and feel supported. It’s up to you to do your best to get your body, mind, and spirit into a healthier state, and to also connect to the spirit of your baby to reassure it, as we will discuss next.

Connecting with the spirit of your baby

While this idea is a little esoteric for some, if you haven’t already, try talking to the spirit of your baby that you’re calling into your life. See if you can feel the baby’s spirit and connect to it, and then talk to it. Invite it to come. If your partner (if you have one) is open to the idea, they can talk to the baby too. Because the mother is the home of the baby and the spirit is most connected to them as a result, it may be easier for the mother to sense the baby’s spirit. Regardless, just trying to reach out and connect is what is important, whether you can feel anything or not yet. Sometimes baby spirits are nervous or need reassurance that you want them and they are loved. Sometimes they are just waiting for the right body for them, or even a specific birthdate. Talking to baby and connecting with them before they are incarnate helps to prepare you both for the journey ahead. 

A great book on this topic is Spirit Babies: How to Communicate with the Child You’re Meant to Have by Walter Makichen. I purchased and read the book back in January 2012, following a profound experience the month prior with the spirit of my not-yet conceived daughter. I wanted to be able to understand what had happened, especially because at that time, we didn’t even plan on having any children! Baby spirits are waiting for us, hoping to connect, and looking for those openings. This book helps to give you some tips and reassurance along your journey so you can take positive steps towards cultivating a deep relationship with your baby, before and after conception.

Hang in there

When it comes to fertility and pregnancy, positive changes can take some time to yield your most desired outcome- a healthy pregnancy and the birth of your new family member. While I’ve had patients get pregnant after just a couple acupuncture treatments, it can take others, especially if you have underlying conditions such as endometriosis, up to 8 months. I always hold space for miracles in the treatment room. Hang in there and keep hope. I’m rooting for you every step of the way. You’re taking active, amazing steps to bring your baby into the world!

Resources

Centers for Disease Control (2023, April 26). Reproductive Health: Infertility FAQs. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm Poh, J. (2023, September 29). Treating endometriosis with the help of TCM.  https://www.orientalremediesgroup.com/treating-endometriosis-with-the-help-of-tcm/