If you didn’t get the chance to go outside in the sun, it’s about time you did: the summer period is well underway and the sunlight not only makes you happy, it can boost your fertility too, studies suggest. 

So, if you’re thinking of having a baby, or going through IVF treatment at present, it seems that a good dose of summer sunshine can give you the edge you need, while trying for a pregnancy.

The chances of getting pregnant are not the same throughout the year, as many studies have reported in the past. Depending on where you live, how much natural light there is and how warm it gets, it seems that your chances of conceiving may be higher during higher temperatures and after enjoying that little extra of sunlight.

The reason is that sunlight affects the production of a hormone called melatonin, which is good for your fertility, as it has been found to protect and nurture your eggs. Melatonin has been studied not only in the setting of natural conception, but also in IVF treatments, as melatonin supplements have been suggested to increase pregnancy rates, especially in women with low quality eggs.

But it’s not only that boost in melatonin that helps you get pregnant in summer months. Getting outdoors in fine weather provides your body with precious vitamin D, a key factor which is very important in regulating ovulation, egg and sperm quality, as well as early pregnancy development. Although vitamin D can be found in food, such as milk, cereal, eggs, it is mainly made by our bodies when sunlight is absorbed in the skin. Vitamin D not only boosts hormone production, such as oestrogen and progesterone, it has been linked to higher pregnancy rates in IVF treatment too.

And then, there is also the relaxing feeling you get during summer months, holidays playing a certain role in this too. Low stress levels do make a difference when trying for a baby, and the same holds true for couples going through IVF treatment too.

So, make the most of sunlight and summer days, there are many reasons you wish to do so, getting pregnant easier, being a very important, as it seems!

©2021, Nicholas Christoforidis, Fertility Matters
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