Becoming pregnant becomes more difficult when certain risk factors are present. However, as a woman you can limit a large number of these risk factors yourself. You can read what these are and how you can eliminate these risk factors that can negatively affect your fertility in this article.
If you would like to become pregnant , it is important to know which factors can influence your fertility . You can influence some of these factors yourself, so that you can increase the chance of a healthy pregnancy .
Venereal diseases
Venereal diseases, also called sexually transmitted diseases ( STDs ), can negatively affect your fertility. Some venereal diseases have little to no symptoms, so you may not be aware of the fact that you have a venereal disease! It even happens that women only realize that they have a venereal disease when conceiving does not go so smoothly. For example, the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia, the most common venereal disease, can seriously damage your fallopian tubes if left untreated. In addition, chlamydia increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, get tested for venereal diseases before you try to become pregnant .
Weight
A healthy weight is essential if you want to become pregnant. Various studies have shown that underweight and overweight women have more difficulty becoming pregnant. A BMI between 20 and 25 is recommended.
Underweight
When you are underweight, your hormone balance is disrupted and thus your menstrual cycle is disrupted. A certain amount of body fat is needed to produce the hormones involved in ovulation . That is why you often see that women who are extremely underweight or anorexic no longer have periods at all.
Overweight
Overweight women have more difficulty becoming pregnant and are also more likely to experience complications during childbirth. Babies born to overweight mothers are more likely to be born by caesarean section. Mothers also often suffer more from fatigue during pregnancy.
Smoking
Smoking also has an effect on fertility. Women who smoke or second-hand smoke produce less estrogen, which causes the ovaries to function less well. The fallopian tubes also appear to be affected. Therefore, stop smoking at least a few months before you try to become pregnant.
Alcohol
There is less agreement among doctors about alcohol use when trying to conceive. One doctor recommends complete alcohol abstinence, while another states that a small glass every now and then is fine. However , drinking alcohol during pregnancy is strongly discouraged.
Drugs
There are various soft and hard drugs that can negatively affect fertility. For example, long-term use of cannabis (weed) can lead to shorter menstrual cycles and an increased amount of the hormone prolactin in the body. Prolactin can cause you to fail to ovulate. Heroin also increases the amount of prolactin in the body. Finally, cocaine, heroin and morphine can lead to fetal abnormalities.
Stress
Who doesn’t know a story like that? A couple who have been trying hard to get pregnant for years unexpectedly becomes pregnant while on holiday together. Stress, for example caused by having to deal with a pregnancy, can negatively affect your fertility.