Can I smoke while trying for a baby?

By Dr. Shweta Goswami

We make many lifestyle changes while trying to have a baby like by limiting the coffee or alcohol intake But not all changes are equally easy to make. Caffeine, for example, is addictive, it has nicotine. If you are a smoker, you probably already know that you should stop smoking during your pregnancy, but can you smoke while trying to conceive? Many surveys and researches have been conducted in the past which says that women who smoke are 60 percent more likely to ne infertile as compare to nonsmokers.

Cigarettes smoking affects your fertility in major way. Following are the ill effects of smoking:

• smoking may affect different stages of reproduction, including hormone production and embryo transport
• smoking may affect ovarian reserve and the quality and quantity of the eggs.
• smokers may also have a lower

5 things that can affect your fertility

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

Many a times we didn’t realize that there are very basic things that causes hindrance in getting pregnant. Let’s get to know what are all these factors that can affect one’s fertility 

1.     Being obese   

Women who are overweight or obese have less chance overall of getting pregnant than women of a healthy weight (with ‘healthy’ defined as having a body mass index – or BMI – of between 20 and 25). Overweight and obese women are also more likely to take longer than a year to conceive. Being obese (BMI of more than 30) can cause pregnancy and birth complications, such as hypertension and pre-eclampsia. 

Overweight and obese men have worse sperm quality than men of healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can also cause hormonal changes that reduce fertility and make men less interested in sex. Men who are very overweight are also more likely to have problems getting an erection. 

Being overweight or obese in pregnancy also has implications for your baby’s health later on, as children born to overweight or obese mothers are more likely to become obese children and adults – with associated health problems (including fertility issues). 

The good news is that if you’re overweight or obese and planning to try for a baby, losing even a few kilos can increase your chances of getting pregnant. 

2.     Drinking too much caffeine  

Although there is not absolute evidence to suggest caffeine having a negative effect on your fertility, studies are constantly indicating that it can disrupt ovulation and hormone levels, as well as the efficiency of the fallopian tubes. 

3.     Alcohol and Smoking  

Everybody knows that smoking and drink alcohol are big NOs when pregnant but did you also know that excessive alcohol consumption over long periods of time and constant inhalation of cigarette fumes can affect your future fertility; Smoking can affect your hormone production and the environment in the uterus. It can also

5 Tips to combat male infertility

By Dr. Shweta Goswami

By this time we all know that infertility is not only a women problem; men too are equally responsible for being infertile. 4 in 10 men usually have impaired fertility and 40% of all conception problems are down to defective sperm. I have listed out 5 simple measures that can give your sperm a boost: 

1. Keeping your testicles cool: 

It is very important to keep your testicles temperature cool for making the best sperm production. Do not wear too tight pants or underwear and stop placing your laptops on your lap as they can increase scrotal temperature by almost 3 degrees in just 15 minutes.  Place it on a desk instead, or position it on the sofa next to you. 

2.  Omit stress from your life: 

Stress today is very common but it interferes with the sperm-producing hormones. If possible stay away from stress as much as possible.  Practice relaxation techniques and spending time doing the activities which can help you to cope up with stress. 

3. Cut down smoking and limit alcohol consumption: 

Male smokers are 30% more likely to struggle making their wives pregnant. The harmful products of tobacco smoking can kill sperm cells. On the other hand alcohol consumption can reduce libido and affect sperm quality. 

4.  Have sex frequently: 

A young healthy couple only has a 20 – 25% chance of falling pregnant from one sexual encounter. So, the more you do it, the better your chances are. Daily ejaculation also improves the quality of sperm. 

5. Taking supplements and vitamins improves fertility: 

Taking sufficient amount of supplements helps in improving fertility among men. For instance Zinc which is vital to sperm production. Consuming just 15mg per day has been scientifically proven to increase fertility. Sources of zinc are lamb, whole grains, nuts, seafood, peanuts and pumpkin seeds. Also, try to meet your daily allowance of Vitamin C and

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

How old is too old to have a baby.?

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

We all witnessed the recent news of an Indian couple where the woman of 72 years of age and her husband 79 years of age gave birth to a baby boy but at the same time we know that age factor is directly associated with decreasing fertility in women; their eggs grow old. But age does affect the fertility level in men too. 

Yes, you heard it right. Age is not a difficulty in women but after the age of 30, there is a drop in testosterone of 1% per year in men too. Testosterone is the energy, the hormone that you need to make good-quality sperm. It’s not just women who have to worry about their ticking reproductive clock. Men's sperm quality seems to decline after the age of 35. The older a man is the more his sperm cells are dived, and the more divisions present, the more there is a chance for an abnormality to occur. 

In males, sperm motility changed with age. Sperm motility is how well the sperm swim. Sperm motility is usually the best before age 25 and lowest after age 55. In fact, when comparing the number of “good swimming” sperm in men between the ages 30 to 35 with men over age 55, sperm motility decreased by 54 percent. 

In fact many studies have claimed that pregnancy rates decrease between 23% to 38% in comparisons between men under 30 and men over 50. Increased paternal age

Trying to conceive then quit smoking

By Dr. Shweta Goswami

If you are a chain smoker and trying to get pregnant then please stop smoking as cigarette smoking is harmful to the ovaries, and the degree of damage is dependent upon the amount and length of the time a woman smokes or is exposed to a smoked environment. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes interfere with the body’s ability to create estrogen, a hormone that regulates folliculogenesis and ovulation. Female smokers also have decreased rates of fertility and decreased fallopian tube function. It not only can lead to all kinds of serious problems with the baby but also reduces the chances of IVF producing a live birth by 34% and increases the risk of an IVF pregnancy miscarrying by 30%. A pregnant woman who smokes also adds a risk to pregnancy. 

If you smoke for many years or smoke many cigarettes per day, your risk for fertility problems is increased. When you smoke, more than 7000 chemicals spread throughout your entire body and all of your organs. This can lead to serious fertility problems like blocked fallopian tubes, damage to your reproductive organs, premature menopause, genetic issues etc.  Ovarian aging is thought to be a major contributor to unexplained infertility. 

Not only that but due to the toxins that released from cigarettes; smokers are more likely to suffer from miscarriage than nonsmokers. In addition, smoking increases

Stress declining fertility level among males

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

Stress is the most over used term these days and there are numerous problems that stress causes like asthma, heart problems, constant headaches, obesity, depression and many more. Infertility is said to occur when a couple fails to conceive despite of one year of trying without any protection. Many researches in the past have shown the results that stress is the main factor that causes infertility in men.   

One of the very popular myth is that infertility is always a woman’s problem. In fact out of 100% nearly 30% of all infertility cases, the cause is attributed to a problem in the male, 30% of cases, the cause is attributed in female and 40% to both combined male and female factors . 

The main cause of male infertility is the abnormalities in sperm which includes low sperm production or immobile sperm. In addition to this one’s lifestyle plays a pivotal role in fertility levels. In today’s time stress is inevitably creeping into our lives and increasing cases of infertility globally. This has been scientifically established by comparing fertility levels of men in the older times compared to the present scenario with a definite increase in stress levels also on comparison.

Men with hectic jobs are at the highest risk of infertility especially those who works in night shifts are affected more as compared to men working in morning shifts as their biological clock is very badly disturbed. They sleep during the day and to keep themselves awake, they often smoke, which damages the system further. The stress at work place and sitting for long