5 Lifestyle Factors That Contribute to Infertility

Obie Editorial Team

There are things in life you cannot change and there are choices you make that can be easily changed. One of the first things a fertility doctor will ask about is lifestyle choices that may contribute to infertility. Not all issues of infertility can be explained by pinpointing a lifestyle choice or factor that impairs fertility, but you may be surprised by the common, everyday actions and reactions that may be causing you to not get pregnant. 

Drinking and your fertility. If you drink socially, your fertility shouldn’t be impaired; unless you drink more than five drinks per week. Excessive drinking can impair fertility. So – if you drink more than five drinks a week try cutting back. 

Work stress is the worst stress. There is going to be stress in life, but normal life stress tends to come and go. Work stress, however, is an ongoing problem for some women. Spending 40 hours or more per week feeling stressed out does nothing good for your fertility. 

Cigarettes are not for you or baby. Most women understand the negative impact smoking can have on the fetus, but what about on fertility? Believe it or not, smoking reduces fertility. 

Sadness is not just a feeling. Depression is a physical condition with mental roots. When you feel depressed your body reacts physically. In terms of fertility, your hormones may go all out of whack and that can cause infertility. 

The disease process and your baby hopes. You may not think that asthma or arthritis has anything to do with fertility, but you’d be wrong. Both have a negative impact on fertility. 

Conception is one of those tricky processes that require multiples things to go right all at the same time. Hormone imbalance, inflammation, smoking, drinking and other lifestyle factors. You may not be able to change all of the factors listed above, but you can seek help from a fertility doctor to work through your medical condition and change those inhibiting habits.