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To schedule an appointment, call us at (509)-462-7070 or click here.

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Tips for Improving Your Fertility

Tips for Improving Your Fertility

By: | January 29th, 2018 | Tags:

Dr. Robins at Spokane’s Center for Reproductive Health (CRH) has been helping Inland Northwest families grow for over 20 years. With the most advanced technology and distinguished medical experts, the CRH team works tirelessly to help you achieve a healthy pregnancy quickly and safely. Before and during fertility treatment, there are steps you, the patient, can take to improve your chances of getting pregnant.

Keep Your Eye On The Scale

There is a strong correlation between a woman’s BMI (body mass index) and her fertility potential. For a woman’s reproductive system to function properly, she has to have a healthy amount of fat. Women who are underweight often lack the fat needed for reproduction, causing their bodies to ovulate infrequently or not at all. Even the smallest weight gain can help restart the reproductive system. Being overweight can make conception challenging, as well. Overweight women can experience insulin resistance, which may cause the ovaries to produce an excess amount of hormones and stop releasing eggs. And don’t forget about your partner! Overweight men have shown to have abnormal semen, which may attribute to low sperm count and motility.

Skip Happy Hour

Studies have shown that consuming 4-5 alcoholic drinks per week can decrease fertility. Women who consume 10 alcoholic drinks per week show an even greater decrease in their chances of conceiving. Since there is no confirmed data of a safe threshold for consumption, Dr. Robins typically recommends limiting or refraining from alcohol when trying to conceive and during pregnancy.

Put Out That Cigarette

Smoking presents serious risks to your overall health. However, you may not realize the impact smoking has on your fertility. Studies have shown that women who smoke have a 54 percent chance of taking a year or longer to conceive, compared with non-smokers. The delay in conception is directly impacted with the quantity of cigarettes smoked. The more cigarettes smoked, the more estrogen-reducing chemicals enter the body. Male smokers often have lower sperm counts. The good news is that the damage from smoking is somewhat reversible. Sperm regenerates about every 74 days, and may be better quality after quitting.

Identify Your Stress-Busters

Trying to conceive can be stressful, even before treatment. Once you begin fertility treatment, it’s important to manage your stress and anxiety appropriately Some patients have reported that participating in support groups, getting massages or journaling to be helpful. We suggest scheduling time for stress-busting activities, just like your treatment appointments. Your health should be a top priority during treatment.

What will you do to improve your fertility? Even modest lifestyle adjustments can make a big difference in improving your fertility and help you get pregnant faster. You can make an appointment at Center for Reproductive Health today by calling (509) 462-7070.

Related Posts: 6 Signs You Should See a Fertility SpecialistWhy Am I Not Getting Pregnant?

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