Tag: exercise

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Dads Should Get Fit Before Reproducing to Assist with Fetal Development

brigitte

A father’s obesity negatively impacts sperm, which results in smaller fetuses, poor pregnancy success and decreased placental development, according to a team of experts at the University of Melbourne’s Department of Zoology.

The study urges men to get ‘match fit’ before getting their women pregnant to help with fetal development. Scientists are now encouraging men to shape up, even though health risks of obesity and pregnancy are usually focused on overweight moms.

According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), 75% of Australian adult males are overweight or obese, which significantly exceeds the global average rate of 48%.

The research, led by Professor David Gardner, Dr. Natalie Hannan and Ph.D. student Natalie Binder, will be presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Endocrine Society of Australia and the Society for Reproductive Biology 2012, starting August 26 to 29 on the Gold Coast. Read full article.

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Unhealthy Lifestyle May Not Affect Sperm Count

brigitte

Men who smoke or drink or even do drugs may not be jeopardizing their fertility, says new study. Researchers say that unhealthy lifestyle might not affect the swimming sperms men produce.

“Despite lifestyle choices being important for other aspects of our health, our results suggest that many lifestyle choices probably have little influence on how many swimming sperm they ejaculate. For example, whether the man was a current smoker or not was of little importance. The proportion of men who had low numbers of swimming sperm was similar whether they had never been a smoker or a smoker who was currently smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day. Similarly, there was little evidence of any risk associated with alcohol consumption,” said Dr. Andrew Povey from the University of Manchester’s School of Community Based Medicine.

Read full article.

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Preconception Health

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Getting pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to term is easiest when a woman’s overall health is optimized through appropriate self care. Here are the 5 main factors women can control to increase their fertility:

 

 

Nutrition
Eating a balanced diet promotes ideal health. In general, whole foods are the best choice. Women who avoid certain food groups due to dietary restrictions for health or other reasons may wish to consult with a nutritionist to ensure that they are still getting all the nutrients their body needs. Supplements such as prenatal rich in folic acid are recommended for women who want to get pregnant.
 
Harmful Substances
Women who smoke should stop as soon as possible since smoking delays the time to conception and can lead to early onset of infertility. Women who consume alcohol or caffeine in substantial quantities should cut back or cease using these substances to increase their overall wellbeing and lower the chance of miscarriage.
 
Weight Management
Maintaining a healthy body weight increases the chances of getting pregnant. It can also decrease the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, and gestational diabetes. Eating a moderate amount of nutritious food and exercising regularly is the best way to achieve sustainable weight loss and prepare for pregnancy.
 
Stress Reduction
High levels of chronic stress affect hormone levels in the body and may interfere with fertility. There are a variety of relaxation techniques that can help with stress reduction including yoga, acupuncture, and acupuncture massage. In general, simply taking time out to relax is a good course of action for relieving stress in preparation for getting pregnant.
 
Frequency and Timing of Intercourse
An egg is viable for less than 24 hours after ovulation. This means there is a narrow window of opportunity for fertilization. Couples who are trying to conceive should have sex daily or every other day during the 7 day time period ending on the day of ovulation.
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More reasons to lose weight before you’re pregnant

Lorie A. Parch

We’ve written before about why it’s a good idea to shed pounds before you conceive — for one thing, it may make it easier for you to get pregnant. And we all know that being at a healthy weight is good for you and your baby, and can make childbirth easier and with fewer complications.

A new study shows more good reasons to lose weight before you conceive — or at least good reasons not to diet once you are pregnant. A study in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB Journal) found evidence that babies of mothers who were dieting around the time they conceived and early in their pregnancy were likelier to have an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes later on in  life.

It’s worth noting that the research was done in animals – sheep, in particular – and not in humans, and it focused on twin pregnancies. It also looked just at genetic changes that may or may not lead to obesity and diabetes down the road. So it’s far from conclusive. But it is an interesting insight into how changing your nutrition — for the worse, by restricting calories and possibly nutrients in an attempt to shed pounds — around the time of conception might affect your child far into his or her future.

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Lorie A. Parch