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Seven Expert Tips for Boosting Your Fertility

Eva Longoria and Jose Antonio Baston
Eva Longoria and Jose Antonio Baston

Mariah Carey, Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen have all opened up about their struggles to conceive. And on Thursday, February 18,  Eva Longoria shared her thoughts on pregnancy during a chat with Jenny McCarthy on the SiriusXM show Dirty, Sexy, Funny.

“Women unfortunately have to think about [fertility],” said the Telenovela actress, 40, who is engaged to longtime boyfriend Jose Antonio Baston. “Our whole lives it’s like, ‘Hurry up, think about it, you gotta think about it.’”

Ready for a baby? Board-certified reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Armando Hernandez-Rey gives Us Weekly his top seven tips for boosting your chances of getting pregnant.

Add Vitamin D to Your Diet Dr. Hernandez-Rey recommends loading up on foods that are rich in the nutrient, such as salmon — and enjoying (healthy) doses of sunlight. Explains the Miami-based M.D: “We know that a vitamin D–deficiency is correlated with infertility in both males and females.” 

Related: PHOTOS: 2015's Babies of the Year

Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen

Put Down the Cigarette “There are a million reasons to quit smoking, and protecting your fertility is a big one!” says Dr. Hernandez-Rey. “Women who smoke, especially those who are over 35 and have been on the [birth control] pill, experience significant declines in number of healthy eggs they have remaining in their ovaries.” Studies have shown that 60 percent of women with a history of heavy smoking for 15 years or more will experience menopause by 40 and a loss of fertility around 32.

Maintain a Healthy Weight The amount of body fat you have may play a part in your ability to conceive. Keep your body mass index “between 20 and 27,” says Dr. Hernandez-Rey. “Both extremes can affect your fertility and ovulation every month.” 

Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian

Limit Stress Yoga, meditation and acupuncture are proven techniques to help you relax, says the fertility specialist.  

Time Your Intercourse With an Ovulation Kit “Many women still don’t know exactly when they are ovulating,” Dr. Hernandez-Rey tells Us. “If you find you are not ovulating at all, see a doctor right away.” Try: First Response fertility and ovulation tests, $29, for 11 sticks 

Mariah Carey with twins Monroe and Moroccan
Mariah Carey with twins Monroe and Moroccan

Speaking of Doctors … If you are younger than 35 and have been trying to get pregnant for a year — or if you are older than 35 and have been trying for 6 months — ask your doctor to check your Anti-Mullerian hormone. “AMH is the best measure we have right now of a woman’s ovarian reserves,” says Dr. Hernandez-Rey. It is also important to be checked for undiagnosed endometriosis (the condition Lena Dunham suffers from) and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Related: PHOTOS: Cutest Celebrity Baby Announcements

For the Guys Stay away from hot tubs and keep that laptop off your testicles! “You also want to avoid constricting underwear,” says Dr. Hernandez-Rey. And no steroids. “They may make for big muscles, but it’s at the expense of your sperm!”

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