Could your vaginal health hold the key to improving your fertility?
Did know that your vagina, just like your gut, has its own microbiome? It literally houses one of the most important of humanity’s ecosystems… how AMAZING is that?
The health of your vagina is paramount when you are TTC and planning for pregnancy. The conditions in the vagina need to be balanced to support conception, and implantation and reduce miscarriage risk. The right PH balance and balance of ecology (bacteria, yeasts etc) down there is super important!
Not only can infections and imbalances in this ecosystem contribute to infertility, poor outcomes in fertility treatment and increase miscarriage risk, but its health can also affect generations as the baby’s foundational microbiome is dictated by the health of the mother’s vagina (and gut) and yet it’s not something that’s often discussed.
A vagina dominant in lactobacillus bacteria (protective bacteria) usually keeps the pH of the vagina acidic, which reduces the risk of infections including STI’s, HBV and even lowers the risk of cancer. These good guys should also be taking up space in the vagina. When lactobacillus levels start to shrink, this is when yeasts and pathogenic bacteria which are usually part of a healthy ecosystem in small amounts start to invade and grow. A bit like weeds taking over empty space in the flower bed.
Factors like diet, lifestyle, environment can all affect the balance down there and mean that opportunistic bacteria and yeast can start to overcrowd the good guys. Even if you don’t have symptoms or obvious infections like BV or thrush, there can still be overgrowth of certain pathogenic species that are symptomatic.
With vaginal health, particularly when there’s an infection, a personalised and targeted approach is best, looking at treating the infection, looking at root drivers & lifestyle factors AND supporting the colonisation of beneficial bacteria.
But are there things that we can all be doing diet-wise to make sure we’re supporting vaginal health? Absolutely!
Here are four simple nutritional strategies you can try to give yours some TLC.
Eat the rainbow
The bottom line for vaginal ecology is a healthy functioning immune system as that is what is responsible for keeping everything in check. Eat the rainbow on a daily basis to ensure you’re getting a spread of nutrients and phytochemicals to keep your immune system super healthy.
2. Go very easy on refined sugar
High blood sugar and poor regulation has a big impact on vaginal health, it can damage healthy lactobacillus and feed yeast leaving you more prone to imbalance and infection3. It can be a tough process physically & emotionally so be kind to yourself and ask for support where you need it.
3. Support your microbes
Load up on polyphenol-rich herbs, spices, teas and prebiotics like garlic, leeks, and onions to nourish and support your gut and vagina.
4. Stay hydrated
Dehydration and vaginal dryness can cause disruption to the vaginal lining and good bacteria upping vulnerability to infection particularly dryness during sex