Living With Endometriosis: Lifestyle Tips To Support Your Fertility Journey
If you’re living with endometriosis, you know how challenging it can be for your fertility, especially if you’re considering or actively trying to become pregnant. However, by making certain lifestyle changes, such as those for diet and exercise, you can support your reproductive health. You’ll then be better prepared to continue on your path to pregnancy, including fertility treatment, if necessary. These tips may even help you to better manage your pain and other symptoms.
Lifestyle Tips For Endometriosis
Together with your doctor, typically an obstetrician-gynecologist (Ob-Gyn) or fertility specialist, you can develop a treatment plan to manage your symptoms and improve fertility based on your age, symptom severity, and future pregnancy plans. While you can control your symptoms with over-the-counter pain medications and hormone therapies, you may prefer natural methods.
Consume An Endometriosis-Friendly Diet
Consuming a well-balanced diet may reduce endometrial risks and help to manage pain and inflammation. It may be helpful to monitor how your body reacts to certain foods, such as by keeping a journal. You should consume foods high in fiber, and such nutrients as iron, magnesium, vitamin D, and essential fatty acids, like oily fish. It should include various fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants. Avoid foods that increase inflammation, like red meat and alcohol, which may raise your endometrial risks and worsen your symptoms.
The Importance of Regular Exercise
Engaging in regular daily, moderate physical activity, like walking, may reduce your levels of the hormone estrogen, resulting in fewer or lighter periods. Your body may also produce more endorphins, hormones that reduce your pain sensitivity. You’ll be better able to maintain a healthy weight, as well.
Relieve Your Pain and Stress
With endometriosis, you may soothe yourself with a heating pad or a warm shower or bath. Massage has been found to relieve pain, and also improve fertility for up to a year, in both women who conceived naturally and those who got pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Ensure Your Fertility Options
While you can have a healthy baby with endometriosis, conception may be difficult. You may also be at higher risk for serious pregnancy complications, although your Ob-Gyn can identify any complications. If natural pregnancy isn’t possible, you may prefer fertility treatment services. As women 35 years and older have higher risks for fertility issues and miscarriage, you can discuss treatments with a fertility specialist.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF) – With this treatment, healthy eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilized with your chosen sperm in a laboratory. Once fertilized, the ensuing embryo is placed in your uterus.
- Intrauterine insemination (IUI) – Also called artificial insemination, IUI may increase conception chances with endometriosis. Often, it’s combined with another technique, superovulation (SO-IUI), to stimulate the monthly release of multiple eggs.
- Egg freezing – This treatment is recommended for women considering future pregnancies. Endometriosis can reduce a woman’s ovarian reserve – the number of healthy, high-quality eggs available – but freezing eggs can preserve them.
Discuss Endometriosis & Fertility in New York City
A painful and overwhelming condition, endometriosis can have a significant impact on your fertility. However, certain lifestyle changes may help you to support your reproductive health and manage your condition. We encourage you to contact Chelsea Fertility NYC for a consultation.
