Lifestyle & Infertility

Overview

You may be surprised to learn that your diet, lifestyle, and environment all have a profound bearing on your individual reproductive health. There are a number of things that you can do to maximize your chances of conception and encourage a healthy pregnancy.

PCOD

PCOD is the most common cause of female infertility. It is associated with insulin resistance and obesity, and it causes a hormone imbalance that affects ovulation.

This is where diet and exercise matter most. A healthy diet — low in carbohydrate and high in protein — together with regular exercise is the first thing to get right, and for many women it is what restores ovulation.

In women

Excess physical or emotional stress, a very high or very low body weight, or a recent substantial weight gain or loss can disrupt the hormone pattern that triggers ovulation each month. The main sign of this is irregular or absent periods.

In men

• Weight. Obesity can cause hormone changes that reduce male fertility.

• Alcohol. Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production.

• Tobacco. Men who smoke may have a lower sperm count than do those who don’t smoke. Secondhand smoke also may affect male fertility.

• Stress. Stress can interfere with certain hormones needed to produce sperm, and severe or prolonged emotional stress can affect sperm count.

• Heat. Frequent use of saunas or hot tubs, sitting for long periods, wearing tight clothing or working on a laptop computer for long stretches may increase the temperature in the scrotum and slightly reduce sperm production.

• Drugs. Anabolic steroids can cause the testicles to shrink and sperm production to decrease. Use of cocaine or marijuana may temporarily reduce the number and quality of sperm.