The capability of a human to conceive a child is their fertility. It varies from person to person. Someone maybe is fertile enough due to hereditary reasons whereas some couples take time to conceive naturally. Despite natural reasons and factors, we can also contribute our bit to fertility. It is affected by our daily habits and way of living.
Here are some things we can do and things we can avoid:
The Do's
- Maintain our weight
According to a survey, 30% of infertility has been reported due to excess weight gain. Infertility rates are 3 times higher in obese women. The key to well being is a normal body weight. An increase in body weight is the number one cause of almost all the ailments these days. Most of the time, it results in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in women and extra muscle growth in men which causes infertility. So, think twice before eating that extra piece of cake!
- What are we eating? Think about it.
We already know, our eating behavior plays a big role in our physiological processes. The present-day scenario is such that there are more people on the junk stall and literally few in the juice corner. The body acts according to the food we consume. It has a major part to play in improving our fertility. Let us look at the foods beneficial for a fertile male or female.
- Fruits and green vegetables (high-fiber) in our diet is never a bad idea
- Vegetarian proteins like cereals, pulses, etc
- Coconut water
- Antioxidants like folic acid and zinc
- Foods are rich in iron like apple, carrot.
- Vitamin C to keep your immunity boosted.
- High-fat dairy products are seen suitable for your fertility
- Learn how to deal with that stress
Any kind of physical, psychological, social stress affects the normal working of the human body. It makes the functioning of body processes difficult. It reduces the sperm and egg count in males and female respectively. We should learn the various stress management techniques like meditation, yoga or even therapy for worse cases. It will cut off almost 70% of the issues & help you to increase fertility.
- Working out to enhance fertility
It is very necessary to understand the importance of working out every day. It not only gives you a better physical appearance, but it uplifts your internal strength and blood circulation. Our body fluids work in a synchronized manner with regular exercise. It is a good way to avoid weight gain and eventually increase fertility.
- The practice of protected intercourse
Unprotected intercourse and having multiple partners can cause Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) like gonorrhea and syphilis, which can cause infertility in males and females. Rightful education about the methods of preventing STDs and related diseases should be a part of every organization. The more we talk, the better we understand. There are several modes of control and measures for practicing safe intercourse like barrier methods and contraceptives at the right time.
- A good night's sleep
The quality of our sleep is directly related to our physical, emotional and mental health and hormone production. Asleep of at least 6-7 hours at night is necessary for every individual. With the night shifts and workload these days, it is difficult for some people to manage the sleep cycle. It affects many factors of our well-being and one of them is fertility. Sleeping well can cure many ailments. Couples who are planning to conceive a child in the near future should pay more attention to self-care.
- Wear clothes accordingly
Our fertility depends a lot on the type of clothes we were. Wearing loose-fitting clothes as much as possible enhances our fertility. The texture and material of our clothing especially the bottom wear also play a role in this.
The Don'ts
- Keep away from that extra cappuccino habit
A little amount of coffee does no harm to your fertility but a lot of coffee can reduce the count of your sperm and egg. Do not exceed the limit of caffeine intake more than a certain level. Drinking 1-2 cups of coffee is ideally suitable.
- Avoid hard-drinking as much as possible
Too much alcohol puts a hard time on you in terms of conceiving. It causes several ovulation disorders in women, decreases the quality of sperm production in males, and promotes impotence. In addition to this, unprotected intercourse could also be a result of heavy drinking as the person loses consciousness. Restraining ourselves from regular alcohol consumption and drinking to a limit is encouraged.
- Smoking: A complete no
We all know the worse impacts of smoking. It does no good to our physical being. Smoking decreases the ability of a man or woman to produce enough sperms and eggs and makes them infertile. It is a cause of many dangerous diseases and harms our bodies in every way. There are control methods for smokers now. The nicotine patch, addiction therapies, etc. Stop Smoking Today!
- Stay back from illegitimate drug use
If you are into steroids or herbal drugs like marijuana, then this is for your information that you might be at risk of infertility. The drugs directly affect your internal genital health. It could make you impotent. Use all the help provided to stop yourself from falling into drugs and boost your fertility.
- Avoid screens all the time
In this digital world, that would be a tough thing to do. The use of mobiles, laptops, tablets literally whole day is a habit more than necessity. The constant exposure to the radiations hampers our fertility as it affects the normal production of hormones. We must not make use of them whenever possible.
- Being a night owl is not cool
Staying up all night is associated with not sleeping well, using cell phones and too much coffee. It eventually affects our fertility. Staying away from these habits can boost up fertility. People who plan to conceive in the coming years should avoid night duties and adhere to the above-stated steps.
- Chemicals and environmental toxins
Certain chemicals are injurious to your health including fertility. Constant exposure to heavy metals like lead and others like benzene, herbicides etc exert influence on the factors like pregnancy, hormone production. It diminishes our ability to conceive. Keeping the surrounding devoid of harmful chemicals prevents us from infertility.
These are some simple steps we can adapt and head towards a healthy and happy future. If you are planning a kid any soon, this is an ideal time for you to modify your habits.
Still struggling with conceiving despite the lifestyle modifications, this might be the right time for you to call the doctor.
