Is there anything else we should be doing to maximise our chances of having a child?
It is thought that lifestyle behaviours can have a large impact on the outcome of infertility treatments, as well as general health and wellbeing. Lifestyle Factors: • Smoking – Smoking increases the risks of lung, throat, breast and cardiovascular disease. In addition, smoking has an effect on infertility. It is thought that eggs travel more slowly through the uterine tube in some women who smoke. The sperm from some male smokers has decreased mobility and therefore the egg and sperm are older (and probably less viable) at the time of fertilisation. • Weight Management – Some women who are underweight or overweight can experience difficulty in achieving pregnancy. For some underweight women, the hypothalamus ceases to function, which in turn interrupts the process of ovulation. For some overweight women, an excess production of the hormone testosterone causes a hormone imbalance, which in turn interrupts the reproductive cycle. A return to a reasonable weight may assist the process of
