Lifestyle factors

Women who smoke will find the number of eggs in their reserve deplete much quicker than women who don’t. This is because chemicals such as nicotine and cyanide in cigarette speed up the rate of egg loss, pushing menopause years earlier. Likewise, smoking reduces the number, motility and quality of a man’s sperm, making it harder for their partner to get pregnant.

Aside from pregnancy rates, the harmful chemicals in cigarettes may damage the genetic material in eggs and sperm, possibly raising the risk of miscarriage and birth defects in the baby born.

We still do not know whether caffeine consumption affects the chance of getting pregnant. There is some evidence that frequent caffeine consumption may take women longer to get pregnant. However, we do not know exactly how caffeine might affect fertility or how much caffeine one can consume before negative effects begin to occur. If you are trying to get pregnant, you are advised to limit the number of caffeinated beverage to 2 cups per day.

Eating a healthy and nutritious diet improves a host of body functions, including the ability to reproduce. Diets rich in folate, iodine, polyunsaturated fats and vitamins are related to improved fertility and reduction in the risk of birth defects in the unborn child, while a diet high in sugar and saturated fats has the opposite effect. All in all, for those who are trying to get pregnant (and everyone else), eating a balanced and vitamin-rich diet better prepares your body for future pregnancy.

As in the case of caffeine, there is no strong evidence that light and occasional alcohol consumption impacts fertility, as evidence is quite mixed and conflicting. Binge drinking – refers to consuming 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men in one occasion – on the other hand, may interfere with ovulation in women and reduce sperm counts and quality as well as lower sex drive in men, making it harder for couples to conceive. Individuals trying to get pregnant, are currently pregnant and those about to receive assisted reproduction such as IVF are advised to abstain from alcohol.

It is not clear whether stress has any impact on fertility or how it can affect infertility. You may think (quite intuitively) that high stress hampers the chances of pregnancy, but there is no strong evidence for that link. We do know that trying to get pregnant – with assisted reproduction in particular – can be a major source of stress for many couples. In times like these, simple yet effective stress-relieving techniques may come in handy:

• Acupressure (link)
• Guided imagery (link)
• Meditation (link)
• One-minute relaxation exercise (link)

Some (but not all) drugs can impact fertility, whether they are prescribed medications, recreational or over-the-counter kinds. Depending on the type, dose, and duration of intake, these drugs may hamper the production of sperm in men and the regulation of hormones that make women ovulate.

Prescribed drugs: Some drugs that are used to treat medical conditions can at the same time cause short-term or long-term fertility problems. Some examples are cyclophosphamide for kidney problems, salazopyrine for inflammatory bowel disease rheumatoid arthritis, and in some situations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancers.
Recreational and illegal drugs such as anabolic steroids, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and ecstasy can reduce the chance of pregnancy for both men and women.