Ways To Increase Fertility – In Men As Well As Women

When you look at the factors that need to be in place to ensure a successful pregnancy, it's a wonder that humans are able to reproduce at all! Both male and female fertility rely on a delicate balance of hormones which can be influenced by environmental factors ranging from the food you eat to toxins in the environment, stress and other emotional factors, illnesses, physical activities and even the outdoor temperature.

One of the key things that women can do to increase fertility is to be aware of your usual cycle and how external factors can influence this.

For men, an understanding of their own fertility cycle and the steps to better sperm health is also a critical component of increasing fertility.

The 3 month lag in increasing male fertility

• Sperm take around 3 months to develop in the testis before travelling through the tube of the epididymis where they mature over 2 to 10 days. During ejaculation, sperm are then transported to the urethra where they combine with seminal fluid from seminal vesicles, prostate and Cowper's glands.

• Activities and environmental effects that occur now, can affect the quality of sperm in 3 months time.

Don’t take hasty decisions

• Trying to get pregnant is an exciting yet emotional and at times traumatic journey and couples who are going through this experience can be very vulnerable. In this instant-gratification society, if you don't become pregnant in 1-2 months, it's may seem easy to buy your way into increased fertility.

• Just be aware and avoid getting emotional since it’s very important to check for evidence before signing up for any big (or even small) purchases.

• There are innumerable websites, advertisements and services that offer all sorts of amazing products that will apparently increase your fertility but all seem to involve sending a cheque and crossing your fingers.

• It's quite possible that some of these products may actually help you increase your fertility levels, but there are lots of proven, evidence-based simple and non-expensive things that you should try first before burning a hole in your wallet.

Quit smoking

There is solid evidence that smoking tobacco or marijuana, drinking alcohol and coffee and taking a number of different street drugs all have a bad effect on fertility.

• A large number of studies have found that smoking has an adverse effect on both male and female fertility.

• In women, cigarette smoking can disrupt egg maturation, follicle development ovulation rates, and fertilisation rates, with eggs exposed to nicotine having higher levels of chromosomal abnormalities. Smokers also have increased rates of miscarriage and far lower chances of pregnancy through IVF.

• In men, smoking lowers sperm count and motility and has been found to increase the abnormalities in sperm shape and function.

Quit drinking

• Even relatively small amounts of alcohol consumption can have an adverse effect on both male and female fertility.

• Moderate to high levels of alcohol consumption in women is linked to increased miscarriage risks, hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian dysfunction, ovulation dysfunction, luteal phase defect and abnormal development of the endometrial lining.

• Moderate to high levels of alcohol consumption in men is linked to abnormal liver function, raised oestrogen levels (interfering with sperm development) and a significant drop in sperm count.

Reduce caffeine intake

• There are a number of studies that show direct links between high levels of daily caffeine consumption (more than 300mg a day) and low fertility in both males and females.

• Many fertility experts suggest that couples keen on getting pregnant should ideally cut caffeine from their diet (male as well as female) while trying to conceive.

Adopt a healthy diet

• Try to stick to a balanced diet that follows the healthy diet principles of loads of fruit and vegetables (particularly green leafy vegetables and legumes), low-GI complex carbohydrates and low-fat meat.

• If you can afford to buy organic produce, it's worth the extra cost. There is evidence that the chemicals used in agricultural food production can impact fertility, although the amounts and extent of this are difficult to measure.

• Several studies suggest that dairy food (including low fat dairy) can promote fertility.

• Avoid fatty foods, highly processed foods and foods that are high in sugar as these can all throw your delicately balanced hormones off course.

• Trans-fats can be quite detrimental to fertility and these are often found in highly-processed foods such as chips cooked in fat, some highly processed cereals, pastries and pies, some cakes, and even pizza.

• While fish can be an important part of a healthy diet, increasing levels of toxins and heavy metals can make fish a risky food choice when you are trying to maximise your fertility.

• Smaller fish like sardines and anchovies tend to have a lower risk of toxins and are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids but larger fish like shark can be higher in heavy metals like mercury.

• Avoid soft drinks, and even high levels of coffee and tea. It’s better to consume herbal teas and lots of water. Too much juice can be problematic as it is high in fructose which can interfere with the sensitivities of hormone balance.

Embrace a chemical-free lifestyle

• If you're a keen user of chemical cleaners, switch to low-toxin and natural products.

• This might be the most appropriate time to chuck out any non-organic makeup, shampoos or soaps.

• Avoid using pesticide sprays – instead try a fly swat and liberal doses of harmless pest-deterrents like lemon oil, citrus and cloves.

• There have been a number of studies that suggest that exposure to phthalates can reduce fertility; the majority of human phthalate exposure currently comes from cleaning products, some laundry detergents, personal care products like makeup, shampoo and soaps - and from plastics, paints and some pesticide formulations.

   

Strike the right balance with physical exercise

• The human body is a funny thing… Not enough physical exercise can reduce fertility in both males and females - but too much of it can have a negative effect on fertility.

• Research has it that physical activity at a very high or very low level has a negative effect on fertility, but moderate activity would increase fertility. In the end, it’s all about striking the right balance.

Have more questions on pregnancy? Join a support group (if you have not done so!). Motherhood represents a completely new phase in your life and a community of new mothers who can journey with you will be helpful! Pregnancy tips, parenting tips, free diaper samples and exclusive diaper offers shared on the Huggies Club platform can ensure you are best prepared for your newborn child too.

The information published herein is intended and strictly only for informational, educational, purposes and the same shall not be misconstrued as medical advice. If you are worried about your own health, or your child’s well being, seek immediate medical advice. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website. Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries assumes no liability for the interpretation and/or use of the information contained in this article. Further, while due care and caution has been taken to ensure that the content here is free from mistakes or omissions, Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information here, and to the extent permitted by law, Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries do not accept any liability or responsibility for claims, errors or omissions.