Fertility and general health of a person go hand in hand. Just like maintaining a normal Blood pressure, Diabetes and other vital organs involve cautious healthy habits.

Fertility too involves being mindful about ones’ eating habits, daily routines, sleep patterns, and exercise.

Lifestyle and Infertility–

According to WHO reports, infertility is increasing at a rate of 17% every year.

This alarming rate of increase in infertility cases could be due to multiple lifestyle factors that are all interconnected.

The race of mankind to earn more, spend more, party more and sleep less comes with a heavy price.

Infertility is also a lifestyle disorder. Certain factors are beyond our control, whereas most factors are within our control. In this article, we discuss how to best avoid infertility.

Stress-

Stress is the No.1 cause of infertility in both males and females.

It not only creates havoc with one’s hormones but also disrupts sleep and well being.

The first step to tackling stress is to be aware that one is stressed. Secondly, one needs to take steps to target the cause of the stress, be it a relationship, job, money.

Nothing is more important than one’s well being. In fact, it has been found that stress impacts sperm quality in males.

Stress can be reduced by deep breathing, meditation, indulging in a hobby, meeting friends and relatives. If the problem persists, one should not vary in seeking professional help from a counselor.

Sleep–

Sleep is directly related to stress. The year 2019, is the year of Sleep awareness. Sleep is the cheapest drug available. Sleep is when the magic happens, it is when our cells repair themselves after being worn out due to the day’s activities.

It is crucial for the functioning of all our vital organs. Some steps that can help to get better sleep are-

1. Follow a fixed time to sleep and wake up.
2. Indulge in a routine that will help you relax and wind down such as a warm bath, some good music or a good book.
3. Keep temperatures low.
4. Practice gratitude. This helps in focusing on the positives rather than the negatives which inevitably disturb sleep.

Exercise–

Regular exercise of one’s liking helps achieve a healthy body. One must aim to get at least 3 hours of exercise every week. Exercise helps release happy hormones such as dopamine and hence keeps stress at bay.

Along with this, it will help to maintain a healthy weight which is crucial if one is trying to get pregnant. Especially for women, chances of PCOS or Thyroid are reduced and thus, impact fertility.

Therefore, it is important to engage in activities such as aerobics, walking, running, swimming or dancing. Regular exercise has also been found to enhance libido. This crucial for healthy sex life. 

Food–

Nothing is more important than what we put into our bodies, especially for fertility.

That is what we consume. Several celebrity nutritionists and dietitians earlier used to patronize several diets. However, they are now stressing on sustainable and local eating habits.

Hence, one must return to eating what our grandparents used to eat since it is closest to our genes. We must consume fruits and vegetables which are local, fresh and available in that season.

For women undergoing fertility treatments, intake of iron, folic acid, and calcium are necessary to go through a healthy pregnancy. For men, a good supply of multivitamins will ensure fertility.

Therefore, in a nutshell-

1. Refrain from indulging in fancy diets.
2. Eat local, seasonal and fresh
3. Include fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet
4. For non-vegetarians, include good quality proteins such as eggs, chicken, and fish.
5. Take supplements that as a doctor – prescribed.

Available Fertility treatments–

A couple who has been trying to conceive by having regular, unprotected and carefully timed sex but still is not able to get pregnant for over a year is termed as Infertile.

Sometimes, they require thorough treatment if the cause of infertility is a blocked Fallopian tube, irregular menstruation, low sperm count or low motility.

In these cases, it is important to perform treatments such as IVF (In- Vitro Fertilization) or an IUI (Intra Uterine Insemination).

A very good option for couples who are facing difficulties in trying to conceive is a Home IUI that is more personal, less invasive and can be performed as a first step in trying to get pregnant.

These are some steps to achieve a healthy fertility level and address any issues that may come in your way of getting pregnant.

Happy Trying!