General health and lifestyle
General health of both you and your partner also affects fertility. Drink moderate amounts of alcohol and stop smoking – smoking reduces you chances of conception by at least a third, and increases the danger of miscarriage and bleeding during pregnancy. If you are physically too active, reduce physical stress. Stress can negatively affect both partners, as it postpones ovulation and influences the creation of semen.
Pay regular visits to your gynaecologist
If you have not done this so far, schedule a visit as soon as possible and check your current medical status and reproductive health. With every next visit, notify your physicians about any changes on and in your body, even if you do not think them significant. Some diseases have fairly common symptoms so they are easy to miss, but can greatly affect your fertility.
Maintain appropriate body weight
Body weight greatly influences the level of estrogen hormone, which is produced by body fat cells. If you are overweight, the estrogen level in your body is too high and has similar effect to taking contraceptives. In addition, your insulin level can increase, which in extreme cases can prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs. Being underweight can lead to a decrease in estrogen levels, which slows your reproductive cycle, or even stops it in extreme cases.
Stop smoking
Smoking has been proven to negatively affect the fertility of both men and women. Smoking is harmful to ovaries, and can even cause negative changes on the eggs, which become too susceptible to genetic abnormalities. In men, smoking affects the quantity and mobility of sperms. If you smoke, it is high time you stopped.
Practice safe sex
Various sexually transmitted inflections are among major reasons of infertility. Because symptoms are often not noticeable, the disease is not treated appropriately, which can cause changes in the body affecting fertility. For example, fallopian tubes may become scarred, which prevents the normal journey of eggs to the uterus. Use a condom and be tested regularly for sexually transmitted diseases.
Overcome stress
Stress is also one of major factors influencing fertility. While trying to get pregnant, try to relax as much as you can, avoid stressful situations, and, if possible, go on holidays. Also try – which is very difficult – not to think about the fact that you are having problems conceiving. Take trips to nature, relax, sign up for a yoga class, etc. Your state of mind plays a major role – surely you have heard stories about couples you could not get pregnant for ages but then conceived shortly after adopting a baby.