Fertility is the quality of being able to produce children. Many people are interested in having children, sadly about 10-15% (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3717046/) of couples experience difficulty In having children. The journey to parenthood can be challenging and these challenges are increasing with about 5-10% per year (https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/infertility-statistics/). The need for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is also rising, making Infertility a new king in the room.
Infertility affects both men and women equally (https://www.healthline.com/health/infertility) and is tied to problems surrounding the reproductive system. A lot of things can cause infertility. Low sperm count, varicocele, sperm morphology or motility for men and PCOS, anovulation, thyroid disease, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, etc. for women.
Doctors begin to consider possible infertility till after at least a full year of trying to have a baby. Let us share with you some things that could help if you are going through the same or you want to reduce the chances of that happening in the future.
- Age: there actually is a biological clock, it’s not an urban myth.
- What we eat: there are foods we can eat that raises our chances and some that reduces our chances. Lots of our foods can help us increase our chances like Locust bean, yam, and vegetables like spinach and fruits like watermelon, avocados. We can see a full menu here (https://www.google.com/amp/s/nimedhealth.com.ng/2019/12/31/41-nigerian-foods-that-boosts-ovulation-and-fertility/ ). For men, food rich in omega 3 such as salmon, sardines, and fish oils can increase sperm count and motility. You can also read our post on okra here (https://www.hygeiahmo.com/why-you-should-eat-more-okro/ ).
- Our weights: you don’t have to have that perfect model shape to have children but we have to maintain good body fat. About 22% of body fat is needed for ovulation. As it turns out that is a threshold that most people comfortably meet.
- Exercise: Studies (https://www.novaivffertility.com/case-studies/much-much-exercise-relationship-exercise-fertility/ ) show that moderate exercise improves chances of ovulation while vigorous exercise reduces the chances. So do as much as you can, please don’t let a few days go by without putting in some exercise. If you want good results you got to put in a good effort.
- Psychological stress; it’s important that you realize that thinking or worrying about a situation simply magnifies it. It is important that you as much you can take special care to relax and make a plan instead of worrying. Avoid people and situations that leave you drained or exhausted mentally. Put your peace first.
- Occupational and environmental exposure; the thing about tight underwear for men is really more so if you’re seated for extended periods is not a good thing.
- Lifestyle Factors such as smoking, use of excessive alcohol, illicit drug use, and high caffeine Consumption compromise your health and definitely could have negative consequences for your reproductive health.
- It is important that we treat urinary tract or sexually transmitted infections properly, do a test to know what organism is responsible, and do a sensitivity test to know what works against it. Then finish the prescription from your doctor.
One last thing; you need to be having regular unprotected sex in order to have a baby! Don’t sweat the ovulation calendar too much it can create huge pressure for both of you. Remember to talk to each other about how you’re struggling with the challenge. You’re both in it together and when the baby comes HygeiaHMO will celebrate with you.
