Fertility Enhancement Products New Haven CT

Do's and Dont's for Enhancing Fertility

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By Jacob Teitelbaum, MD

Q I have been trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for the last two years. What can my husband and I do?

Actually there are a number of things you can do—and certain things you shouldn’t do—to increase your chances of conceiving. First, here’s a list of what you should give up:
• Stop or cut back on drinking coffee. Having more than four cups a day (or quite possibly, any at all) can result in infertility. In fact, some researchers joke that coffee acts as a reasonable form of birth control (I wouldn’t rely on it, though!).
• Stop drinking alcohol, especially if you have trouble ovulating. Even one drink a day can increase infertility by 30 percent; two drinks a day doubles that percentage. The reason? Alcohol increases the hormone prolactin, which inhibits the two hormones necessary for ovulation: FSH and GnRH.
• Don’t take melatonin supplements, which people often use to help them sleep. Melatonin can raise prolactin levels, too, and may result in temporary infertility.
• If you douche, stop. A recent study suggests that douching can also temporarily decrease the probability of getting pregnant by about 30 percent.
• Watch your vitamin C intake. If you are taking 1,000 mg a day or more, decrease that to 500 mg a day.
• Give up caffeinated sodas—even one a day can decrease your ability to conceive by 50 percent.
So what can you do to get pregnant?
• Take vitamins. Start with a good multivitamin with folate and magnesium. Add extra vitamin B6 (approximately 50 mg daily). This is especially helpful if you have irregular—or no—periods.
• Be sure your iron levels are adequate. A blood test (a ferritin level combined with an iron level and iron binding capacity) will tell you this. Although a ferritin level of 9 shows you have enough iron to prevent anemia, you can be infertile with ferritin levels that are less than 40 ng per ml. In a study of women with infertility who had ferritin levels less than 40, half of them quickly became pregnant when put on iron supplements.
• Get your thyroid levels checked. Even if they test within the normal range, if you have a tendency to be constipated, intolerant to cold, have dry skin or thinning hair, and your temperature hovers around 98.2 degrees or less, there’s a good chance that your thyroid is slightly underactive.
What about your husband? Research suggests that sperm counts are dropping throughout the industrialized world. There’s a good possibility this is coming from chemicals, especially pesticides, which mimic estrogen effects in the body. In many countries this has become an area of major concern. It’s interesting to note that, according to studies, sperm counts of organic farmers have increased, whereas farmers using pesticides have seen a decrease in theirs. Much like for women, men should refrain from using melatonin and stop drinking alcohol. If your husband takes any blood pressure or cholesterol medicine, have him talk to his doctor. Medications such as ver...

Author: Jacob Teitelbaum, MD

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