The Effects of Your Lifestyle on Fertility and Pregnancy

 Given the recent surge in interest in ?detoxification and the growing awareness of chemical hazards present in everyday life, you probably already know that there are some chemicals that ought to be avoided. When it comes to pregnancy, there's a lot of conflicting information about what things to avoid for greatest fertility. It's impossible to live a life that is entirely ?chemical-free, since chemicals are everywhere, but there are some commonly consumed chemicals that could be making it more difficult for you to get pregnant. The goal here is to tell you the most common ones that scientific research has shown to be detrimental to fertility and successful pregnancy. 

  First of all, there are the two favorite chemicals in many drinks: caffeine and alcohol. Research has shown that consuming more than 250 mg of caffeine per day or more than 4 alcoholic drinks per week noticeably decreases a female's fertility. Limiting alcohol consumption while trying to conceive and during pregnancy is common sense since alcohol is known to be unhealthy for the unborn baby. Caffeine may be more of a surprise to you though. For a sense of scale, 250 mg of caffeine is approximately two cups of coffee, or three typical energy drinks (such as Red Bull or Jolt), or four to five 12-oz cans of caffeinated soda like Coke, or four to five cups of tea. So this limit isn't too restrictive, but you should cut back if you are consuming more caffeine than this daily. 

 Another frequently mentioned thing to avoid during pregnancy is smoking tobacco. Smoking before pregnancy turns out to be almost as bad, actually, so simply waiting until you're pregnant to quit isn't a good idea. Using tobacco in any form makes the ovaries less effective at releasing eggs and makes your uterus less able to accept them. Additionally, if your partner smokes, it decreases the quality and quantity of his sperm, making it much less likely that your eggs will be fertilized or implant successfully. If either of you have been thinking about quitting, this is the time to do it both for the sake of having a baby and to reap the other long-term health benefits of quitting as well. Also, as should be no surprise, illegal recreational drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin are also harmful to your reproductive health, so please seek help in quitting any drugs you currently use in order to get pregnant. 

 Taking over-the-counter or prescription medications regularly may affect fertility for both males and females as well as have negative effects during pregnancy. Some medications are known to cause birth defects, and others, such as some antidepressants and a variety of others, may reduce fertility in men and women. It is impossible to list all the hazardous medications here, so tell your physician that you and your partner are trying to conceive so that safe medications can be chosen if necessary.

 Finally, don't be too overwhelmed by the lists you can find of foods and drugs to avoid during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant. Many common things on these lists have no science to back them up and some have even been found to be harmless by scientific studies. Talk to your doctor about this if you have questions.