If you're trying to conceive this year, there may be a few
bad habits that you'll want to break. Making some positive changes can have a
huge impact for couples trying for a baby. These changes will not only improve your
health, but also give you a fertility boost.
Not sure where to start?
Sit down with your partner and go through the list below. Pick
a few and make the goal to improve together. Teaming up for accountability will
increase your ability to stick to your goal.
Remember, it is better to succeed at two than to take on
five and become overwhelmed. Pace yourself for positive, lasting change.
1.
Stressing
About Timing
Temperature charts and home ovulation kits
add nothing if you are having intercourse two to four times per week. If you
have regular periods, your fertile zone is Days 12-16. If your cycles are
irregular, see a reproductive endocrinologist and relieve yourself of the
stress and confusion that comes with home testing.
2.
Ignoring
your BMI Number
Body Mass Index is a number that is
calculated using a person’s height and weight, and is used as an indicator of
obesity and weight issues. Extra weight causes hormonal shifts that can affect
ovulation and semen production, and can also make achieving a pregnancy more
difficult. Conversely, being underweight can cause irregular or absent periods.
The ideal Body Mass Index (BMI) falls in the 20-25 range. The CDC provides a BMI calculator
to help assess your BMI number. The positive news: losing as little as 5-10
percent of body weight can significantly improve fertility potential in
overweight patients. Also, being a little overweight is better than being
underweight.
3.
Eating
Junk Food
If you’re putting junk in your body, you
aren’t getting the nutrition you need. Limit or cut out processed foods,
sweets, and saturated fats. Make meals that include fruits, vegetables, and
lean proteins, and don’t overdo carbohydrates. Too many carbohydrates can lead
to the production of ovarian hormones, which can interfere with ovulation and
cause harm to women with PCOS. At the same time, don’t punish yourself if you
have a craving. A little bit of fun food never hurts, and may relieve the urge
to feast on guilty pleasures.
4.
Avoiding
a Doctor Appointment
If you’ve been trying for a year
and you’re under 35, or if you’ve been trying for six months and you’re over 35
and have not yet achieved a pregnancy, it’s time to talk to a specialist.
Knowledge is power, and there may be simple changes you can make to help
achieve conception. A consultation and basic fertility evaluation is an
affordable way to get a snapshot of fertility potential. We do a Fertility
Awareness Checkup for couples for the cost of a nice dinner for two. If you
are under 35, having basic testing done which returns normal results may allow
for a few more cycles of trying without pursuing treatment.
5.
Lighting
Up That Cigarette
We all know
smoking is unhealthy, but there are numbers to prove it. A report by the
British Medical Association showed that smokers may have up to a 10-40% lower
monthly fecundity (fertility) rate. The American Society for Reproductive
Medicine has estimated that up to 13% of infertility may be caused by tobacco
use. Smoking as few as five cigarettes per day has been associated with lower
fertility rates in males and females. Smoking, whether tobacco or marijuana, is
also associated with miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, pregnancy complications
and stillborn births - even if it's the male partner doing the smoking.
6.
Going
Big at Starbucks
Even though up to two cups of
coffee have been shown to be safe in pregnancy, exceeding that when trying to
conceive may be counterproductive. One study showed that “women who consumed
more than the equivalent of one cup of coffee per day were half as likely to
become pregnant, per cycle, as women who drank less.” Better to use
decaffeinated or half-caffeinated coffee, and remember there is caffeine in
tea, cola and chocolate.
7.
Using
Water-Based Lubricant
If you’re trying to conceive,
water-based lubricant may be working against your efforts. Water-based
lubricants such as Astroglide and KY Jelly may inhibit sperm movement by 60-100
percent within 60 minutes of intercourse. The swimmers can’t win the race and
reach the prize if they can’t move. Opt for natural oils, oil-based lubricants
or even cooking oil, but be sure to keep any potential allergies in mind. If
you’re allergic to peanuts, then peanut oil may not be for you. Pre-Seed lubricant
is a commercial product that may even enhance motility (movement) of sperm.
8.
“Catching
Up” On Sleep
If you aren’t getting the sleep you need
per night, no amount of “catch up” can make up for lost rest. Research shows
that the hormone leptin, which has a critical role in female fertility, is
reduced when the body is deprived of sleep. Rest for at least seven hours per
night, and be aware of your body’s needs.
9.
Not
Seeking Support
A study concluded that women with
infertility felt as anxious and depressed as those diagnosed with cancer,
hypertension, or recovering from a heart attack. If you’re concerned about your
fertility, don’t walk the path alone. Talk to your partner, see a counselor
(with your partner or alone), and find a support group or forum where you can
speak with others who can relate. One in six couples experiences difficulty
when trying to conceive – the odds are that someone you know is feeling the
same way you are. We have an abundance of classes,
seminars and materials
to support patients, as well as two fertility counselors.
10.
“Saving Up” for Ovulation
There is no need to “save up” sperm for sex
during ovulation, or have intercourse multiple times per day leading up to
ovulation. Don't let trying to conceive interfere with a pleasurable sex life.
Aim to have sex two to four times per week when it feels right.
Dr. Marut is lifetime board certified in Obstetrics and
Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI), and has
been practicing medicine since 1981. He has served as the Highland Park IVF
Medical Director at FCI since 1991 and now is the Medical Director of the
Chicago River North IVF Center. Upon completion of his medical degree from the
Yale University School of Medicine, Dr. Marut completed his residency in
Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco and
received a lifetime board certification in ObGyn. Dr. Marut was awarded the
National Fellowship in Reproductive Medicine, and received a lifetime Board
Certification in Reproductive Endocrinology after completing his fellowship at
the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Marut has served in an
IVF Medical Director position since 1983. Aside from leading FCI’s Highland
Park and River north IVF centers, he served as a Medical Director at Michael
Reese Hospital for the IVF Program, the Center for Assisted Reproductive
Technology, and Family Planning Program. He has served as medical faculty at
the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois, Chicago.