| One of the most common questions I see asked | | | | ends one day after.* Exercise regularly. |
| is, "How can I get pregnant?" Infertility | | | | Exercise three or four days a week for at |
| affects ten percent of the reproductive | | | | least 20 minutes per day. If you have not |
| population in the United States according to | | | | exercised in the past, then walking is a |
| the American Society for Reproductive | | | | great way to get your exercise. If you have |
| Medicine. Many couples can overcome the | | | | access to a place to swim, it is great |
| challenge of trying to conceive through | | | | exercise that is easy to get into. Remember |
| lifestyle changes.Infertility affects both | | | | for men that you should not over-exercise, |
| men and women. In approximately 40% of | | | | which can create too much heat.* Avoid toxins |
| couples, male infertility contributes to or | | | | such as alcohol, tobacco, and recreational |
| is the sole cause of their infertility. | | | | drugs such as marijuana and cocaine. Do not |
| Lifestyle changes can have a dramatic impact | | | | take any medications not approved by the |
| on fertility. These tips will help both women | | | | ObGyn or your family doctor. Men and women |
| and men increase their chances of getting | | | | both need to make sure their doctor is aware |
| pregnant.For women...* Use an ovulation | | | | they are trying to conceive when they are |
| prediction kit. This will let you know 24-48 | | | | prescribing medications.* Do not smoke. This |
| hours before you ovulate so you can time your | | | | is worth repeating. Smoking can have a |
| trying to conceive appropriately. When the | | | | profoundly negative affect on your fertility. |
| test shows positive, you and your partner | | | | Smoking is also detrimental to the health of |
| should have sex that day and the day after.* | | | | both you and your baby. If you are a smoker, |
| Chart your basal body temperature. This | | | | stop smoking now.* Eat healthy. Eat whole, |
| provides you with a record of what is going | | | | natural foods. For instance, eat an orange |
| on with your cycle. Not only will you be able | | | | instead of drinking orange juice. Avoid |
| to tell the day you ovulated, but charting | | | | processed foods. This means for the most part |
| your BBT can also identify potential problems | | | | sticking to the outside aisles at the grocery |
| such as low progesterone and luteal phase | | | | store where the whole foods are and staying |
| defects. You can download a free BBT chart | | | | away from the packaged foods on the inside. |
| from my website in either Celsius and | | | | For bread, check the label. If it says |
| Fahrenheit format. BBT Monthly Cycle Charts* | | | | enriched, then it is processed. Look for |
| Take prenatal vitamins. This is essential for | | | | unprocessed whole grain breads. For oats, eat |
| both your health and your baby's health. | | | | steel cut oats rather than instant.* Get to a |
| Taking folate at least one month before | | | | healthy weight. Thin men may have a low sperm |
| conception can decrease your baby's chances | | | | count, while obese men may have their |
| of having neural tube defects by 70%. The | | | | hormones out of whack - too much estrogen and |
| daily intake of vitamin C can help you grow a | | | | not enough testosterone. Thin women do not |
| strong placenta that will last through a full | | | | have enough estrogen and may not ovulate, |
| term pregnancy.For men...* Limit or eliminate | | | | while obese women have too much estrogen to |
| caffeine intake. Drink no more than one or | | | | get pregnant.* Be sure and get plenty of |
| two cups of coffee a day. Eliminate caffeine | | | | anti-oxidants in your diet. This includes |
| entirely if possible. Drinking an entire | | | | drinking tea, eating fruit snacks like |
| coffee pot full can be detrimental to your | | | | blueberries, cherries, black plums, prunes, |
| fertility.* Keep cool and avoid excessive | | | | and apples, and eating vegetables such as |
| heat to your scrotum. Wear boxers instead of | | | | dark green leafy (kale, spinach, romaine |
| briefs, stay away from saunas and hot tubs, | | | | lettuce, etc.), tomatoes, peppers and |
| take cool showers, and avoid bike riding or | | | | parsley.* Drink water and lots of it. A man |
| over exercising.* Take vitamins. At minimum, | | | | should drink half his weight in ounces of |
| take a good daily multivitamin. Some | | | | water per day. If he weighs 200 pounds, he |
| important vitamins for sperm health are B12, | | | | should drink 100 ounces of water. A woman |
| C (500 mg daily), E (400 IUS daily), | | | | should drink a minimum of 100 ounces of water |
| Arginine, L-Carnitine, Zinc (20 mg daily), | | | | per day.* Avoid stress. This can be hard to |
| Selenium (200 mcgs daily), and Coenzyme Q10. | | | | do, especially during the two week wait, but |
| Folic acid is also recommended for men (400 | | | | it is essential for your reproductive health. |
| mcgs daily). Get approval from your family | | | | Relax and enjoy this time with each other.* |
| doctor before taking any vitamins.* Abstain | | | | Avoid toxins. Do not take any medications |
| from sex for short periods. Abstaining can | | | | unless approved by your ObGyn and your family |
| increase the volume and potency of sperm, but | | | | doctor. Stay away from alcohol, tobacco, and |
| abstaining for too long can leave too many | | | | recreation drugs such as marijuana and |
| older less motile sperm. Do not abstain for | | | | cocaine.* Avoid environmental hazards such as |
| more than 3 to 6 six days.* Be careful with | | | | pesticides, lead, heavy metals, and |
| medications. Some medications are known to | | | | radiation.Following these lifestyle change |
| cause fertility issues. Medications to avoid | | | | tips can help many couples improve their |
| include anabolic steroids, some antibiotics | | | | chances of getting pregnant. Some changes |
| (nitrofurans and macrolides), sulfasalazine | | | | will provide almost immediate improvement, |
| (anti-diarrheal), and ketoconazole | | | | and some take longer. Keep in mind that it |
| (anti-fungal).For both of you... * Have sex | | | | takes three months for a man to grow sperm, |
| every other day throughout your fertile | | | | so if things like smoking or excessive heat |
| period. While having sex at the right time is | | | | have hurt or killed his sperm, it can take |
| one of the most important things you can do, | | | | that long for the lifestyle changes to take |
| some couples overlook this. A woman's egg is | | | | affect.Visit the Baby Talk Zone forum for |
| viable for just under 24 hours. Most sperm | | | | more tips and friendly support of those |
| live 2-3 days, with some living up to five | | | | pregnant, trying to conceive, adopting, and |
| days. This means your fertile period begins | | | | bringing up baby. |
| approximately five days before ovulation and | | | | |