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It is thought that the split between female factor and male factor infertility could be 50-50.  A partner’s health unequivocally matters.  Oxidative stress is the largest concern for sperm health. Causes of oxidative stress include aging, varicocele, testicular torsion, and cryptorchidism. Controllable sources of oxidative stress are alcohol consumption, environmental toxins, cigarette smoking, and exposure to radiation, and insulin resistance. (Note that the level of damage we are talking about with insulin resistance puts it in league with smoking - and we already know that's a problem for sperm health.) Oxidative stress harms the fluidity of sperm plasma membrane, decreases sperm motility, decreases ability to fuse with an oocyte, as well as alters the sperm DNA integrity.⁠ Strikingly, diabetic men...

There are 300 studies on Vitamin D and fertility in humans on PubMed (a research database). Its importance has been shown for everything from menstrual cycle abnormalities, egg/embryo quality, uterine receptivity and implantation, and likelihood of conception.  Vitamin D also has a very important role with respect to progesterone:  Calcitriol (a Vitamin D precursor) helps prepare the endometrium to be receptive for embryo implantation. Moreover, it supports the implantation process and the course of pregnancy through different but similar pathways to those used by progesterone, proving to be highly synergistic. It is increasingly evident that Vitamin D provides essential support from the luteal phase through to early pregnancy and beyond.  References: PMID: 29762856, 32106980

This is an incredibly important question. How could you tell? Is a regular menstrual cycle enough of a good sign that things are working the way they should?We always recommend doing some early investigation if you want concrete answers. Be your own advocate and speak to your doctor about ordering a full fertility assessment. Now, keep in mind: your family doctor may not send you for lab testing right away, especially if you don’t have any underlying health conditions. If you are 35 or younger, you have to have been trying to conceive for at least one year before you are eligible for a fertility work-up. If you are older than 35, the timeline is a bit shorter: 6 months....

Ninety percent of couples will conceive after a year of trying, 80% of which will conceive by 6 months, ⁠so the chance of conceiving on your own between 6 months and a year goes up by only 10%. So it’s a safe bet to consider asking for help after 6 months of trying. If you’re feeling a bit anxious, consider reaching out even sooner. Make sure to get a comprehensive assessment of your hormones, menstrual cycle history and confirmation that you’re ovulating regularly. Regardless of who you work with, whether it’s your family doctor, Naturopathic Doctor or functional medicine practitioner, you want to make sure you’re working with someone who educates you about cycle tracking, your fertility window and timed...