The Seven Not-So-Secret Secrets of Fertility
Written by Professor Charles Kingsland MD FRCOG
Emeritus Professor of Reproductive Medicine at Edge Hill and Founder of the Hewitt Fertility Centre in Liverpool.
I’ve just returned from my Grandpa fitness training session with my PT Instructor, Anthony, who asked me, during my warm-up stretches, about the simple things we can do, centred around fitness, to enhance our fitness for fertility.
Anthony struck a nerve, because as a Fertility Doctor of almost forty years’ experience, I increasingly see in social media or on the market, advice and treatments which are not only of little value but are often very expensive. Recently I saw a supplement advertised as being extracted ‘fresh from the Irish Sea.’ I’m not sure what fertility-enhancing properties the Irish Sea has but I’m sure it’s no better than ‘water fresh from my kitchen tap.’ Sadly, I won’t be able to flog that.
Sadly, the inability to have a family for those who wish to is becoming more and more difficult for some. As many as one in six couples will have difficulty achieving a pregnancy when they want to and often resort to a myriad of advice, often misguided and confusing which may not be necessary. As a rule of thumb, if you have been trying for a baby for six months with no luck, seek proper medical advice from a suitably qualified practitioner. It may only be a reassurance that you need but sometimes, you may have a medical problem that needs addressing to reset your fertility level.
In the meantime, here are seven, not-so-secret secrets to help you prepare for a family;
1. Regular Sexual Intercourse
To have a baby, sperm and egg must meet, either in a test tube or naturally, preferably the latter so if you can, have sexual intercourse with whom you want to have a baby with. Believe it or not, we as a race are having much less sex than we did only fifty years ago, and much less than a century ago. So have sexual intercourse regularly, preferably around the time of ovulation, that is, the time you release an egg. If that’s too difficult to work out, have sex two to three times per week.
2. Maintain Healthy Sperm and Egg
Men are sperm factories who produce sperm every day of the week. So, a nice fresh supply is best. Don’t think that saving it up for weeks and weeks will improve sperm quality. Similarly ejaculating every day will deplete supplies. Make sure you keep the pipes clean, and the sperm count healthy by ejaculating regularly. Women are egg warehouses, so the older you get, the older your eggs get. That’s why fertility declines much more rapidly in women over 35 than in men. So, ladies, if at all possible, don’t hang around.
3. Eat a Balanced Diet
Eat a good balanced diet. Cut out junk food in particular sugary stuff and reduce alcohol intake. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. They contain almost all the nutrients you need for fertility. Drink lots of water. Humans are often in a state of dehydration which is not good for you or your fertility.
4. Supplementation May Help
Ladies, take folic acid to supplement your diet. There is no doubt that women who take folic acid have a better chance of having a healthy baby than those who don’t. Similarly, vitamin D supplementation is a good idea.
5. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Crucially, try not to be over or underweight. A Body Mass Index of between 20 and 25 is ideal. That’s your size of maximum fertility.
6. Stop Smoking
Stop Smoking. We all know people who have perfectly healthy babies who smoke but again, there is no doubt that smoking when you are trying to get pregnant is a risky business.
7. Exercise and Sleep Regularly
Exercise regularly and get regular and plenty of sleep. Make it a habit. Don’t go over the top, that won’t help. Neither will food supplements and in particular steroids which may be good for your muscles and performance but are rubbish for sperm.