These 7 things affect fertility

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These 7 surprising things affect your fertility

by Stephanie Pingel

February 11, 2021, 9:48 am

When women want to get pregnant, they often hear tons of strange suggestions that can supposedly improve fertility. But what is it about these myths?

These 7 things actually affect fertility

Apart from a few classic factors such as general diet and your own body weight, there are still some things that amazingly can also affect fertility. These include:

1. Sport

Exercise can reduce the likelihood of pregnancy – but according to the results of a study with around 3,800 women, only if it is practiced almost daily and with high intensity. If you "only" jog or go to the gym two or three times a week, you can continue to do so if you want to get pregnant.

2. Coffee

We know: coffee is healthy! However, studies show that more than one cup of coffee a day can reduce the likelihood of pregnancy by up to 50 percent. Experts recommend a maximum of 200 mg of caffeine a day, which is equivalent to two cups of black coffee or black tea. If you can get through the day with just one cup – all the better!

3. The weather

It sounds strange at first, but the weather can also affect your fertility. On the other hand – we all probably know how sunny weather can lift our spirits. And scientists were also able to show a solar effect on the probability of pregnancy based on a 2015 study: 12,000 women who had undergone fertility treatment were therefore around a third more fertile in sunny weather than in bad weather conditions.

4. Plasticizers

Girls, leave the buckets behind! Initial studies indicate that plasticizers such as phthalates, which are used in cleaning products, for example, can reduce fertility. With the help of a study, Swiss researchers also found that certain substances in the plasticizers can negatively affect the genetic make-up of unborn babies. By the way: Plasticizers can also be found in many plastic products – here, for example, it is worth switching to glass bottles.

5. Lack of sleep

A study was published in the specialist journal "Fertility and Sterility" in 2014 which showed that a healthy melatonin level optimizes fertility, because the "sleep hormone" melatonin prevents damage to the egg cells. In order for the body to produce enough melatonin, women should ensure that they go to bed and sleep about eight hours at the same time each day.

6. The fertility of the mother

Unfortunately, this is a factor that we cannot change much ourselves: fertility can also be inherited. So, if our mother was having trouble getting pregnant or went through early menopause, we can unfortunately do the same. This was also confirmed by a study in 2012: Accordingly, both the quality and the number of eggs in the daughter were poorer if the mother had already entered menopause before her mid-40s.

7. The thyroid gland

Women who want to get pregnant should definitely have their thyroid gland checked. The thyroid hormones control a lot of processes in the body – including those of egg cell maturation. Both an underactive thyroid and an overactive thyroid can affect the likelihood of pregnancy. Basically: The so-called TSH value of the thyroid gland should be below 2.5 uU / ml to improve the chances of conceiving. If there are already thyroid diseases in the family, greater attention is generally required. Women who have not become pregnant within six monthly cycles should also have their thyroid values ​​checked if there is no hereditary predisposition.

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