can throw off the release ofgonadotropin-releasing hormone by the hypothalamus in the brain. Crash diets and the corresponding shift in weight can confuse the body’s hormone production, possibly resulting in infertility.
If you are overweight, try to lose weight, if possible. Ideally, you should not try to get pregnant until you lose the weight and give your body a chance to adjust to your new physique. Take at least one month of dieting for each six or seven pounds you want to lose (or gain). After reaching your target weight, wait six to eight weeks to give your hormone levels a chance to stabilize before trying to get pregnant. (More under Couples.)
Exercise—But Not Too Much
Regular exercise can help keep you lean and fit, but excessive exercise can keep you from having a baby. If your body fat level dips too low, you may stop ovulating. Or, if you work out more than an hour a day, you may disrupt the timing of your reproductive hormones.
One study found that women who exercised vigorously for more than an hour a day were more likely to experience infertility. Researchers speculate that the endorphins—the feel-good chemicals released during exercise—may alter a woman’s prolactin levels, interrupting the timing of ovulation. Don’t use theinformation as an excuse to turn flabby, just exercise in moderation.
Moderation means different things to different women. Strive to work out at least twenty to thirty minutes three times per week, but not more than sixty minutes six times per week. Choose any activity that you enjoy, even running or jogging (unless you have had a problem with miscarriage or your gynecologist recommends against it).
Limit Your Use of Caffeine
It appears that the less caffeine you consume, the more likely you are to get pregnant. Research done at the National Institutes of Health show that drinking as little as one five-ounce cup of coffee—or other foods with the equivalent 115 milligrams of caffeine—can halve your chances of becoming pregnant in any given month compared to women who do not consume caffeine. Another study found that one caffeinated soft drink per day caused the same 50 percent decrease in conception. While not all women seem to respond to restricting caffeine consumption, it can’t hurt to give it a try. You can substitute decaffeinated beverages or herbal teas, if you wish.
H OW M UCH C AFFEINE?
Food
Portion
Caffeine (mg)
Chocolate
baking, unsweetened
1 ounce
58
chocolate chips
¼ cup
14
(semisweet)
milk chocolate
1 ounce
5 to 10
Cocoa
hot cocoa mix
1 ounce
5
unsweetened
1 tablespoon
12
cocoa powder
Coffee
brewed
6 ounces
105 to 165
brewed decaf
6 ounces
2 to 5
instant
1 teaspoon
57 to 66
instant decaf
1 teaspoon
2
Soft drinks
Cola (diet or regular)
12 ounces
35 to 50
Tea
brewed for three
6 ounces
36
minutes
instant
1 teaspoon
31
Note:
Many pain relievers also contain caffeine, often 30 milligrams per tablet or more. Alertness tablet typically contain 100 to 200 milligrams per tablet.
Be Wary of Antibiotics
Antibiotics do a tremendous job of killing disease-causing bacteria, but unfortunately they can’t differentiate the good bacteria from the bad. As a result, after taking a course of antibiotics, many women develop vaginal yeast infections. Often the culprit is an overgrowth of
Candida
, a type of yeast that leaves the vagina inhospitable to sperm.
To help restore the good bacteria as quickly as possible, try eating yogurt containing live acidophilus cultures or take acidophilus tablets (available at health food stores). You might also drink acidophilus milk, available in many grocery stores. While some health care practitioners may even suggest you insert plain yogurt directly in the vagina, if you are trying to get pregnant you should not put anything containing bacteria inside your vagina.
Give Up Breastfeeding
If you have already had a child and you are breastfeeding, you may need to stop nursing to conceive
If you are overweight, try to lose weight, if possible. Ideally, you should not try to get pregnant until you lose the weight and give your body a chance to adjust to your new physique. Take at least one month of dieting for each six or seven pounds you want to lose (or gain). After reaching your target weight, wait six to eight weeks to give your hormone levels a chance to stabilize before trying to get pregnant. (More under Couples.)
Exercise—But Not Too Much
Regular exercise can help keep you lean and fit, but excessive exercise can keep you from having a baby. If your body fat level dips too low, you may stop ovulating. Or, if you work out more than an hour a day, you may disrupt the timing of your reproductive hormones.
One study found that women who exercised vigorously for more than an hour a day were more likely to experience infertility. Researchers speculate that the endorphins—the feel-good chemicals released during exercise—may alter a woman’s prolactin levels, interrupting the timing of ovulation. Don’t use theinformation as an excuse to turn flabby, just exercise in moderation.
Moderation means different things to different women. Strive to work out at least twenty to thirty minutes three times per week, but not more than sixty minutes six times per week. Choose any activity that you enjoy, even running or jogging (unless you have had a problem with miscarriage or your gynecologist recommends against it).
Limit Your Use of Caffeine
It appears that the less caffeine you consume, the more likely you are to get pregnant. Research done at the National Institutes of Health show that drinking as little as one five-ounce cup of coffee—or other foods with the equivalent 115 milligrams of caffeine—can halve your chances of becoming pregnant in any given month compared to women who do not consume caffeine. Another study found that one caffeinated soft drink per day caused the same 50 percent decrease in conception. While not all women seem to respond to restricting caffeine consumption, it can’t hurt to give it a try. You can substitute decaffeinated beverages or herbal teas, if you wish.
H OW M UCH C AFFEINE?
Food
Portion
Caffeine (mg)
Chocolate
baking, unsweetened
1 ounce
58
chocolate chips
¼ cup
14
(semisweet)
milk chocolate
1 ounce
5 to 10
Cocoa
hot cocoa mix
1 ounce
5
unsweetened
1 tablespoon
12
cocoa powder
Coffee
brewed
6 ounces
105 to 165
brewed decaf
6 ounces
2 to 5
instant
1 teaspoon
57 to 66
instant decaf
1 teaspoon
2
Soft drinks
Cola (diet or regular)
12 ounces
35 to 50
Tea
brewed for three
6 ounces
36
minutes
instant
1 teaspoon
31
Note:
Many pain relievers also contain caffeine, often 30 milligrams per tablet or more. Alertness tablet typically contain 100 to 200 milligrams per tablet.
Be Wary of Antibiotics
Antibiotics do a tremendous job of killing disease-causing bacteria, but unfortunately they can’t differentiate the good bacteria from the bad. As a result, after taking a course of antibiotics, many women develop vaginal yeast infections. Often the culprit is an overgrowth of
Candida
, a type of yeast that leaves the vagina inhospitable to sperm.
To help restore the good bacteria as quickly as possible, try eating yogurt containing live acidophilus cultures or take acidophilus tablets (available at health food stores). You might also drink acidophilus milk, available in many grocery stores. While some health care practitioners may even suggest you insert plain yogurt directly in the vagina, if you are trying to get pregnant you should not put anything containing bacteria inside your vagina.
Give Up Breastfeeding
If you have already had a child and you are breastfeeding, you may need to stop nursing to conceive
Similar Books
