Getting ready to grow your family is a wonderful, life-changing decision. Yet, what we hear in the media, including social media and in our everyday conversations, does not always reflect the diverse realities of trying to conceive. One’s journey to parenthood may be more complex than others. For many, pregnancy preparation takes time, meticulous planning, and assistance from a qualified and caring health-care team. If you are thinking about conceiving, then you may want to take into consideration some factors that influence fertility and how you can support your body through preconception, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.

Not Everyone Gets Pregnant Right Away

Generally, the chances of conceiving in any given month can range from 5% to 25%.

This can depend on a woman’s age, health history, and other factors. It can take several months of trying, and for some, even longer. Health-care practitioners can also provide insights and assistance for women who may be exploring infertility treatments.

For context, infertility is defined as a disease, condition, or status that is characterized by any of the following:

• the inability to achieve a successful pregnancy based on a patient’s medical, sexual, and reproductive history, age, physical findings, diagnostic testing, or any combination of those factors;
• the need for medical intervention, e.g., the use of donor gametes or embryos, in order to achieve a successful pregnancy either as an individual or with a partner; and
• for partners having regular, unprotected intercourse and without any known issues that may suggest impaired reproductive ability. In such case, medical evaluations should be initiated after 1 year (12 months) of actively trying to get pregnant when the female partner is under 35 years of age. When the female partner is over 35 years old, evaluations should begin earlier, typically after 6 months of trying to conceive.

Understandably, this timeline can surprise and cause a great deal of stress to partners trying to get pregnant. As well, stress itself can make things even harder, because it can also have a significant impact on the already complex nature and dynamics of reproductive processes.

How PCOS Affects Fertility

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the leading causes of infertility, affecting 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. PCOS disrupts ovulation, often causing irregular cycles or no periods at all. It’s also associated with insulin resistance, elevated androgen levels, and inflammation—all of which can make conception more difficult.

Women with PCOS can still conceive with the right support. Managing diet, improving exercise routines, and introducing specific supplements (more on those later) can help regulate cycles and other disruptive symptoms, and more importantly facilitate ovulation.

How Age Affects Egg Quality and Fertility

It is increasingly common to hear about people waiting until their 30s or even 40s to start a family. While reproductive technology is slowly but surely becoming well integrated into our health-care system, it is important to be aware of the reality that egg quality and ovarian reserve decline significantly over time. Lower egg quality can lead to reduced chances of fertilization and higher risks of miscarriages or chromosomal abnormalities. That does not mean pregnancy is not possible later in life: it just may require more time, monitoring, or fertility assistance.

How Lifestyle Choices Impact Fertility

Body weight and fertility are closely linked. Being either underweight or overweight—especially when body composition and metabolic health are affected—can disrupt hormone metabolism, ovulation, and menstrual cycles. Obesity, in particular, is associated with insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances, both of which can reduce fertility. Women with higher body mass indexes (BMIs) may experience longer times to conception and a higher risk of pregnancy complications.

Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can also negatively impact egg and sperm quality. Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and a sedentary lifestyle are not supportive either. Admittedly, it can be overwhelming for people to change their diet and lifestyle completely, but these changes do not need to be perfectly implemented. Any reduction of exposure to these factors and adopting a more balanced diet, while getting regular physical activity and having proper sleep, can still provide meaningful benefits to fertility in both partners.

How Targeted Supplementation Can Boost Fertility

If you are preparing your body for pregnancy, certain nutrients can provide important support. Do consult with your health-care practitioners before implementing any new supplement protocol, to ensure the following recommendations are appropriate for your unique health experiences.

myo‑Inositol

Often recommended for women with PCOS, myo‑inositol helps improve insulin sensitivity and promotes regular ovulation. Studies have shown that it can enhance ovarian function and even improve egg quality.

Coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀)

This antioxidant is crucial for mitochondrial function and is especially helpful for women over 35 years of age. CoQ₁₀ has been linked to improved egg quality and better outcomes during fertility treatments, and it reduced the risk of preeclampsia in women at high risk for the condition.

Folate or Folic Acid

Folate (or folic acid, a synthetic form of folate) is essential for preventing neural-tube defects (NTDs) in the developing fetus in early pregnancy. NTDs can be severe birth defects of the brain and spine, including conditions such as spina bifida. Folate also plays a broader role in fetal development and may help reduce the risk of other birth anomalies, including cleft lip and cleft palate. In certain cases, women who are in the intermediate- to high-risk categories for NTDs may be advised to take high-dose folic acid. These are women who have had either previous pregnancies affected by NTDs, a family history of NTDs, or insulin-dependent diabetes, or who take certain epilepsy medications.

Prenatal Multivitamins

Prenatal vitamins and minerals are not just for pregnancy—they are for before, during, and after birth. A high-quality prenatal supplement should include iron, calcium, vitamin D, iodine, DHA, and folate or folic acid. These nutrients support fertility, fetal development, and postpartum recovery.

Your Path, Your Pace

Preparing for pregnancy is more than just picking baby names. It is a physical, emotional, and complex journey that deserves care, patience, and accurate information.

Whether you are just starting your journey or already facing challenges, know that you are not alone and you are not doing anything wrong. Each body is different, and sometimes it takes time, a few changes, or some extra support to conceive.

The key is to listen to your body, make informed decisions, and reach out to professionals when needed. Fertility is not always a straight line—but it is a path worth preparing for.

Dr. Kim Abog, ND

Dr. Kim Abog is a registered naturopathic doctor and doula based in Toronto, Ontario. She has a special interest in fertility and reproductive health. She helps people by facilitating health-management plans with them, connecting them to evidence-informed integrative health solutions, and helping them thrive.

kimabog.com

Further Reading

1.             Wais, M. “Prenatal vitamins: Folate vs. folic acid and the MTHFR mutation.” Markham Fertility Centre, 2024‑05‑14, https://markhamfertility.com/blog/folate-vs-folic-acid-and-mthfr-mutation/.

2.             Carboni, L. “Active folate versus folic acid: The role of 5‑MTHF (methylfolate) in human health.” Integrative Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 3 (2022): 36–41.

3.             Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Washington, DC., “Definition of infertility: A committee opinion.” Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 120, No. 6 (2023): 1170.

4.             Wilcox, A.J., D. Dunson, and D.D. Baird. “The timing of the ‘fertile window’ in the menstrual cycle: Day specific estimates from a prospective study.” BMJ, Vol. 321, No. 7271 (2000): 1259–1262.

5.             Walker, M.H., and K.J. Tobler. “Female infertility.” In: StatPearls [Internet], 2025, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556033/.

6.             Maguire, M.F. “My chances of getting pregnant explained: Odds of pregnancy by age chart.” Reproductive Medicine Associates, [no date mentioned], https://rmanetwork.com/blog/what-are-my-odds-of-getting-pregnant-at-any-age/.

7.             Owen, A., K. Carlson, and P.B. Sparzak. “Age-related fertility decline.” In: StatPearls [Internet], 2025, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK576440/.

8.             Delbaere, I., S. Verbiest, and T. Tydén. “Knowledge about the impact of age on fertility: A brief review.” Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol. 125, No. 2 (2020): 167–174.

9.             Turner, F., S.G. Powell, H. Al‑Lamee, A. Gadhvi, E. Palmer, A. Drakeley, V.S. Sprung, D. Hapangama, and N. Tempest. “Impact of BMI on fertility in an otherwise healthy population: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” BMJ Open, Vol. 14, No. 10 (2024): e082123.

10.          Burger, T., J. Li, Q. Zhao, C.A. Schreiber, S. Teal, D.K. Turok, M. Natavio, and J.F. Peipert. “Association of obesity with longer time to pregnancy.” Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 139, No. 4 (2022): 554–560.

11.          Teran, E., I. Hernández, L. Tana, S. Teran, C. Galaviz‑Hernandez, M. Sosa‑Macías, G. Molina, and A. Calle. “Mitochondria and coenzyme Q10 in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.” Frontiers in Physiology, Vol. 9 (2018): 1561.

12.          Gambioli, R., G. Forte, G. Buzzaccarini, V. Unfer, and A.S. Laganà. “myo‑Inositol as a key supporter of fertility and physiological gestation.” Pharmaceuticals, Vol. 14, No. 6 (2021): 504.

13.          Mohammadi, S., F. Eini, F. Bazarganipour, S.A. Taghavi, and M.A. Kutenaee. “The effect of myo‑inositol on fertility rates in poor ovarian responder in women undergoing assisted reproductive technique: A randomized clinical trial.” Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, Vol. 19, No. 1 (2021): 61.

14.          Wald, N.J. “Folic acid and neural tube defects: Discovery, debate and the need for policy change.” Journal of Medical Screening, Vol. 29, No. 3 (2022): 138–146.

15.          Wilson, R.D., and D.L. O’Connor. “Guideline No. 427: Folic acid and multivitamin supplementation for prevention of folic acid–sensitive congenital anomalies.” Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada, Vol. 44, No. 6 (2022): 707–719.

16.          Levin, B.L., and E. Varga. “MTHFR: Addressing genetic counseling dilemmas using evidence-based literature.” Journal of Genetic Counseling, Vol. 25, No. 5 (2016): 901–911.

17.          [No author mentioned.] “MTHFR gene variant and folic acid facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025‑05‑27, https://www.cdc.gov/folic-acid/data-research/mthfr/.