When you start dreaming about building your family, you’re immediately flooded with all the fun questions: What will our baby look like? How should we decorate the nursery? What’s the best book to prep us for those first wild months?
We get it! We asked those same (really important!) questions.
But there’s one question most of us don’t even realize we should be asking:
What can we do right now to boost our fertility and set the stage for a healthy pregnancy?
It’s probably not something your doctor has talked much about, but it should be. The four to six months before conception, called the preconception period, can dramatically influence how easily you conceive, how healthy your pregnancy is, and even your future child’s long-term health.
“By the time you find out you’re pregnant, all of your baby’s genetics have been formed,” says Dr. Afrouz Demeri, ND, Director of Functional Medicine at UC Irvine and WeNatal’s Chief Medical Officer. “The nutrition and lifestyle changes you make in the months before you conceive are just as important, if not more so, than the ones you make once you’re pregnant.”
RELATED: How to choose a prenatal vitamin
The 100-day window that can boost fertility for both partners
Here’s the incredible news: you have more control than you think.
While it’s true that women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have, the health of those eggs when you conceive is influenced by your nutrition, stress, and environment during the 100 days before ovulation.
During this window, eggs mature and are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress and nutrient levels, meaning this is the perfect time to focus on eating well, sleeping deeply, managing stress, and taking a comprehensive prenatal supplement.
For men, it’s just as powerful. Sperm regenerate roughly every 70–90 days, which means sperm health can completely transform in just three months. Studies show that optimizing nutrition, reducing alcohol and processed foods, and taking key nutrients can increase the odds of conception and healthy pregnancy outcomes.
So yes, both egg and sperm quality are highly responsive to lifestyle and nutrition changes. The choices you make today can shape your baby’s tomorrow.
How to improve egg quality before pregnancy
Think of this as your 100-day preconception opportunity and the ultimate time to prepare your body for conception.
1. Nourish your eggs with the right nutrients
Your eggs are like tiny, nutrient-hungry powerhouses. During their final maturation, they rely on vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to protect against DNA damage and chromosomal errors. Research shows that a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet supports healthy ovulation, egg quality, and embryo development. Focus on:
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Colorful fruits and veggies for vitamins C & E and antioxidants
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Leafy greens and legumes for folate and magnesium
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Wild-caught fish or algae-based omega-3s for DHA & EPA
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Nuts, seeds, and avocados for healthy fats
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Protein from clean sources to support hormone health and muscle tissue
Recent studies confirm that following a Mediterranean-style diet rich in whole foods, omega-3s, and antioxidants improves both fertility outcomes and IVF success rates.
2. Start your prenatal early
Dr. Demeri recommends that all women of childbearing age take a prenatal, ideally at least 4–6 months before conceiving. “Those important nutrients needed in the earliest stage of pregnancy are often depleted due to medication use and our modern lifestyles,” she explains.
Look for a prenatal that includes:
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Active folate (5-MTHF)
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Methylated B12 and B6
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Choline
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Iron (if needed)
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Vitamin D3
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Antioxidants (vitamins C, E, zinc, selenium)
This not only boosts fertility but also helps your body build nutrient stores before pregnancy nausea or food aversions set in.
RELATED: How to prepare for IVF & egg freezing: 5 clinically backed strategies to improve egg quality
How to boost sperm health before conception
We tend to focus on women when we talk about fertility, but the truth is: 50% of the equation comes from him.
Sperm quality impacts everything from conception to embryo development and even miscarriage risk. A growing body of research now shows that poor sperm quality can contribute to infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss, but there’s so much men can do to change that.
What improves sperm health
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Antioxidants: Vitamins C & E, selenium, zinc, and CoQ10 protect sperm from oxidative stress.
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Omega-3 fatty acids: Support healthy sperm membranes and motility.
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L-carnitine: May improve sperm shape and movement.
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Vitamin D: Low levels have been linked to lower sperm quality.
One study found that men taking antioxidants were four times more likely to help their partner conceive and five times more likely to have a live birth than men who didn’t supplement.
Nutrition for better sperm
The best “male fertility diet” looks a lot like the best “human fertility diet.”
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Eat a variety of colorful produce
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Include fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, and seeds
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Reduce alcohol, processed foods, and sugary drinks
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Avoid smoking and limit high-heat cooking oils
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Stay active — but skip the overheated saunas and tight underwear!
RELATED: Can men take prenatal vitamins?
Managing stress and lifestyle for fertility
Your mindset matters as much as your meal plan. Chronic stress can trigger inflammation and disrupt hormone health in both men and women. It also affects epigenetics, the way genes turn “on” or “off” during conception. In other words, when your body is stressed, it can influence not only your fertility but also your baby’s lifelong health.
To support your reproductive health:
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Prioritize 7–9 hours of restorative sleep
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Move daily — walking, yoga, and strength training all help
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Try meditation, journaling, or time in nature
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Reduce exposure to endocrine disruptors (BPA, phthalates, pesticides)
Even simple changes like swapping plastic food containers for glass, using natural cleaning products, and filtering your water can make a difference.
Fertility is a team effort
For far too long, women have carried most of the emotional and physical load when it comes to fertility. But the truth is, you’re in this together. Half of your baby’s DNA comes from sperm, and studies show that both parents’ health around conception can influence a child’s future risk for chronic disease. So shift the focus from me to we. Talk about your goals. Take supplements together. Cook nutrient-rich meals. Support each other through stress. The fertility journey is much more rewarding, and more effective, when you do it as a team.
RELATED: Your fertility meal plan: A week of healthy, easy recipes
A note from WeNatal on boosting fertility together
Preparing for pregnancy is one of the most powerful investments you can make in your future family. The science is clear and the months before conception are your opportunity to boost fertility naturally, improve egg and sperm health, and lay the groundwork for a thriving pregnancy.
At WeNatal, we believe this journey is something you do together. By focusing on nutrition, lifestyle, and the right preconception supplements, both partners can make a meaningful impact on fertility and future baby health.
That’s why we created WeNatal for Her and WeNatal for Him as comprehensive, evidence-based prenatal formulas designed to nourish both partners during the preconception window and beyond. And because omega-3 fatty acids play such a vital role in fertility and early development, our WeNatal Omega DHA+ delivers support for healthy eggs, sperm, and growing babies.
Whether you’re just starting to think about getting pregnant or already preparing for conception, remember: small, intentional choices today can shape your baby’s tomorrow.
References
Ebisch IM, Thomas CM, Peters WH, Braat DD, Steegers-Theunissen RP. The importance of folate, zinc and antioxidants in the pathogenesis and prevention of subfertility. Hum Reprod Update. 2007;13(2):163-174. doi:10.1093/humupd/dml054
Fleming TP, Watkins AJ, Velazquez MA, et al. Origins of lifetime health around the time of conception: causes and consequences. Lancet. 2018;391(10132):1842-1852. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30312-X
Hyde KJ, Schust DJ. Genetic considerations in recurrent pregnancy loss. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2015;5(3):a023119. Published 2015 Feb 6. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a023119
Kuchakulla M, Soni Y, Patel P, Parekh N, Ramasamy R. A Systematic Review and Evidence-based Analysis of Ingredients in Popular Male Fertility Supplements. Urology. 2020;136:133-141. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2019.11.007
Nadjarzadeh A, Shidfar F, Amirjannati N, Vafa MR, Motevalian SA, Gohari MR, Nazeri Kakhki SA, Akhondi MM, Sadeghi MR. Effect of Coenzyme Q10 supplementation on antioxidant enzymes activity and oxidative stress of seminal plasma: a double‐blind randomised clinical trial. Andrologia. 2014 Mar;46(2):177-83. doi:10.1111/and.12062
Peng, Lf. Sperm genetic abnormality testing in recurrent pregnancy loss cases: a narrative review. Middle East Fertil Soc J 28, 23. 2023. doi10.1186/s43043-023-00149-3
Salas-Huetos A, Rosique-Esteban N, Becerra-Tomás N, Vizmanos B, Bulló M, Salas-Salvadó J. The Effect of Nutrients and Dietary Supplements on Sperm Quality Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Adv Nutr. 2018;9(6):833-848. doi:10.1093/advances/nmy057
Showell MG, Brown J, Yazdani A, Stankiewicz MT, Hart RJ. Antioxidants for male subfertility. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011;(1):CD007411. Published 2011 Jan 19. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007411.pub2
Stephenson J, Heslehurst N, Hall J, Schoenaker DA, Hutchinson J, Cade JE, Poston L, Barrett G, Crozier SR, Barker M, Kumaran K. Before the beginning: nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health. The Lancet. 2018 May 5;391(10132):1830-41. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30311-8
