Fertility Is A Team Effort
Why Both Partners Need to Be Proactive About Health Before Conception
Because fertility is a team effort—and so is lifelong family health.
When couples start thinking about growing their family, often the focus often lands squarely on the woman’s body: Is she ovulating regularly? Is her cycle healthy? Is she taking her prenatal vitamins?
But the truth is—fertility is not a solo sport. It takes two healthy bodies to conceive, carry, and raise a healthy baby. Preconception health for both partners doesn’t just improve the chances of getting pregnant—it sets the stage for the lifelong health of the child. And the science backs this up.
Additionally, we want to see both partners making systemic, lifelong changes that will impact their health and longevity. We want to see you around enjoying your kids and grandkids.
Fertility is a Whole-Body Indicator—for Both Men and Women
Fertility isn't just about sperm and eggs. It's about metabolic health, inflammation, nutrient status, hormone balance, and even sleep and stress levels.
For Women:
A woman's egg quality begins declining in her 30s, but oxidative stress and inflammation can accelerate that decline at any age. Addressing inflammation and stress can be one of the greatest assets to a woman’s egg quality as she ages.
Nutritional deficiencies in folate, B12, vitamin D, omega-3s, and iron can impair ovulation and increase miscarriage risk.
Gut health plays a role too—imbalances in the microbiome can lead to hormone dysregulation, autoimmune flares, and increased risk of complications like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
For Men:
Sperm health is directly impacted by lifestyle choices. In fact, sperm counts have dropped by more than 50% globally over the last 40 years. So, low testosterone is more common than you think.
Factors like obesity, alcohol, tobacco, excessive heat (saunas/laptops on laps), nutrient deficiencies, and stress all reduce sperm motility and morphology.
DNA fragmentation in sperm has been linked to miscarriage and developmental disorders in children.
Men who exercise regularly, eat antioxidant-rich diets, and maintain optimal weight have significantly higher sperm quality.
Epigenetics: Your Habits Shape Future Generations
Perhaps the most compelling reason for both partners to optimize their health is epigenetics—the study of how behaviors and environment can change the way genes are expressed.
Epigenetic changes in sperm and egg can affect gene expression in the embryo and even influence the child’s risk of chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, and mental health disorders.
Preconception health of both partners affects not only fertility but also placental development, fetal brain formation, immune programming, and long-term metabolic health of the child.
When Should You Start Preparing?
The ideal preconception window is at least 6 months before trying to conceive. Why?
Sperm regenerate every ~72 days, so the quality of today's sperm reflects the past 2-3 months of health habits.
Egg maturation takes around 90 days, meaning what a woman eats and how she manages stress today impacts the quality of her ovulation three months from now.
Action Steps for Both Partners
Nutrient Repletion: Test and optimize vitamin D, B12, folate, iron, zinc, magnesium, and omega-3 levels.
Reduce Toxin Exposure: Cut back on alcohol, avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals (plastics, parabens), and consider detox protocols under supervision.
Support Gut Health: Prioritize whole foods, probiotics, and avoid excessive antibiotics or processed food.
Balance Hormones Naturally: Improve sleep, manage stress, and support adrenal health before considering hormonal therapy.
Maintain a Healthy Weight: Even modest weight loss in overweight partners can significantly improve fertility outcomes.
Reduce Stress: Stress has implications on both partners, and as much effort as to movement and nutrition needs to be made toward lower stress.
Support the Team Now and for the Future
The decision to bring a child into the world is monumental. Preparing your body—and your partner’s—for conception is one of the most important investments you can make for your future family’s long term health. Preconception care is not just about getting pregnant—it's about creating the best foundation possible for the next generation.
References:
Mihalas, B. P., et al. (2017). Oxidative stress impairs oocyte quality and early embryo development. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, 26(10), 501–512.
Gaskins, A. J., et al. (2014). Association between serum folate and vitamin B12 and reproductive hormone levels in premenopausal women. Fertility and Sterility, 102(2), 511–518.
Moreno, I., et al. (2016). Evidence that the endometrial microbiota has an effect on implantation success or failure. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 215(6), 684–703.
Levine, H., et al. (2017). Temporal trends in sperm count: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Human Reproduction Update, 23(6), 646–659.
Zini, A., & Sigman, M. (2009). Are tests of sperm DNA damage clinically useful? Pros and cons. Journal of Andrology, 30(3), 219–229.
Gaskins, A. J., et al. (2015). Physical activity and television watching in relation to semen quality in young men. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(4), 265–270.
Carone, B. R., et al. (2010). Paternal diet affects offspring metabolic health via sperm RNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance. Cell, 143(7), 1084–1096.
Fleming, T. P., et al. (2018). Origins of lifetime health around the time of conception: causes and consequences. The Lancet, 391(10132), 1842–1852.