Common Causes of Infertility
More and more women delay childbearing in order to establish professional careers and as a result infertility is on the rise.
There are environmental issues at play which also play havoc with our hormones ex. exposure to XenoEstrogens (pesticides, herbicides, phthalates, parabens, and Bisphenol A, dioxins). In women these cause Estrogen/progesterone imbalance which leads to infertility, pms, peri –menopause and menopause symptoms and in men these exposures cause decreased testosterone and sperm count. Estrogen/Progesterone and Testosterone testing are available for both men and women at our clinic.
Reducing your exposure is important. Eat "organic" to reduce herbicides and pesticides. Don’t drink out of plastic water bottles containing bisphenol A. Store foods in glass. Avoid personal care products with parabens and phthalates.
Optimal BMI is 21 to 24 for fertility. Being overweight increases your chances of hormone imbalance, PCOS and anovulatory cycles (cycles in which no ovulation occur). It decreases your chance of successful IVF cycle and increases risk of miscarriage. We have a Weight Loss Clinic to help you reach a healthy BMI.
Conversely, not having enough body fat can also lead to anovulation or loss of regular cycles.
The Nurse’s health study revealed that exercise has many health benefits especially for optimal fertility. As little as 30 minutes a day can regulate ovulation and get you back on track. It can also help to reduce gestational diabetes and lower blood pressure which improves outcomes.
Men who are overweight can also benefit from exercise by reducing belly fat which may help their estrogen/testosterone ratios and increase sperm counts.
Eating the right food is important. Researchers at the Department of Nutrition at Harvard recently published findings that the type or quality of carbohydrates eaten profoundly changes a woman’s chance of getting pregnant.
In general, cold cereals, white rice, potatoes and sugared sodas and eating too many carbs at the expense of healthy fats were linked to ovulatory infertility.
Proper nutrition is critical during pregnancy. Many women are not getting the correct balance of essential vitamins and minerals and they aren’t aware of it.
We offer Micronutrient testing prior to pregnancy to optimize your chances of getting pregnant by replacing nutrients that are deficient and are important for fertility .