Knowledge | Preparing for Pregnancy: Avoiding Alcohol and Changing Unhealthy Habits
When you decide to try for pregnancy, it is time to make healthy lifestyle changes. Experts suggest that the following changes may help improve your chances of conception.
“Stop drinking alcohol, or at least reduce it as much as possible, because alcohol use is associated with infertility and miscarriage,” says Dr. Randy S. Morris, medical director of IVF 1. This is especially important for women preparing for pregnancy.
Coffee drinkers may also need to make changes. “Caffeine is also associated with infertility and miscarriage, so this is the time to stop drinking coffee or minimize your intake,” Dr. Morris says.
A study published in the July issue of Human Reproduction found that smoking has a severe effect on pregnancy rates among women receiving fertility treatment. Smoking can reduce a woman’s reproductive potential to that of someone 10 years older. “A 29-year-old woman would have the pregnancy potential of a 39-year-old,” Dr. Morris explains.
Fertility declines with age. Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes interfere with estrogen production, which regulates ovulation, and make genetic abnormalities in eggs more likely. Although some damage is irreversible, quitting now can prevent further harm.
Dr. Morris also emphasizes avoiding herbal remedies and supplements. Some herbs, such as echinacea, a common immune-system supplement, may impair sperm penetration. “At the very least, they have not been studied, so avoiding them is the safest approach,” he says.
Knowledge | Preparing for Pregnancy: Avoiding Alcohol and Changing Unhealthy Habits
Knowledge | Preparing for Pregnancy: Avoiding Alcohol and Changing Unhealthy Habits
When you decide to try for pregnancy, it is time to make healthy lifestyle changes. Experts suggest that the following changes may help improve your chances of conception.
“Stop drinking alcohol, or at least reduce it as much as possible, because alcohol use is associated with infertility and miscarriage,” says Dr. Randy S. Morris, medical director of IVF 1. This is especially important for women preparing for pregnancy.
Coffee drinkers may also need to make changes. “Caffeine is also associated with infertility and miscarriage, so this is the time to stop drinking coffee or minimize your intake,” Dr. Morris says.
A study published in the July issue of Human Reproduction found that smoking has a severe effect on pregnancy rates among women receiving fertility treatment. Smoking can reduce a woman’s reproductive potential to that of someone 10 years older. “A 29-year-old woman would have the pregnancy potential of a 39-year-old,” Dr. Morris explains.
Fertility declines with age. Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes interfere with estrogen production, which regulates ovulation, and make genetic abnormalities in eggs more likely. Although some damage is irreversible, quitting now can prevent further harm.
Dr. Morris also emphasizes avoiding herbal remedies and supplements. Some herbs, such as echinacea, a common immune-system supplement, may impair sperm penetration. “At the very least, they have not been studied, so avoiding them is the safest approach,” he says.
Article source
Collected online