Facts about lifestyle factors and fertility

Many of us don’t always think about how the things that we consume can affect our bodies. This is especially so when it comes to lifestyle factors and fertility.

Exploring lifestyle factors and fertility

Certain lifestyle factors such as smoking cigarettes can have a profound negative impact on egg quantity and quality. It can also increase the risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancies.  Studies have shown that women who smoke have a lower chance of conception with IVF than women who don’t. Same goes for the men, heavy smokers can have increased DNA fragmentation in sperm. This can have a negative impact on the vitality of the sperm. Marijuana use also has a negative impact on reproductive health. With respect to alcohol consumption, we usually recommend limiting to less than 5 drinks a week. This is especially true for the female partner. A recent study in Fertility and Sterility showed a negative impact of consuming over 4 alcoholic drinks per week on IVF success rates.

Other factors to consider when trying to conceive

Unfortunately, many other things can affect fertility such as high transfat consumption as is present in fast food and excessively high carb consumption in certain groups of women can be harmful. For people having issues with fertility, it would be advisable to keep your diet as healthy and natural as possible and avoid completely things like cigarettes and alcohol. In Austin we are lucky to that there are so many great places to get farm fresh produce and restaurants using natural ingredients, that at least it can be easier to avoid the bad for you processed stuff and fast food. Be good to your body!

Contact us to learn more about lifestyle factors and fertility. Our doctors can explain more about how you can conceive and find pregnancy success.