When dealing with infertility, there are things about your body that you can't control. By taking charge of your lifestyle, both you and your partner may increase your chances of conception. Research has proven that both men and women can maximize their fertility by maintaining a healthy lifestyle - when your body is at its peak, so is your fertility. Here are some guidelines that can help both you and your partner increase fertility:
Maintain a normal body weight
Maintain a healthy BMI. A body mass index between 18 and 29 along with a healthy lifestyle helps reduce the risk of illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. A BMI >35 may make IVF treatment and the administration of anesthesia unsuitable for you.
Follow Nutrition Basics
Nutrition Basics to help you to eat a well-balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight. Not only can being overweight affect fertility, being underweight can too.
Exercise moderately
Exercise that is too strenuous can lower sperm count in men and may cause women to stop ovulating. Moderate exercise, however, can be beneficial to maintaining normal body weight and reducing stress.
Take vitamins
Take a multivitamin with:
Calcium, 400mg
Vitamin D, 800IU
Folic Acid, 400mcg
Review natural supplement usage
Many people assume that because herbs are natural they are beneficial. That's not always the case when it comes to fertility - many natural supplements may have adverse effects on both men and women's reproductive systems. Review any herbs or Chinese teas that you may be taking with your fertility specialist.
Don't smoke
Women who smoke go through menopause earlier, have higher rates of infertility AND miscarriage. Smoking also adversely affects pregnancy. Smoking cessation should be a priority for all women trying to conceive. Men who smoke or chew tobacco have decreased semen quality, and living with a smoker makes it much harder to quit.
Limit or eliminate alcohol
It is not clear what effect alcohol has on female fertility. At least one study of infertile patients undergoing IVF cycles showed a negative correlation between the amount of alcohol reportedly consumed and the pregnancy rates in IVF. Other studies conflict as to the effect of drinking on fertility when treatment is not involved. It seems prudent to recommend that alcohol consumption should be confined to no more than 1 or 2 drinks per day.
Alcohol may reduce sperm counts, especially when consumption is consistently in excess of 2 drinks per day, or in the case of binge drinking.
Of course, there is no safe limit of alcohol that can be recommended DURING pregnancy.
Caffeine
Recent studies suggest that daily caffeine intake (more than 200mg) before or during pregnancy may increase the chance of miscarriage. High levels of caffeine consumption (more than 500mg) may also be associated with decreased fertility. An 8 oz cup of brewed or drip coffee contains between 100 and 150 mg of caffeine.
Be aware of prescription drugs
Both men and women should consult their physician regarding effects of their prescription medications on fertility.
Don't use recreational drugs
All street drugs are detrimental to fertility. Marijuana can remain in the testes for more than two weeks and cocaine effects can be seen for two years, which may affect offspring.
Workplace Exposures
Solvents, dry cleaning chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and lead may all be associated with reduced fertility potential in men and women, when the exposure is very frequent.
Sexual Relations
How Often? More is better; in fact every day is OK. Prolonged abstinence may adversely affect semen quality (greater than one week without ejaculation).
When? If your periods are regular, the best time to begin having intercourse during the menstrual cycle is just after bleeding stops. Regular intercourse (daily or every few days) until the third week of the menstrual cycle results in the highest rates of conception. Ovulation predictor kits are quite accurate in women with regular cycles and may be beneficial in couples who have intercourse less frequently. When using these urine tests, the best 2 days to have intercourse are the day the kit is positive and the next day. Trying to “save up” sperm by abstaining from intercourse DOES NOT help, and in fact may result in an adverse effect on semen quality.
Vaginal lubricants? Most commercially available lubricants can inhibit sperm motility. Saliva can inhibit sperm motility also. Canola oil, mineral oil, or lubricants that contain hydroxyethylcellulose (Pre-Seed) and don’t inhibit sperm motility, would be best if a vaginal lubricant is needed.
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