How to Improve Fertility Naturally: 5 Holistic Approaches

You’ve been trying for months. Maybe even a year or more.

Every month, you hope. You track ovulation, take vitamins, time everything perfectly. And every month, you’re disappointed.

You’re starting to wonder if something is wrong. You’re starting to feel alone.

When you talk to your doctor, they say “just relax” or “keep trying” or “come back in a year.” If you’re over 35, they push IVF immediately. But you’re not ready for that. You want to try natural approaches first. You want to understand what’s happening in your body.

The good news is there are natural ways to improve your fertility. Ways that support your body’s natural ability to conceive.

As a chiropractor specializing in women’s health and a physiology instructor at Lansing Community College, I help women understand how their bodies work and what they can do to optimize fertility naturally.

In this article, I’m going to share five holistic approaches that support natural fertility. These aren’t quick fixes or miracle cures. They’re evidence-based strategies that address the root causes of fertility challenges and help your body function the way it’s designed to.

What Most Doctors Don’t Tell You About Fertility

When most people think about fertility, they think about hormones. Estrogen, progesterone, LH, FSH. And yes, hormones matter.

But here’s what many doctors don’t explain: your nervous system controls your hormones.

Your nervous system has two modes: rest-and-digest and fight-or-flight. When you’re stressed (physically or emotionally), your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. And in that mode, reproduction is not a priority. Your body thinks “I need to survive right now, not make a baby.”

As a physiology instructor, I teach my students how the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis works. The hypothalamus in your brain sends signals to your pituitary gland, which tells your ovaries what to do. But when your nervous system is stuck in stress mode, those signals get disrupted. Your hormones get out of balance. Ovulation becomes irregular or stops.

This is why a holistic approach to fertility works. It’s not just about taking supplements or timing intercourse. It’s about creating an environment in your body where reproduction can happen naturally.

That means addressing your nervous system, reducing physical and emotional stress, and supporting your body’s natural rhythms.

Here’s what you need to understand: Your body already knows how to get pregnant. We just need to remove the obstacles that are getting in the way.

5 Natural Ways to Improve Fertility

These five approaches work together to support your body’s natural fertility. You don’t have to do all of them perfectly. Start with one or two that resonate with you, and build from there.

1. Optimize Your Nervous System with Chiropractic Care

This might surprise you, but chiropractic care can significantly impact fertility.

Here’s why: Your spine protects your spinal cord, which is the main highway for nerve signals between your brain and your reproductive organs. When vertebrae in your spine are misaligned, it can interfere with those nerve signals.

Gentle chiropractic adjustments restore proper alignment to your spine and pelvis. This takes pressure off nerves and allows your nervous system to function optimally. When your nervous system works better, your hormones balance naturally. Your menstrual cycles become more regular. Your body creates the right environment for conception.

The research backs this up. Studies have shown that women receiving chiropractic care experience improved cycle regularity and increased conception rates. One study found that women with infertility who received chiropractic care had a significantly higher pregnancy rate compared to those who didn’t.

Pelvic alignment is especially important for fertility. When your pelvis is balanced, your uterus has optimal positioning. Blood flow to reproductive organs improves. Nerve function is restored. All of this creates a better environment for conception and implantation.

Think of it this way: if the wiring in your house is damaged, the lights won’t work properly. It doesn’t matter how many new lightbulbs you put in. You need to fix the wiring. Your nervous system is the wiring. Chiropractic care helps fix it.

What to do:

If you’re trying to conceive, consider seeing a chiropractor who specializes in women’s health and fertility. Look for someone who uses gentle techniques and understands the connection between the nervous system and reproductive function.

I offer Natural Fertility Enhancement as part of my practice, combining chiropractic care with other holistic approaches tailored to each woman’s needs. Learn more about chiropractic care →

2. Support Hormonal Balance Through Nutrition

What you eat directly impacts your hormones. Your body needs specific nutrients to produce healthy eggs, maintain regular cycles, and create the right hormonal environment for pregnancy.

Focus on these fertility-supporting nutrients:

Folate (not just folic acid supplements)
Dark leafy greens, beans, lentils, citrus fruits, asparagus. Folate is crucial for egg quality and early fetal development.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Wild salmon, sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds. These healthy fats support hormone production and reduce inflammation.

Antioxidants
Berries, colorful vegetables, green tea, dark chocolate. Antioxidants protect eggs from damage and improve egg quality.

Healthy fats
Avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds. Your body needs fat to produce hormones. Don’t be afraid of healthy fats.

Quality protein
Grass-fed meat, wild fish, pastured eggs, legumes. Protein provides the building blocks for hormones and supports stable blood sugar.

What to limit or avoid:

Just as important as what you eat is what you don’t eat. These foods can disrupt your hormones and interfere with fertility:

• Processed foods and refined sugars (cause hormone imbalances)
• Trans fats (interfere with ovulation)
• Excessive caffeine (can affect conception rates)
• Alcohol (even moderate amounts can impact fertility)

Blood sugar balance is crucial for hormonal balance. Eat protein with every meal. Include healthy fats. Avoid skipping meals. This helps prevent insulin spikes that can disrupt reproductive hormones and interfere with ovulation.

What to do:

Start by adding one fertility-supporting food to each meal. Swap your morning cereal for eggs with vegetables. Add salmon to your lunch salad. Snack on nuts instead of crackers. Small, consistent changes add up to big improvements in hormonal health.

3. Reduce Stress and Support Your Nervous System

Chronic stress is one of the biggest obstacles to natural conception.

When you’re constantly stressed, your body produces cortisol (the stress hormone). High cortisol disrupts your other hormones, including those needed for ovulation and conception.

Here’s the cruel irony: trying to conceive is stressful. You’re tracking, testing, timing, hoping, and often disappointed. This stress can actually make it harder to get pregnant, creating a frustrating cycle.

You can’t eliminate all stress. But you can change how your body responds to it.

Effective stress reduction strategies:

Daily movement
Walking, yoga, swimming, gentle stretching. Not intense workouts that stress your body further. Just gentle, consistent movement that helps release tension.

Breathwork
Five to ten minutes of deep breathing daily. This signals your nervous system to shift out of fight-or-flight mode. Breathe in for four counts, hold for four, breathe out for six. Repeat.

Quality sleep
Seven to nine hours nightly. Sleep is crucial for hormone production and stress recovery. We’ll talk more about this in the next section.

Mindfulness practices
Meditation, journaling, quiet time in nature. Even ten minutes a day makes a difference.

Connection
Time with supportive friends and family. Don’t isolate yourself in this journey. Let people who love you support you.

Remember: Your nervous system controls your hormones. When you actively support your nervous system through stress reduction, you’re directly supporting your fertility.

What to do:

Choose one stress-reduction practice and commit to it for 30 days. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be consistent. Notice how you feel, how you sleep, and how your body responds.

4. Optimize Your Sleep and Circadian Rhythm

Your body produces many fertility-related hormones during sleep.

Melatonin, which regulates your sleep-wake cycle, also plays a role in egg quality and ovulation. When your sleep is disrupted, your hormones suffer.

Your menstrual cycle is tied to your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock). Irregular sleep patterns can lead to irregular cycles. Shift work and jet lag have been shown to negatively impact fertility.

How to improve your sleep:

Go to bed and wake up at consistent times
Even on weekends. Your body loves routine. Consistency helps regulate your hormones.

Get morning sunlight
This helps regulate melatonin production. Step outside within an hour of waking up. Even five minutes helps.

Limit blue light in the evening
Phones, computers, and TV screens disrupt melatonin. Use blue light blocking glasses or turn off screens one to two hours before bed.

Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
Your body sleeps best in a cool room (around 65-68 degrees). Use blackout curtains if needed. Consider a white noise machine if your environment is noisy.

Create a bedtime routine
This signals your body that sleep is coming. Take a warm bath. Read a book. Do some gentle stretching. Make it relaxing, not stimulating.

What to do:

Prioritize seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. Not “in bed” time. Actual sleep time. Your fertility depends on it. If you struggle with sleep, address it now. Talk to a healthcare provider if insomnia is chronic.

5. Address Physical Tension and Improve Pelvic Alignment

Chronic tension in your pelvis, hips, and abdomen can restrict blood flow to reproductive organs and create physical barriers to conception.

This is especially true if you sit all day, have a history of pelvic trauma, or have had c-section or abdominal surgery.

Consider these gentle therapies:

Abdominal therapy
Gentle massage that supports uterine positioning and improves blood flow to reproductive organs. This can release tension, improve circulation, and create better physical conditions for conception. Learn more about abdominal therapy →

Pelvic floor work
Physical therapy to release tension in pelvic floor muscles. Tight pelvic floor muscles can create tension that affects fertility.

Gentle stretching
Yoga poses that open the hips and pelvis. Cat-cow, pigeon pose, butterfly stretch. These release tension and improve flexibility.

Chiropractic care
Restores pelvic alignment and ensures your pelvis is balanced. This is especially important if you have a history of falls, accidents, or uneven posture.

Why pelvic alignment matters:

When your pelvis is properly aligned, your uterus sits in optimal position. Blood flow improves. Nerve function is restored. The ligaments that support your uterus have proper tension (not too tight, not too loose).

This creates a better physical environment for conception and implantation.

What to do:

If you have pelvic pain, painful periods, or a history of pelvic issues, seek professional help to address physical tension. Don’t just push through pain. Pain is your body telling you something needs attention.

Your Body Wants to Get Pregnant

Here’s what I want you to understand: your body is designed to conceive. Fertility is natural. It’s not something you have to force or fix.

But sometimes, we need to remove the obstacles that are getting in the way.

These five approaches work best together. Chiropractic care optimizes your nervous system. Nutrition provides the building blocks. Stress reduction creates the right hormonal environment. Sleep supports hormone production. Physical alignment improves blood flow and positioning.

This isn’t a quick fix. It takes three to four months for your body to respond to these changes. That’s how long it takes to mature an egg from start to finish.

Be patient with yourself. Be consistent. Trust your body.

You don’t have to do everything perfectly. You just have to start somewhere and stay consistent.

When to Seek Professional Support

If you’ve been trying for more than six months (if you’re over 35) or twelve months (if you’re under 35), it’s time to seek professional help.

This doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re being proactive.

Consider working with practitioners who understand natural fertility support:

• Chiropractor specializing in women’s health and fertility
• Naturopathic doctor
• Functional medicine practitioner
• Fertility-focused acupuncturist

You don’t have to jump straight to IVF. There are many natural approaches to explore first.

And if you do need assisted reproductive technology, these natural approaches will still help. They’ll improve your egg quality, balance your hormones, and create the best possible environment for conception, whether natural or assisted.

Natural Fertility Enhancement in Grand Ledge, MI

As a chiropractor specializing in women’s health and a physiology instructor at Lansing Community College, I help women understand their bodies and optimize their fertility naturally.

My approach to natural fertility enhancement includes:

Gentle chiropractic care
To optimize nervous system function and restore proper communication between your brain and reproductive organs.

Pelvic alignment
To support optimal uterine positioning and improve blood flow to reproductive organs.

Abdominal therapy
Gentle work to improve circulation, reduce tension, and support reproductive organ function.

Homeopathy
For hormonal support when appropriate, using natural remedies tailored to your specific needs.

Education
So you understand what’s happening in your body and why these approaches work. Knowledge is power.

I take time to listen, understand your unique situation, and create a personalized plan. This isn’t one-size-fits-all care. It’s individualized support for your fertility journey.

Many of my patients say they appreciate finally having someone who takes time to explain things, who doesn’t rush them through appointments, and who treats them as a whole person, not just a diagnosis.

Ready to Support Your Fertility Naturally?

If you’re trying to conceive and want natural, holistic support, I’d love to help you.

Here’s what happens next:

1. Schedule a consultation – We’ll talk about your health history and fertility journey
2. Create your personalized plan – Based on your unique needs and goals
3. Get ongoing support – Regular care and adjustments as you work toward conception
4. Feel empowered – Understanding your body and trusting the process

📞 Call: (517) 980-0366
🌐 Schedule online: www.drherrst.com
📍 Location: Grand Ledge, MI

Serving: Grand Ledge, Lansing, Charlotte, Eaton Rapids, Potterville, and surrounding Michigan communities

You don’t have to do this alone. You don’t have to feel frustrated and confused. And you don’t have to accept “just relax” as the only answer.

Your body is capable of amazing things. Sometimes it just needs the right support.

I look forward to supporting you on your journey to conception.

Dr. Andrea L. Herrst, DC
Chiropractor & Women’s Health Specialist
Physiology Instructor, Lansing Community College
Grand Ledge, Michigan

About Dr. Andrea L. Herrst

Dr. Andrea L. Herrst is a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in women’s health and natural fertility support. In addition to her practice in Grand Ledge, Michigan, she teaches Physiology at Lansing Community College, where she helps students understand how the human body works.

Dr. Andrea combines her deep understanding of physiology with gentle chiropractic techniques, homeopathy, and holistic therapies to support women on their journey to conception. She is Webster Technique certified and has helped hundreds of women optimize their health naturally.

Her approach is rooted in education, empowerment, and individualized care. She believes that women deserve more than being told to “just relax” when struggling with fertility, and that natural approaches should be explored before jumping to invasive interventions.

When she’s not in the office or teaching, Dr. Andrea enjoys spending time with her family in the Grand Ledge area.