Top ways to boost your body’s ability to conceive
You think getting pregnant will be easy. You have sex, you get pregnant, right? But in reality, life doesn’t always work that way. If you’re trying to conceive, these simple health changes can help boost your chances of conception.
If you’re a woman trying to get pregnant, consider:
Managing Your Weight
Being underweight or overweight can delay your ability to conceive. Talk to your doctor about what is a healthy weight for you and how best to achieve it. Use these summertime healthy habits to get started.
Watching What You Drink
Drinking too much coffee (or other caffeinated beverages) or too much alcohol can impair your fertility. If you drink coffee or soda, monitor your intake to make sure you stay under 200 to 250 milligrams of caffeine a day.
Studies on alcohol intake and women’s fertility have produced mixed findings. But Swedish researchers have found that women who drank two alcoholic beverages a day decreased their fertility by nearly 60%. Once again, moderation is key.
Eating Better
To make sure your body has enough of the vitamins and minerals it needs in order to conceive, eat a wide range of fruit and vegetables, eat more nuts, seeds and oily fish, and eat less meat.
If you and your partner are working together to increase your chances of getting pregnant, here are some tips just for him, and a few for both of you!
Protect Those Sperm
Okay, the idea that switching to boxers instead of briefs will boost fertility by keeping genital temperatures down is basically an old wives’ tale. But men should still avoid hot tubs or taking regular hot baths. And a man who wants to be a father probably shouldn’t keep his laptop on his lap for extended periods of time.
Stop Smoking
Smoking cigarettes can impair both men’s and women’s fertility. Smoking can reduce sperm production and damage DNA, and it affects how receptive the uterus is to the egg. And in men, smoking can reduce sperm production and damage DNA. (Follow these ideas to quit smoking.)
Experts also strongly suggest…
Timing Intercourse Wisely
Take advantage of what doctors call the “fertile window,” the six days that end on the day of ovulation. Pregnancy is most likely to occur with intercourse within the three days before ovulation.
Avoiding Pesticides and Other Harmful Chemicals
Exposures to pesticide, especially agricultural pesticides, may harm both men and women’s fertility. So will exposure to some solvents and toxins, such as those used in printing businesses and dry cleaning establishments.
Any more questions? If you’d like to talk to a doctor about your ability to conceive or how you can increase your chances of conception, make an appointment Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello today.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net.