🧔‍♂️ Male Fertility: It’s a Team Sport And You’ve Got a Starring Role

Here’s something most people don’t talk about enough: male fertility is just as important as female fertility—and just as treatable.

Over the last 50 years, sperm counts have declined by nearly 50%, and male factor infertility now contributes to about half of all infertility cases. So let’s be clear: this is not just her journey. It's a team effort.

🕰 Why 3 Months Matters

For women, prepping the body for conception can take anywhere from 3–6 months depending on age, stress, hormones, and conditions like PCOS or endo.

For men? Just 3 months of intentional self-care can significantly improve sperm quality.

Why? Because sperm take 72–90 days to mature. That means the lifestyle choices you make today—what you eat, drink, smoke (or don't), and how you move—directly impact the sperm that will try to make a baby 3 months from now.

And hey, you wouldn’t build a house with damaged bricks, right? Sperm are those bricks. They matter just as much as the egg.

✅ Your 3-Month Fertility Prep Plan

This is the foundation I give to all my male patients before trying to conceive. Every body is different, so when I see patients in person, I create individualized acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas based on their unique pattern. But below are the non-negotiables I recommend to everyone:

🧪 1. Do a Sperm Analysis

Let’s start with a baseline. You can use a reputable at-home test like Bird&Be’s At-Home Sperm Test (not sponsored), or go through a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE)—which I usually recommend for accuracy.

You want to measure:

• Volume

• Count

• Total motility

• Progressive motility

• Morphology

We’ll compare your first test to a follow-up after 3 months of targeted care.

🍷 2. Limit Alcohol + Ditch the Substances

Max 1–2 drinks per week and no tobacco, weed, or recreational drugs during this prep window.

Yes, it's hard—but it’s temporary. Alcohol and substances:

• Increase oxidative stress & inflammation

• Damage sperm DNA

• Disrupt your HPG axis (the hormonal system that makes sperm)

Three months off could give you your best shot at a healthy pregnancy. Totally worth it.

🔥 3. Keep Things Cool

Sperm need to stay 3–7°F cooler than your core body temp—which is why testicles hang outside the body.

Avoid:

• Saunas, hot tubs, long-distance cycling, or endurance running

• Tight underwear or heated car seats

• Laptops on laps (they call it that for a reason…)

Heat can temporarily suppress sperm production, so skip the steam for now.

💉 4. If You're on Testosterone… Pause.

Testosterone therapy may seem helpful, but it often acts like male birth control—shutting down your sperm production by lowering LH and FSH (the sex hormones that tell your testes to do their job).

If you’re TTC, talk to a fertility-aware doctor about:

• Clomid (clomiphene citrate)

• hCG injections
  These support natural testosterone without blocking sperm production. And yes—sperm production can recover, but it may take several months.

🥗 5. Follow a Fertility-Friendly Diet

• 💧 Drink 2L water/day

• 🍠 Eat colorful veggies, leafy greens, omega-3-rich fish, lean protein

• 🚫 Avoid fried/processed foods and refined carbs

• ☕ Keep caffeine to 1–2 cups of coffee/day

For a deeper dive, check out my fertility diet post here.

🏃 6. Exercise in Moderation

Aim for 30–60 minutes/day, 4–6x/week. Focus on:

• Brisk walking

• Light jogs

• Swimming

• Strength training

Skip overtraining (no marathons right now). And if your BMI is over 30 or waist >40 inches, this can directly impact sperm quality—so gentle, consistent movement is key.

💊 7. Take Targeted Supplements

Supplements should support mitochondrial function and reduce oxidative stress.

Common recs (always check with your provider):

• CoQ10

• L-carnitine

• Zinc

• Omega-3s

• Glutathione

• NAD

• B12

• L-Arginine

A solid all-in-one? Bird&Be’s The Power for Males (again, not sponsored—just a good product).

Check with your acupuncturist or MD if you're on other meds like SSRIs or beta-blockers.

🪡 8. Weekly Acupuncture + Individualized Herbs

In Chinese medicine, we don’t just treat “low sperm count.” We treat you.

Acupuncture + herbs can:

• Improve blood flow to the testes

• Balance hormones

• Reduce stress + inflammation

• Support overall vitality

Each formula is personalized to treat your unique constitution and fertility pattern. The goal? Not just better numbers—but better health, better function, better outcomes.

Final Thought

If you’ve been thinking fertility is just her thing—this is your invitation to be all in.
Three months of showing up for your health could shape your future family.

And you’ve got this and reach out if you need support. 

(Note that is blog post was updated on 04.15.2025)