Exercise
Exercise should be encouraged for both women and men who are gearing up to try to conceive. However, excessive, strenuous exercise in women may result in disruption of the ovulation cycle, thereby affecting her periods. Normal exercise has not been linked to miscarriages (loss of pregnancy), but certain forms of exercise (for example, high-impact or contact sports or scuba diving) should be avoided in pregnancy. In men, too much exercise may cause a low sperm count.
Weight and Fertility
A healthy diet is very important for women who are trying for a baby. Being overweight can affect a woman's fertility and can cause complications during pregnancy. A woman who is overweight and who is planning a pregnancy would be advised to lose weight before she conceives.
Weight loss with anorexia or bulimia can disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle and thereby reduce her chances of becoming pregnant.
Age and Fertility
A woman's peak fertility is in her early 20s. At age 35 and beyond (and particularly after 40), the likelihood of becoming pregnant reduces. As men age, levels of testosterone fall, and the volume and concentration of sperm change.
Healthy couples younger than 30 years who have regular sexual intercourse and use no contraception have a 25% to 30% chance of achieving pregnancy each month.
To decrease your risk of fertility problems and increase your chances of becoming pregnant, use the following guidelines.
Track ovulation at home
Estimate when you are ovulating by practicing fertility awareness. This means:
Exercise should be encouraged for both women and men who are gearing up to try to conceive. However, excessive, strenuous exercise in women may result in disruption of the ovulation cycle, thereby affecting her periods. Normal exercise has not been linked to miscarriages (loss of pregnancy), but certain forms of exercise (for example, high-impact or contact sports or scuba diving) should be avoided in pregnancy. In men, too much exercise may cause a low sperm count.
Weight and Fertility
A healthy diet is very important for women who are trying for a baby. Being overweight can affect a woman's fertility and can cause complications during pregnancy. A woman who is overweight and who is planning a pregnancy would be advised to lose weight before she conceives.
Weight loss with anorexia or bulimia can disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle and thereby reduce her chances of becoming pregnant.
Age and Fertility
A woman's peak fertility is in her early 20s. At age 35 and beyond (and particularly after 40), the likelihood of becoming pregnant reduces. As men age, levels of testosterone fall, and the volume and concentration of sperm change.
Healthy couples younger than 30 years who have regular sexual intercourse and use no contraception have a 25% to 30% chance of achieving pregnancy each month.
To decrease your risk of fertility problems and increase your chances of becoming pregnant, use the following guidelines.
Track ovulation at home
Estimate when you are ovulating by practicing fertility awareness. This means:
- Tracking your cervical mucus changes.
- Tracking your basal body temperature on a monthly Fahrenheit temperature chart or Celsius temperature chart.
- Tracking your luteinizing hormone (LH) levels with a home ovulation predictor test. Many doctors now recommend these home tests as the best way to track ovulation at home.
- Try this interactive tool to calculate your peak fertility calculator.gif.
- Try having sex every day or every other day during a woman's fertile period. This can improve the chance of pregnancy.
- If you exercise strenuously most days of the week, reduce your level of activity. Very strenuous exercise can cause women to ovulate less often.
Protect sperm count and quality
- If you use a vaginal lubricant during sex, select one that doesn't kill or damage sperm.
- If you exercise strenuously most days of the week, reduce your level of activity. Very strenuous exercise may be a cause of lower sperm counts in some men.
- Avoid hot tubs and saunas. High scrotal temperatures may decrease sperm count and quality.3
- Try to control fever when you are ill. High fever has been known to have a harmful effect on sperm for 2 to 3 months afterward. (Sperm take this long to grow from germ cells to mature sperm.)
General measures
Women who are trying to get pregnant should avoid using alcohol and medicines, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin.
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