Regular living habits to relieve stress

Many unexplained difficulties in conceiving come from high pressure and abnormal living habits, both of which can affect the regularity and quality of ovulation. Or a variety of tests cannot identify a clear cause of infertility; once the pressure is reduced, the normal pregnancy rate will increase naturally.

A diet that increases fertility

When the constitution is in the neutral state, all physiological functions are normal and the best chance of conception can be achieved. Therefore, the use of diet to improve the constitution to increase the pregnancy rate is related to the individual constitution. People with a cold constitution should take more neutral and warm food, while those with a hot constitution should take more neutral and cool food, however, no matter a cold or hot constitution, neither hot nor cold food should be taken.

1. Hot foods are not suitable for most body constitutions

Chilies, garlic, coriander, scallion, shacha sauce, fennel, leek, cinnamon, mutton, dog meat, longan, lychee, mango, durian, curry, hot liquor, stir-fried sesame oil.

2. Cold foods are not suitable for most body constitutions

Ice products, watermelon, muskmelon, cantaloupe, grapefruit, pomelos, coconut, tangerines, hard persimmons, mangosteens, daikon, Chinese cabbage, bitter gourds, cucumbers, sponge gourds, wax gourds, tomatoes.

3. Neutral foods are suitable for most body constitutions

Guavas, apples, grapes, oranges, papayas, strawberries, cherries, spinach, cabbage, carrots, edible chrysanthemum, cauliflowers, chicken, fish, pork, pork ribs, pig intestines, eggs, milk, and daylilies.

4. Cool foods are suitable for hot body constitutions

Pyrus pyrifolia, mung beans, lotus roots, snow fungi, loquats, water caltrops.

5. Warm foods are suitable for cold body constitutions

Tender ginger, chestnuts, hawthorn, walnuts, pumpkin, coriander, onion, goat's milk, eels, coffee, sea cucumbers, sesame oil (not stir-fried).

Calculate your ovulation date

After the egg is discharged from the ovary, it has only a 24-hour life span. Therefore, the ovulation date and the day before ovulation is the best day for intercourse. There are three ways to determine the ovulation date:

1. Basal body temperature (BBT)

Using the BBT to predict the ovulation date is suitable for women who ovulate regularly. You can infer the ovulation date of the next cycle according to the previous ovulation date. Please refer to the BBT health education sheet.

2. Ovulation prediction kit

Generally speaking, when getting a strong positive result on the test (two color bands are as deep), you will ovulate within 48 hours later. It is suggested that the best time to conceive is about 24 hours after getting a strong positive test result.

3. Follicular tracking ultrasound scan

The follicles with a diameter of 1.8-2cm are mature follicles. The follicles with a diameter of 2cm are usually discharged within 10-24 hours. You can conceive from the day to 24 hours by selecting 2cm follicles

Moderate amounts of tonic food and TCM recuperation

Different body constitutions require different tonic foods. People with a cold body type can eat hot foods, while those with a hot body type need neutral foods. Tonics should not be excessive. Excessive hot tonics will turn your body into a dryness-heat state, which will have adverse effects on the chances of pregnancy. 

Hot body constitutions: neutral foods

• Herbal cuisine: Chinese motherwort coco-grass chicken soup
• Herbs: 11.25g Chinese motherwort, 7.5g Cyperus rotundus
• Ingredients: half-chicken cut into pieces, 3 ginger slices
• Methods:

1. Soak Chinese motherwort and coco-grass for 30 minutes, boil for 1 and a half hours over low heat, and filter out the dregs.
2. Blanch the chicken, add it with ginger slices into the decoction.
3. Boil over low heat or in an electric cooker for 1 hour.

Cold body constitutions: hot foods

• Herbal cuisine: Traditional Chinese chicken herbal soup
• Herbs: 11.25g Dang shen, 11.25g Mongolian milkvetch, 11.25g baked Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, 11.25g parched white peony root, 11.25g Wolfiporia extensa, 1.875g Chinese cinnamon, 18.75g Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, 11.25g Angelica sinensis, 7.5g Ligusticum striatum, 7.5g Glycyrrhiza uralensis
• Ingredients: half-chicken cut into pieces, 10 stir-fried ginger slices with sesame oil
• Methods:

1. Soak the herbs for 30 minutes, boil for 1 and a half hours over low heat, and filter out the dregs.
2. Blanch the chicken, add it with ginger slices into the decoction.
3. Boil over low heat or in an electric cooker for 1 hour.