Your Lifestyle may be the cause of your infertility

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

There is an old saying that “Good practices reap good results and bad practices reap bad results”. Here in the process of your parenthood your lifestyle choices plays a pivotal role which decides your fertility levels. If you have opted whole life the good choices then results will be good and vice versa. Modern day habits like easy reach to junk food, no physical activity, and sedentary lifestyle can reduce your chances of conceiving children. This is especially true in this time and age, where couples prefer to have babies late (in their mid 30s). In such a scenario, lifestyle choices become even more important. 

Here in my post, let’s throw some light on the various factors that can negatively affect your fertility levels. 

First and foremost your Age: 

Age is one such issue which tops the list because you can’t do anything about it. There’s no medicine, no cure for old age and the disabilities that come with it. The only thing you can do is plan your future well and make the best of today. The ideal age for pregnancy is the mid-to-late 20s. If you want to wait, then you can push that limit to 35. After 35, the chances of a successful pregnancy starts declining. 

Smoking, a lifestyle choice: 

Smoking has been associated with infertility in both male and female partners. It’s also known to cause many other problems in women, such as increased rate of

miscarriage, reduced birth weights, and higher chances of a premature delivery. On the other hand smoking severely decreases the sperm quality in men. According to the American Society for reproductive medicine, smokers must often attempt twice as many IVF cycles as compare to a non-smoker in order to achieve pregnancy. 

Alcohol consumption: 

Alcohol is a serious damage to a healthy life. Certain drugs are known to cause severe birth defects, such as mental retardation, preterm delivery, and even stillbirth at times. 

Stress: 

Stress has become a over rated word today. In order to combat stress, ourbody produces many hormones that supercharge the brain in order to increase survival. But those hormones can often be counterproductive when trying to conceive. The   effect works backward as well — being unable to get pregnant when you want to can be a huge source of stress, anxiety, and depression. 

Fat or Over weight: 

Being Overweight can severely hamper your chances of a successful pregnancy. A good way to know if you are fit or not is to calculate your body-mass-index (BMI). You need to regulate your calorie and protein intake to reach the appropriate BMI. 

A Healthy body and healthy mind is the need of an hour in today’s lifestyle. You just cannot take it for granted. Try to stay away from stress and other bad habits stated above as much as possible. Have a balanced diet include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Ensure you get the vitamins and minerals necessary for your body. You should also drink enough water to keep you hydrated throughout the day. 

If you have any questions on how you can modify your lifestyle to boost your chances of conceiving a baby, do write back to me. 

Have a healthy and fit life.!

Related Articles: The Pioneer