Pay attention to your menstrual cycle health (regularity, pain, heaviness) from a young age, and don’t wait until you’re trying to conceive to address any irregularities. Menstrual cycles are a marker of overall health, and early detection of issues can prevent future fertility problems and other health complications.
If you are a young woman (teens or twenties) experiencing any irregularity in your menstrual cycle, seek medical evaluation promptly. Early intervention can help prevent or mitigate future infertility problems and other health issues.
If you suspect a fertility problem, especially if you have irregular menstrual cycles or symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), consult a healthcare provider sooner than the standard one-year waiting period for infertility diagnosis. This allows for earlier intervention and assessment of potential underlying issues.
If you experience an early miscarriage, understand that it’s highly likely (greater than 90% chance) due to a chromosomal abnormality and not something you did wrong, such as consuming too much coffee or being under stress. This understanding can help alleviate self-blame and emotional distress.
Men should consider assessing their semen analysis periodically, even if not actively trying to conceive. This can serve as an important marker for other underlying health problems.
Embrace general healthy lifestyle factors, including a healthy diet, exercise, and good sleep, as these promote overall health and can positively impact fertility. While rarely the sole cause of infertility, these habits can mitigate factors that exacerbate it.
Adopt a Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein primarily from fish and olive oil. This diet is palatable, reasonably healthy, and generally recommended for overall well-being, which extends to fertility.
Maintain a healthy body weight, avoiding both being overweight/obese and severely underweight. Both extremes can negatively impact fertility by disrupting ovulation and menstrual cycles.
Avoid extreme levels of exercise that cause changes in your menstrual cycle, such as periods stopping altogether (amenorrhea). Extreme exercise can lead to Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), signaling to the body that there isn’t enough energy to support a pregnancy, thereby impairing ovulation and fertility.
Actively find and practice coping mechanisms for stress, such as exercise, meditation, or mindfulness, as stress can negatively impact fertility and overall health. Personalized strategies are effective in managing stress.
Supplement with iron if deficient, take folic acid when trying to get pregnant, and consider vitamin D if you live in areas prone to deficiency. Correcting known deficiencies and ensuring adequate folic acid intake are important for overall health and pregnancy preparation.
If you are trying to conceive, you should stop taking GLP-1 agonists (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide) for at least two months prior to attempting pregnancy. There is currently no data on their safety during pregnancy, and it’s a current recommendation to avoid potential unknown risks.
If you have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and are overweight or obese, prioritize weight loss through a healthy diet and lifestyle. Weight loss helps alleviate all symptoms of PCOS, regardless of whether you are trying to conceive.
If you anticipate delaying childbearing, consider freezing your eggs in your early to mid-30s. This age range is considered the ‘sweet spot’ where it’s most cost-effective, as it’s before the significant decline in egg quality and increases the likelihood of needing them later.
If you are in your 30s and decide to freeze your eggs, aim to retrieve and freeze 10 to 20 eggs to provide a decent chance of success. Understand that younger age may require fewer eggs due to higher quality, but no guarantees exist.
If a woman experiences two miscarriages in a row, she should seek additional medical testing. This warrants investigation into potential underlying causes that might be treatable, even if chromosomal abnormalities are the most common reason for early losses.
When considering IVF, research clinic-specific success rates by visiting sart.org (Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology) to compare clinics in your area. This allows for an informed decision based on objective data, though population differences between clinics should be considered.
Select an IVF clinic that performs a sufficient volume of cycles, ideally more than 100 cycles per year. Higher volume clinics generally indicate more experience and potentially better outcomes.
When interviewing an IVF doctor, ask about their philosophy on protocols and add-ons like genetic testing. Ensure they discuss pros and cons and allow patient autonomy in decision-making, rather than pushing unnecessary treatments.
Pay attention to the quality and smoothness of communication with clinic staff (nurses, coordinators) when evaluating an IVF clinic. Poor communication can add significant stress to an already demanding process.
When looking at patient reviews or word-of-mouth recommendations for IVF clinics, take them with a grain of salt. Not all positive experiences are reported, leading to a potentially unrepresentative view of a clinic’s overall quality.
When choosing an IVF clinic, consider academic centers, as their missions often include education and research, which can contribute to high-quality care. However, several excellent private clinics also exist.
Do not take rapamycin if you are trying to conceive. Animal data on its effect on fertility is mixed, and its safety and efficacy in humans for fertility extension are not established, with potential for harm.
Go to peteratiyahmd.com/subscribe to learn about and potentially join the premium membership. This is recommended to take your knowledge of the longevity space to the next level and get exclusive member-only content and benefits.