The Art of Conceiving:It Starts Before You Even Begin

The Art of Conceiving: It Starts Before You Even Begin

If you are preparing yourself for a conception anytime in life, let me break this to you:

The work to conceive naturally starts atleast a year before you actually try to get pregnant!!

This Issue Covers:

Real Time case of a 34 year woman trying to
conceive for over a year and had not been
successful.
5 top things to do if you are trying to get pregnant !!

The preliminary tests showed that the sperm count of the partner was optimal and she was healthy too. Inspite of which she was suggested an IVF.

First Counselling Session:

The blood Tests showed that there was deficiency on basic nutrient profiles with an insulin resistance. While Weight loss is what she had come for, she took a mindful decision of aligning her lifestyle with her goal and giving it another year and then conceiving. It took us more than 8 months to attain the following:

5 top things to do if you are trying to get pregnant !!

1. Getting all your Blood Panels in Optimal Range

HbA1c & Fasting Insulin	To rule out insulin resistance
Thyroid Panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Anti-TPO, Anti-TG)	Since even slight imbalances can affect ovulation
Vitamin D & B12	Essential for hormone function and energy
Iron & Ferritin	Low levels can impair ovulation and implantation
Homocysteine & CRP	To assess inflammation, which can impact fertility
Progesterone Levels on 21st Day of the Menstrual Cycle	As a pregnancy hormone, its role is to prepare the uterus for implantation and pregnancy
Liver Profile	To check the overall Functioning of the Liver (responsible for Hormone and Thyroid metabolism)

The Optimal Range we are looking at achieving would be:


Hba1c	4.8-5.5%	Vitamin B12	450-800 pg/ml
Fasting Insulin	2.6-5μIU/dl	Serum Iron	85-130 μg/dL
Free T3	3-3.5 pg/ml	Ferritin	30-7- ng/ml
Free T4	1-1.5 ng/dl	TIBC	250-350 μg/dL
TSH	less than 1.3-3 μU/ml	Transferrin Saturation	24-35%
Anti TPO	0-0.4IU/ml	HsCRP	0-1mg/L
Anti TG	1.2-9.5μg/L	Homocystine	5-7μmol/L
Vitamin D	50-90 ng/ml	Progesterone	15-21 ng/ml

2. Getting Muscle Strength

Your reproductive health isn’t just about hormones—it’s about metabolic health. Strength training improves

which directly impacts egg and sperm quality.
Not only this, the ease of carrying the pregnancy weight because of muscle strength can really make a huge difference too.

You don’t have to become a bodybuilder—just start lifting, moving, and building strength.

3. Avoiding plastics/ synthetics in Wearable and consumables

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in plastics, non-stick cookware, and even personal care products can interfere with fertility.

4. Choosing Quality Protein and Supplements

Not all supplements are created equal. Many over-the-counter brands contain fillers, additives, or even contaminants. When choosing supplements, always look for:

Third-party lab testing for purity. Invest in quality over quantity.
Some key supplements to consider.


CoQ10 (Ubiquinol)	Supports egg and sperm quality
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)	Reduces inflammation and supports hormone function
Magnesium & B-complex	Important for stress and hormonal balance
NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)	Supports liver detoxification and reproductive health
Vitamin D	Maintaining OAT Axis

Key Foods to Focus on:

Include atleast 50 gms of Protein in the Diet if not more. Focussing on atleast 20 gms in Breakfast and Dinner each.
Include Fats in the Form of 1 tbsp of Seeds and Nuts/day for Hormonal Health
Adding 7 hours of Sleep to prevent Inflammation and Hormonal Health
Adding Herbs like Chamomile/ Jasmine/ Ginger to work on the Cortisol

5. Letting go of Alcohol

One of the most overlooked but critical steps is reducing or eliminating alcohol. Even moderate drinking can:

I see such cases very often where the women who are 32-35 years of age are desperate because they have been told the age to conceive is running out. They have been trying for more than a year and they don’t see any result and think that it is going to get difficult to conceive. So they jump straight into complex treatments, expensive supplements, or extreme diet changes.

As someone who sees these issues to be so common and rampant and yet not being addressed, my first line of action for anyone struggling with fertility will be to go back to the basics and then only after you have given it 3-6 months do you work towards alternative therapy!!

Naina Singhania

Registered Dietitian | Functional Nutritionist | Diabetes Reversal Expert | Gut and Hormone Health Management

About Naina: Naina is a Registered Dietitian of India practicing since 2013. She works in the field of Weight Management, Diabetes Reversals and Women’s Health (PCOS, Infertility). She lives in Mumbai and caters to clients worldwide. Her approach is a combination of Ayurvedic Analysis along with scientific base in Functional Nutrition allows her to get into the root cause of the problem and provide customised solutions to her clients.