Male fertility is the ability of a fully-matured male to impregnate a female partner. This involves a very complex process. To get your partner pregnant, the following must occur:

1. You must produce healthy sperm

Initially, this involves the growth and formation of the male reproductive organs during puberty. At least one of your testicles must be functioning correctly, and your body must produce testosterone and other hormones to trigger and maintain sperm production.

2. Sperm have to be carried into the semen

Once sperm are produced in the testicles, delicate tubes transport them until they mix with semen and are ejaculated out of the penis.

3. There needs to be enough sperm in the semen

If the number of sperm in your semen (sperm count) is low, it decreases the odds that one of your sperm will fertilize your partner's egg. A low sperm count is fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen or fewer than 39 million per ejaculate.

4. Sperm must be functional and able to move

If the movement (motility) or function of your sperm is abnormal, the sperm may not be able to reach or penetrate your partner's egg.

Meanwhile, the above realities become impossible where the following medical conditions exist:

• Varicocele. A varicocele is a swelling of the veins that drain the testicle. It's the most common reversible cause of male infertility. Although the exact reason that varicoceles cause infertility is unknown, it may be related to abnormal testicular temperature regulation. Varicoceles result in reduced quality of the sperm.
  Treating the varicocele can improve sperm numbers and function, and may potentially improve outcomes when using assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilization.

• Infection. Some infections can interfere with sperm production or sperm health or can cause scarring that blocks the passage of sperm. These include inflammation of the epididymis (epididymitis) or testicles (orchitis) and some sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea or HIV. Although some infections can result in permanent testicular damage, most often sperm can still be retrieved.

• Ejaculation issues. Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen enters the bladder during orgasm instead of emerging out the tip of the penis. Various health conditions can cause retrograde ejaculation, including diabetes, spinal injuries, medications, and surgery of the bladder, prostate or urethra.
  Some men with spinal cord injuries or certain diseases can't ejaculate semen, even though they still produce sperm. Often in these cases sperm can still be retrieved for use in assisted reproductive techniques.

• Antibodies that attack sperm. Anti-sperm antibodies are immune system cells that mistakenly identify sperm as harmful invaders and attempt to eliminate them.

• Tumors. Cancers and nonmalignant tumors can affect the male reproductive organs directly, through the glands that release hormones related to reproduction, such as the pituitary gland, or through unknown causes. In some cases, surgery, radiation or chemotherapy to treat tumors can affect male fertility.

• Undescended testicles. In some males, during fetal development one or both testicles fail to descend from the abdomen into the sac that normally contains the testicles (scrotum). Decreased fertility is more likely in men who have had this condition.

• Hormone imbalances. Infertility can result from disorders of the testicles themselves or an abnormality affecting other hormonal systems including the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands. Low testosterone (male hypogonadism) and other hormonal problems have a number of possible underlying causes.

• Defects of tubules that transport sperm. Many different tubes carry sperm. They can be blocked due to various causes, including inadvertent injury from surgery, prior infections, trauma or abnormal development, such as with cystic fibrosis or similar inherited conditions.
  Blockage can occur at any level, including within the testicle, in the tubes that drain the testicle, in the epididymis, in the vas deferens, near the ejaculatory ducts or in the urethra.

• Chromosome defects. Inherited disorders such as Klinefelter's syndrome — in which a male is born with two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome (instead of one X and one Y) — cause abnormal development of the male reproductive organs. Other genetic syndromes associated with infertility include cystic fibrosis, Kallmann's syndrome and Kartagener's syndrome.

• Problems with sexual intercourse. These can include trouble keeping or maintaining an erection sufficient for sex (erectile dysfunction), premature ejaculation, painful intercourse, anatomical abnormalities such as having a urethral opening beneath the penis (hypospadias), or psychological or relationship problems that interfere with sex.

• Celiac disease. A digestive disorder caused by sensitivity to gluten, celiac disease can cause male infertility. Fertility may improve after adopting a gluten-free diet.

• Certain medications. Testosterone replacement therapy, long-term anabolic steroid use, cancer medications (chemotherapy), certain antifungal medications, some ulcer drugs and certain other medications can impair sperm production and decrease male fertility.

• Prior surgeries. Certain surgeries may prevent you from having sperm in your ejaculate, including vasectomy, inguinal hernia repairs, scrotal or testicular surgeries, prostate surgeries, and large abdominal surgeries performed for testicular and rectal cancers, among others. In most cases, surgery can be performed to either reverse these blockage or to retrieve sperm directly from the epididymis and testicles.

MayoClinic

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15:56

One may ask, What on earth is candida?

Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. Its main job? Helping out with digestion and nutrient absorption.

But when overproduced, candida can break down the wall of the intestine and penetrate the bloodstream — releasing toxic by-products into your body and causing leaky gut. This can lead to many different health problems, from digestive issues to depression, including the inability of married couples making a baby.

You can imagine how serious it is. That's why having a sound knowledge of its signs and getting an earlier treatment even before marriage can save one the headache of childlessness after marriage.

Each of the following signs could be a pointer that one is battling with candida overgrowth:

1. Skin and nail fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot or toenail fungus

2. Feeling tired and worn down, or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia

3. Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea

4. Autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma, or multiple sclerosis

5. Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD, and brain fog

6. Skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes

7. Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression

8. Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching, or vaginal itching

9. Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears

10.Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings

Treatment for Candida

If after a medical test, one is diagnosed of candida overgrowth, treatment can be effected through any or combination of the following:

• Switching over to low-carbohydrate diet, as sugar is what feeds yeast.
• Take some anti-fungal medication, such as Diflucan or Nystatin, for at least a month, as may be prescribed by your doctor.
• Eliminate inflammatory foods
• Use other recommended supplements; coconut oil is good in this case.

Wishing you a good return to normal health.

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15:29

Mind You, Each of your symptoms of pregnancy noted below could be explained by other causes. Check out here...

Spotting:
Implantation bleeding can be one of the earliest pregnancy symptoms. About 6-12 days after conception, the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall.

Some women will experience spotting as well as cramping. Some women do not even notice implantation bleeding or cramping, so don’t worry if you are trying to get pregnant and don’t experience these symptoms; you could still be pregnant.

Delayed or Missed Period:
A delayed or missed period is the most common pregnancy symptom leading a woman to test for pregnancy. When you become pregnant, your next period should be missed.

Some women can bleed while they are pregnant, but typically this bleeding will be shorter or lighter than a normal period.

Swollen or Tender Breasts:
Swollen or tender breasts is a pregnancy symptom which may begin as early as 1-2 weeks after conception. Women may notice changes in their breasts; they may be tender to the touch, sore, or swollen.

Fatigue or Tiredness:
Feeling fatigued or more tired is a pregnancy symptom which can also start as early as the first week after conception.

Morning Sickness or Nausea:
This well-known pregnancy symptom will oftentimes show up between 2-8 weeks after conception.
Some women are fortunate to not deal with morning sickness at all, while others feel nauseous throughout most of their pregnancy.

Backaches:
Lower backaches may be a symptom that occurs early in pregnancy; however, it is common to experience a dull backache throughout pregnancy.

Headaches:
The sudden rise of hormones in your body can cause you to have headaches early in pregnancy.

Frequent Urination:
Around 6-8 weeks after conception, you may find yourself making a few extra trips to the bathroom.

Darkening of Areolas:
If you are pregnant, the skin around your nipples may get darker.

Food Cravings or Food Aversions:
While you may not have a strong desire to eat pickles and ice cream, many women feel cravings for certain foods when they are pregnant.

This can last throughout your entire pregnancy. Some women develop aversions to certain types of food as well, and this too can last throughout your pregnancy.


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manage it better.

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01:20

Researchers have found that a mother’s nutrition during pregnancy can clearly impact her child’s risk of obesity years in the future.

The research has revealed that during pregnancy, a mother’s diet can change the function of her child’s DNA. The process, called epigenetic change, can result in her child tending to gain more fat. The research reveals that this effect happens independently of how fat or thin the mother is as well as child’s bodyweight at birth.

The study shows that susceptibility to obesity can’t just be due to a combination of our genes and our lifestyle, but could be caused by influences on a baby’s development inside the womb, which includes what the mother consumed. A mother’s nutrition during pregnancy can result in significant epigenetic changes that play a role in her child’s risk of obesity.

The scientists measured epigenetic changes in almost 300 children at birth and established that these strongly predicted the level of obesity at 6 or 9 years old. The thing that was surprising to the scientists was the size of the effect – children differ in how fat they are, but measurement of the epigenetic change at birth made it possible for the scientists to predict 25% of this variation.

The epigenetic changes, which change the function of our DNA without altering the actual DNA sequence inherited from the father and mother, can also impacts how an individual responds to lifestyle factors like diet or exercise for a long time in the future.

This research suggests that steps to avoid childhood obesity needs to be focused on improving a mother’s nutrition and her baby’s growth inside the womb. These powerful new epigenetic measurements could prove useful in keeping track of the health of the child.

The research presents convincing proof that epigenetic changes, at least in part, explain the connection between a poor start to life and later risk of disease. It strengthens the case for those women of reproductive age with better accessibility to education, nutritional and lifestyle support to further improve the health of the next generation, and also to lower the risk of illnesses like heart disease and diabetes which usually go along with obesity.

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10:57

Whether they're pounding and throbbing or dull and aching, headaches are common in kids. Headaches can have a wide range of causes and many levels of severity. It's important to understand how to recognize when a headache is just a passing pain and when it's something more and requires medical attention.

Causes of Headaches

Headaches are thought to be caused by changes in chemicals, nerves, or blood vessels in the area. These changes send pain messages to the brain and bring on a headache.
In general, kids get the same types of headaches as adults. And headaches often are hereditary, so if a parent gets them, their kids might too.
Some of the many potential headache triggers include:

• certain medications (headaches are a potential side effect of some)
• too little sleep or sudden changes in sleep patterns
• skipping meals
• becoming dehydrated
• being under a lot of stress
• having a minor head injury
• using the computer or watching TV for a long time
• vision problems
• menstruation
• experiencing changes in hormone levels
• taking a long trip in a car or bus
• listening to really loud music
• smoking
• smelling strong odors such as perfume, smoke, fumes, or a new car or carpet
• drinking or eating too much caffeine (in soda, coffee, tea, and chocolate)
• consuming certain foods (such as alcohol, cheese, nuts, pizza, chocolate, ice cream, fatty or fried food, lunchmeats, hot dogs, yogurt, aspartame, or anything with the food additive MSG)

In some cases, headaches are caused by certain infections, such as:

• ear infections
• viral infections, like the flu or common cold
• strep throat
• sinus infections
• Lyme disease

Most headaches aren't signs that something more is wrong, but occasionally headaches are caused by more serious medical conditions.

Common Types of Headaches

When kids get more than the occasional headache, two of the more common kinds they get are tension headaches and migraines.

Tension Headaches

Fairly common in kids, tension headaches can be brought on by a variety of emotional and physical stressors. The pain is often described as:

• constant pressure around the front and sides of the head, which can feel like someone stretched a rubber band around it
• constricting
• dull
• aching

A major distinction between tension headaches and migraines is that tension headaches typically are not accompanied by nausea or vomiting, and they're usually not made worse by physical activity — symptoms that do often occur with migraines.

Migraines

Often triggered by things like stress, sleep deprivation, and menstruation, migraine headaches can cause the following symptoms:

• pounding, throbbing pain or dull, steady pain on one or both sides of the head
• dizziness
• stomachaches
• nausea and/or vomiting
• seeing spots or halos
• sensitivity to light, noise, and/or smells

Most migraines last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. Some can last as long as a couple of days. Some people with migraines:

• just don't feel right. Light, smell, or sound may bother them or make them feel worse. Sometimes, if they try to continue with their usual routine after the migraine starts, they may become nauseated and vomit. Often the pain begins only on one side of the head. Trying to perform physical activities can make the pain worse.

• get auras, a kind of warning that a migraine is on the way (usually about 10 to 30 minutes before the start of a migraine). The auras may only be seen in one eye. Common auras include blurred vision, seeing spots, jagged lines, or flashing lights, or smelling a certain odor.

• experience a migraine premonition hours to days prior to the actual headache. This is slightly different from auras and may cause cravings for different foods, thirst, irritability, or feelings of intense energy.

• have muscle weakness, lose their sense of coordination, or stumble.

Unfortunately, parents of an infant or toddler who are unable to say what hurts may not be able to tell if their little one is having migraines. Young kids with headaches may be cranky, less active, may vomit, or look pale or flushed.

Migraine variants that are thought to happen only to kids and are precursors to the more common migraines of adulthood include paroxysmal vertigo and cyclic vomiting.

Paroxysmal vertigo is described as a sensation of spinning or whirling that comes on suddenly and disappears in a matter of minutes. Kids who experience this may momentarily appear frightened and unsteady, or unable to walk. The vertigo typically goes away by the time a child is 5 years old.

Cyclic vomiting also occurs in young kids and involves repeated episodes of vomiting. The episodes can last for hours or days and are not usually associated with headache. Cyclic vomiting usually goes away by the time kids grow into teens.

How to Help Your Child

Treatment for your child's headaches will depend on what the doctor determines is the likely cause. But most everyday headaches can be cared for at home with little medical intervention.
To help ease your child's pain, have him or her:

• Lie down in a cool, dark, quiet room.
• Put a cool, moist cloth across the forehead or eyes.
• Relax.
• Breathe easily and deeply.

Make sure your child has had something to eat and drink. Kids with migraines may just want to sleep and may feel better when they wake up. A big part of treating migraines is avoiding the triggers that may have caused them. That's where a headache diary can be especially helpful.

You also can give your child an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Read the label, though, to make sure that you give the right dosage at the right intervals. If you have any questions about how much to give, check with the doctor. And if your child is under age 2 or has other medical problems, call your doctor before giving your little one any pain reliever. Your doctor will be able to tell you whether you should give it and, if so, how much (based on weight and age).

Never give aspirin to kids or teens unless specifically directed to by a doctor. Aspirin can cause Reye syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition.

If your child has chronic migraine headaches, the doctor may prescribe a medication to be taken when the headaches come on or daily as a preventive measure. In deciding whether to put your child on medication, the doctor will consider the frequency of the migraines and discuss the potential benefit of the medication versus its possible side effects.

Discuss pain management with your doctor, who will develop a treatment plan that may include approaches that don't involve medicine, such as relaxation, stress reduction techniques, and avoiding possible triggers.
Tracking your child's headaches and their symptoms and following the doctor's recommendations are the keys to finding relief for painful headaches.

KIDSHEALTH.ORG 

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11:56

Description
Jaundice, a common condition in newborns, refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes that happens when there is too much bilirubin in the blood.

Bilirubin (bill-uh-ROO-bin) is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells. Normally, it passes through the liver, which releases it into the intestines as bile (a liquid that helps with digestion).

Jaundice happens when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn's liver can break it down and pass it from the body. Here are some reasons why:

• Newborns make more bilirubin than adults do since they have more turnover of red blood cells.
• A newborn baby's still-developing liver might not be able to remove enough bilirubin from the blood.
• A baby's intestines absorb bilirubin that would normally leave the body in the stool (poop).

Severe jaundice (when levels of bilirubin are high, usually above 25 mg) that is not treated can cause deafness, cerebral palsy, or other forms of brain damage. In rare cases, jaundice may be a sign of of another condition, such as an infection or a thyroid problem.

Doctors recommend that all infants be checked for jaundice within a few days of birth.

Types

The most common types of jaundice are:
Physiological (normal) jaundice: Most newborns have this mild jaundice because their liver is still maturing. It often appears when a baby 2 to 4 days old and disappears by 1 to 2 weeks of age.

Jaundice of prematurity: This is common in premature babies since their bodies are even less ready to excrete bilirubin effectively. To avoid complications, they'll be treated even when their bilirubin levels are lower than those of full-term babies with normal jaundice.

Breastfeeding jaundice: Jaundice can happen when breastfeeding babies don't get enough breast milk due to difficulty with breastfeeding or because the mother's milk isn't in yet. This is not caused by a problem with the breast milk itself, but by the baby not getting enough of it. If a baby has this type of jaundice, it's important to involve a lactation (breastfeeding) consultant.

Breast milk jaundice: In 1% to 2% of breastfed babies, jaundice is caused by substances in breast milk that can make the bilirubin level rise. These can prevent the excretion of bilirubin through the intestines. It starts after the first 3 to 5 days and slowly improves over 3 to 12 weeks.

Blood group incompatibility (Rh or ABO problems): If a mother and baby have different blood types, the mother's body might produce antibodies that destroy the infant's red blood cells. This creates a sudden buildup of bilirubin in the baby's blood. Incompatibility jaundice can begin as early as the first day of life. Rh problems once caused the most severe form of jaundice, but now can be prevented by giving the mother Rh immune-globulin injections.

Signs & Symptoms

Jaundice usually appears around the second or third day of life. A jaundiced baby's skin usually will appear yellow first on the face, then the chest and stomach, and finally, the legs. It can also make the whites of a baby's eyes look yellow.
Most newborns now go home from the hospital 1 or 2 days after birth, so it's important for their doctors to check them for jaundice 1 to 2 days later.
Parents also should watch their baby for jaundice. Jaundice can be hard to see, especially in babies with dark skin. If you're unsure, gently press the skin on your baby's nose or forehead — if jaundice is present, the skin will appear yellow when you lift your finger.

When to Call the Doctor

Call your doctor know if you think your baby might have jaundice. The doctor might take a small blood sample to measure your baby's bilirubin level. Some offices use a light meter to get an approximate measurement, and then if it's high, take a blood sample.

Also call your doctor immediately if:

• your baby has jaundice during the first 24 hours of life
• the jaundice is spreading or getting darker or more intense
• your baby has a fever over 100°F (37.8°C) rectally
• your baby starts to look or act sick
• your baby is not feeding well
• you feel your baby is sleepier than usual

It is difficult to tell how significant jaundice is just by looking at a baby, so any baby with yellow eyes or skin should be checked by a doctor.

Treatment

Most cases of newborn jaundice don't require treatment. Mild or moderate jaundice will go away after 1 or 2 weeks as the baby's body becomes able to get rid of the excess bilirubin on its own.

More frequent feedings of breast milk or supplementing with formula to help infants pass the bilirubin in their stools also might be recommended. In some cases, the doctor may ask a mother to temporarily stop breastfeeding. If this happens, pump often to keep producing breast milk, then start nursing again once the jaundice has cleared.

For high levels of jaundice, phototherapy — treatment with a special light that helps rid the body of the bilirubin — may be used.

If a baby has severe jaundice that hasn't responded to other treatments, a blood transfusion may be done.

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11:28

Pregnancy is an ideal time to start taking really good care of yourself both physically and emotionally. If you follow the few simple guidelines below, you should give yourself the best chance of having a problem-free pregnancy and a healthy baby.

1. See your doctor or midwife as soon as possible

As soon as you find out you're pregnant, get in touch with your GP or a midwife to organise your antenatal care. Organising your care early means you'll get good advice for a healthy pregnancy right from the start. You'll also have plenty of time to organise any ultrasound scans and tests that you may need.

2. Eat well

Aim to eat a healthy, balanced diet whenever you can. Try to have:

• At least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily.
• Plenty of carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta and rice, as the basis of your meals. Choose wholegrain carbohydrates rather than white, so you get plenty of fibre.
• Daily servings of protein, such as fish, lean meat, eggs, nuts or pulses, and some milk and dairy foods.
• Two portions of fish a week, at least one of which should be oily. Fish is packed with protein, vitamin D, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for the development of your baby's nervous system.
  
  

You don't need to eat for two when you're pregnant. You don't need extra calories for the first six months of pregnancy. In the last three months you'll need about an extra 200 calories a day. You can keep up your energy levels with healthy snacks.

See our pregnancy meal planners for each trimester.

3. Be careful about food hygiene

There are some foods it's safest not to eat in pregnancy. This is because they can carry a health risk for your baby.

Listeriosis is an infection caused by listeria bacteria. It's rare and doesn't usually pose a threat to your health. However, it can cause pregnancy or birth complications. Listeriosis can even lead to miscarriage.

The following foods may harbour listeria and so are best avoided:

• pate of any type
• unpasteurised milk
• undercooked ready meals
• soft, mould-ripened cheeses, such as brie
• blue-veined cheeses, such as roquefort
  
  

As listeria bacteria are destroyed by heat, make sure you heat ready meals thoroughly.

Salmonella can cause food poisoning. You can catch it from eating:

• undercooked poultry
• Is it safe to eat soft-boiled or raw eggs during pregnancy?
  

Cook eggs until the white and yolk are solid. Thoroughly wash utensils, boards and your hands after handling raw poultry. Food hygiene is especially important now you're pregnant. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite. It's also rare, but it can affect your unborn baby. You can cut down your risk of catching it by:

• cooking meat and ready meals thoroughly
• washing fruit and vegetables well to remove soil or dirt
• wearing gloves when handling cat litter and garden soil

4. Exercise regularly

Regular exercise has many benefits for mums-to-be. It can:

• Build your strength and endurance. This may help you to cope better with the extra weight of pregnancy and the hard work of labour.
• Make it easier for you to get back into shape after your baby is born.
• Boost your spirits and even help to ward off depression.

If you play sport, you can continue as long as it feels comfortable for you. However, if your particular sport carries a risk of falls or knocks, or extra stress on your joints, it's best to stop. Talk to your GP if you're unsure.

5. Cut down on or cut out alcohol

Any alcohol you drink rapidly reaches your baby via your blood stream and placenta.

No one knows for sure how much alcohol it's safe to drink while you're pregnant. That's why many experts advise you to cut out alcohol completely throughout pregnancy, or at least for the first three months.

If you do decide to drink, stick to no more than one or two units of alcohol, no more than once or twice a week, and never get drunk.

Drinking heavily or binge drinking during pregnancy is dangerous for your baby. Mums-to-be who drink heavily on a regular basis are more likely to give birth to a baby with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). These are problems ranging from learning difficulties to more serious birth defects.

6. Get some rest

The fatigue you feel in the first few months is due to high levels of pregnancy hormones circulating in your body. Later on, it's your body's way of telling you to slow down.

If you can't sleep at night, try to take a quick nap in the middle of the day to catch up. If that's impossible, at least put your feet up and try to relax for 30 minutes.

If backache is disturbing your sleep, try lying on your left-hand side with your knees bent. Placing a wedge-shaped pillow under your bump may help ease the strain on your back.

Exercise may also give you some relief from backache. It can help with sleep problems, too, as long as you don't exercise too close to bedtime.

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07:09

 

Keep getting negative results every time you pee on a stick? Here are five fertility saboteurs that could be the reasons you’re not getting pregnant.

Whether you’re a few months into trying or are thinking about starting a family soon, you know doubt have babies on the brain. By now you likely know that many of us don’t get pregnant the first time we try. But what might be surprising news is that there are fertility saboteurs that can wreak havoc on your chances of conceiving. Here’s how to deal with five that could be obstructing your road to baby bliss.

1. Stress
When you mention to friends and family that you’re “trying,” you’ll almost guaranteed to hear someone say, “Just relax and it will happen.” Easier said than done. Stress, good or bad, is going to take its toll on you both physically and mentally. According to naturopathic doctor Via Bitidis, co-director of the North Toronto Naturopathic Clinic, balance and calm are a crucial part of trying to conceive. “When you’re stressed your adrenal system takes a hit. Your body isn’t going to say, ‘Okay, let’s get pregnant.’ Learning to say no and to take time for yourself is important for improving your chances of having a baby.” Megan Karnis, medical director of The ONE Fertility Clinic in Burlington, Ont., agrees with a word of caution: “A lot of women think the best thing to do when you’re stressed is to take time off work. In my experience, that doesn’t help, because it makes a woman feel she has to get pregnant in that time and then the stress to get pregnant is so much higher,” she says. Instead of altering your day-to-day routine entirely, Karnis recommends counselling, art therapy, meditation and exercise to reduce stress levels.

2. Sleep deprivation
You already know that catching an adequate number of zzz’s makes that morning department meeting more bearable, but here’s another reason to get yourself to bed before the wee hours. Sleep deprivation puts stress on the body (there’s that pesky s-word again) and when you’re tired, you don’t run on all cylinders. “For people who don’t get enough sleep, their immune systems are down a little bit and they’re more likely to get infections, which will affect the reproductive cycle,” Karnis says. “This applies to men as well. Infections can cause fever and that excess heat can damage the sperm temporarily,” she says. “Women who don’t get enough sleep can also start to feel anxious, which may cause missed periods.” Keeping yourself healthy is the baby bottom line, so set the PVR to record Mad Men and enforce a new bedtime.

3. Weight issues
A woman who is underweight or overweight may have some difficulty conceiving a baby. “An undernourished body may not ovulate properly,” says Bitidis. On the other hand, excess weight can have a significant effect on fertility. “Just being over your ideal weight decreases your chance of getting pregnant even if you are ovulating regularly,” says Karnis. “The further you stray above 25 on the Body Mass Index, the worse it gets.” Maintaining a healthy diet and developing a reasonable exercise routine will do wonders for your mind and body,” Bitidis adds.

4. Cycle confusion
“A lot of women don’t understand their own cycles,” says Bitidis. Most of us were taught the typical 28-day cycle in health class back in high school, but every woman is different and cycles vary in length. “The biggest thing is timing,” Karnis says. “We teach women that ovulation is two weeks before your period. Most people think that it’s two weeks after, but that’s only if you have a four-week cycle,” she says. You’ll have better luck conceiving if you monitor ovulation and start having sex at the right time. “We also teach people about sperm life—they can live for three days in the cervix, so you don’t have to have sex on the day of ovulation, it could be the day before. We also find that a lot of people don’t know that lubricant decreases sperm motility and transfer, so you shouldn’t use lubricant when you’re trying to get pregnant,” says Karnis.

5. Biofeedback
“Keeping a positive attitude is incredibly important. There is a huge mind-body connection. Try not to listen to the negative stories and try to be patient,” Bitidis advises. Preparing for pregnancy up to a year in advance may be a good idea if you’re planning to start a family in the near future, that way you can focus on making lifestyle changes. If you’re trying now, remember that it can take time—experts say up to a year— to conceive. If you’re concerned that it has taken too long, speak to your healthcare provider about your options for fertility counselling and treatment.

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17:55