Starting a family is an exciting journey, and ensuring optimal health before conceiving is crucial. To enhance your fertility, consider conducting a lifestyle audit to identify habits that may affect your reproductive health. Both partners should aim for a healthy weight, as excessive or insufficient body weight can hinder natural conception and decrease the effectiveness of fertility treatments such as IVF or ICSI.
Genea, a leading global fertility center network, emphasizes that small lifestyle changes can significantly impact fertility. For instance, obesity in women often leads to anovulation, while in men, it can reduce sperm count by up to 50% and increase the likelihood of erectile dysfunction and sperm DNA fragmentation.
Nearly 90% of obese women can resume normal ovulation by losing just under 5% of their body weight. This demonstrates that even modest adjustments in your weight can enhance your reproductive health substantially.
Smoking adversely affects the health of human eggs and sperm. Quitting smoking is vital as it has long-lasting benefits, improving the quality of eggs and sperm and increasing the likelihood of conception and a healthy pregnancy.
While the impact of alcohol on fertility varies, reducing your intake to a few glasses per week is advisable. Similarly, limiting caffeine consumption to no more than two cups of coffee daily can positively affect fertility.
Folate is crucial for reducing the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida. Additionally, many women lack sufficient vitamin D and iodinekey nutrients in preconception care. Starting a regimen of prenatal vitamins three months before trying to conceive is recommended to ensure adequate nutrient levels.
While stress can influence ovulation, adopting stress-reduction techniques is beneficial. Normal exercise levels are encouraged, but excessive physical activity may disrupt hormone balance and fertility.
By addressing these key factors, couples can enhance their chances of starting a family with the support of fertility specialists and clinics like Genea (formerly Sydney IVF), renowned for expertise in fertility and reproductive health since 1986.
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