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Hi guys! I have been on birth control for over 11 years, and the Dr's say that being on birht control for so long can make you infertile. My husband and I really want a child, and would love to conceive sometime soon. Do you think there is some way that eating Paleo might help me become fertile again faster? I am also wondering if there are any Paleo friendly foods that help your chances of conceiving? Thank you guys for taking the time to give me some input, as I am new to this diet, as well as this site. Thank you again!

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http://paleohacks.com/questions/68491/getting-pregnant-while-paleo-time-it-took-paleo-vs-non-paleo#axzz1aOXV9YfV

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I have been to a lot of doctors and reproductive endocrinologists. None of them have said that being on birth control pills causes infertility. Are you sure you have had doctors say this to you? Yes, a good diet can certainly improve infertility, but many, many women take birth control plls without becoming infertile. – PaleoDel Oct 11 2011 at 0:29
Yes, spent half a year trying without any success, 8 months of paleo and boom, preggers. Paleo seemed to take care of a luteal phase defect that was getting in the way. Make sure hubby goes paleo too if possible (or at least takes zinc), it does take two to tango after all. – Happy Now Oct 11 2011 at 3:43

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I agree - no reason to believe you'll be infertile. I suspect a bigger factor than length of time on birth control is age - people who have been on birth control for a long time are more likely to be at an age where they aren't quite as fertile as they were (or would have been, if not for birth control) a decade previous.

However, paleo can help address some common causes of infertility, and I think most people here would be in support of going paleo regardless, as long as you're paying attention to your personal nutritional needs - eg. if you're at a healthy weight and TTC, you probably don't want to be doing low-carb. On the other hand, if you're suffering from PCOS, low carb might help with fertility. In any case, you want to be sure you're eating a good variety of foods and getting a good dose of healthy fats and adequate protein. Also, you may want to supplement folic acid, or at least be sure you're eating plenty of green leafy vegetables, eggs, and liver. Many processed grain-based products are supplemented with folic acid, so if you're cutting those out, you want to be sure to replace them with a natural source or a supplement.

Also, get a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. It's invaluable for getting an idea of what's going on in your body, fertility-wise.

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Robb Wolf talked about this a lot in his earlier podcasts but Paleo seems to correct a lot of hormone imbalances thanks to proper fat and cholesterol intake and other factors. There's also a lot of thought behind the body "knowing" it's unhealthy (SAD) and purposefully not letting pregnancy begin because a baby wouldn't thrive in that environment. Either way, I would assume that hormone balance, proper sleep, lower inflammation, sufficient nutrient intake (Paleo) would be beneficial in trying to get pregnant. No sources, just my $0.02.

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I was on various forms of HBC for 13 years before I went off of it. We were pregnant in 2 months. I don't think I've heard anything about HBC causing infertility. There was some word going around that you should go off the pill for a few months before trying to conceive but I just heard a few days ago that it was disproven as a scientific fact, it was just that the doctors wanted to have a LMP to go on. In other words, yet again something else that doctors want for their own convenience. I don't have links, sorry.

I have heard that there are benefits to eating Paleo as far as fertility is concerned I just don't know the details.

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