Do you want to boost your fertility, but aren’t ready for anything as radical as IVF yet? Maybe your doctor has told you that you don’t need to consider special fertility treatments yet.

Knowing that your reproductive system is healthy is small comfort when you want a baby and it just hasn’t happened yet. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to improve your fertility. Try these suggestions:

• Limit your caffeine. Ideally, you should limit caffeine intake to 200-250 mg. That’s about two mugs of coffee or three 20 oz. colas per day, max. Eliminating soda altogether is also good for fertility.
• Limit alcohol. There’s no credible evidence to suggest that consuming alcohol in moderation will keep you from becoming pregnant. However, having more than two drinks per day has been shown to significantly decrease your chance to conceive. Most doctors will tell you it’s wise to stop drinking when you are actively trying to conceive anyway, since alcohol is a known cause of birth defects.
• Avoid using lubricants. Most of the lubricants you can buy at the pharmacy (K-Y Jelly, Astroglide, etc.) reduce sperm motility, which reduces your chances of conception. Some even have spermicides in them. To boost fertility, avoid using lubricants. If you must use a lubricant, use a little Canola oil (yes, the kind in your kitchen).
• Relax. Stress has a negative impact on fertility. To boost your fertility, reduce your stress. Take walks, meditate, pray, have quiet time. Whatever does it for you, do what it takes to unwind.
• Exercise, but not too hard. Moderate exercise has been shown to increase fertility. High intensity exercise has the opposite effect. The best exercises to boost your fertility include walking, swimming, Pilates, and low impact aerobics. Exercising regularly will also help you control your weight, which in turn boosts fertility.

Of course, none of these things guarantee that you’ll get pregnant. They do help improve your chances by boosting your fertility, though. You’ll also want to keep track of your cycles and take advantage of your most fertile periods.

If you haven’t conceived after doing all of these things for a year to eighteen months, check back with your doctor. At that point, she may recommend fertility treatment or other measures to help boost your fertility.