Get Pregnant Faster With Sun Exposure?

Colette Bouchez of the Getting Pregnant Now website describes new research. Getting more sun exposure could be a key factor in increasing fertility and helping you get pregnant faster! 

“For decades – or longer – gynecologists and even some fertility experts have been advising couples to ‘take a vacation’ if they want to get pregnant,” says Bouchez. “The idea behind the suggestion was to reduce stress – and it was often the first line of defense for couples suffering with ‘unexplained’ infertility. Now, however, new research shows there may be an even stronger scientific reason why so many couples get pregnant when they go on vacation – particularly to a warm sunny climate.  The connecting link between sunny vacations and pregnancy is none other than Vitamin D!”

After you get pregnant – or in anticipation of the blessed day – click on Bouchez’s book The Perfectly Pampered Pregnancy: Beauty, Health, and Lifestyle Advice for the Modern Mother-to-Be. And, read on for Bouchez’s explanation of increasing your chances of pregnancy through sun exposure…

Get Pregnant Faster With Sun Exposure?

“One of the primary ways in which the body makes vitamin D is via exposure to sunlight. And now research shows that vitamin D appears to have a direct impact on ovarian function, as well as hormone production – and that can make a huge difference if you are trying to get pregnant,” says Dr. Niels Lauersen, author of Getting Pregnant: What You Need To Know Now.

But Lauersen says it’s not just women alone whose fertility may prosper from sunlight. Men are affected as well.

In one very early study on sunlight and male fertility,  a group of researchers measured levels of testosterone ( the male hormone key to sperm production)  in a group of men both before  and after exposure to sunlight.  They then exposed the men’s chests to daily UVB light for five days – each day just long enough to cause a slight reddening of the skin.

At the end of five days they remeasured testosterone levels. They found that exposure to the UVB light ( the same kind you get from the sun) caused a whopping 120% increase in testosterone production! 

More importantly,  they remeasured the levels again 8 days later – during which the men got no UVB exposure – and their testosterone levels once again dropped down to pre-testing level. Since testosterone plays such a key role in sperm growth and development, it’s easy to see how spending time in the sun may actually make some men more fertile.

And, epidemiologic data shows that in countries where the latitude is the highest and sun exposure varies dramatically during the year, researchers found conception rates were consistently higher in late summer ( following a season in the sun) and birth rates highest the following spring.

Protect your skin from the sun – and get pregnant! Of course it’s still very important to protect your skin from extended sun exposure. Remember, it’s sunlight and not sun burn that may increase fertility, so wearing sunscreen should still be a vital part of your health protection strategy.  That said, recent research suggests that up to 20 minutes a day of unprotected sun exposure is a healthy way to increase vitamin D levels – and is not likely to cause you any serious harm, so keep that in mind when planning your time out doors

A vacation in the sun could help you get pregnant, but there is no guarantee.  However, if you combine the romance of the moonlight with the power of vitamin D from the sun….it could happen! 

If you have any questions or thoughts about getting pregnant faster with sun exposure, you’re welcome to comment below.

Visit Bouchez at GettingPregnantNow.org – a great source  for doctor-approved pregnancy and fertility resources and information.