>> In recent years, the French have had more and more difficulty in conceiving children. Since the beginning of the previous decade, the numbers have dropped drastically. The birth rate was close to 800,000 per year whereas we are now approaching 700,000/year. If the Covid-19 crisis, and the “fear of tomorrow”, can naturally explain this drop, the reasons are explained by our daily way of life. Guest of the program “Bienfait pour vous” on Europe 1, Pr Nathalie Massin, specialized in reproduction, gives you some advice to optimize your fertility.
Avoid smoking
“Tobacco is as bad for men as it is for women. Statistics show that the chances of conception are roughly halved. For example, you may have girlfriends who have conceived their baby then that they smoke like firefighters. Instead of making their baby in 6 months, they would have made it in 3 months. Cannabis use is also a problem. Very rooted among the youngest, it is all the more problematic at an age when exposure carries a greater risk and is often already associated with tobacco. Also beware of chicha, which is very bad for the lungs. When you smoke one, it corresponds to a pack of cigarettes So imagine the impact on fertility.
Beware of pesticides
Pesticides are endocrine disruptors. The problem is that they are ubiquitous. It is found everywhere in our everyday objects, for example in scented candles. But also, through plastics, household products, cosmetics. But we can still avoid them. There are small plates which are very well made, which one finds on Internet on this subject. What I eat, how I shop, etc. Knowing which product is better to use rather than another, for example, what to avoid eating. Reheating your food in plastic tupperware is also very bad. These are silly details but can be particularly useful to know when trying to have a baby.
Don’t get too overwhelmed by stress
There’s nothing more stressful than telling yourself to stop stressing, it’s even worse! It’s a difficult question to answer because I think it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Indeed, when you can’t (have children), you become more stressed. And finally, does it contribute to it? I think you still have to stay a little cool and not feel too guilty. The studies that have been done to measure the markers of stress when, for example, we do an embryo transfer, are quite discordant. Some say there is really no impact, even if the stressors are quite high. So you have to put it into perspective.”