Coping with Infertility

Lesson 2: Initial Testing and Diagnosis

Habits - Helping or Hurting

When you see the word habits, you probably think of 'bad' habits that you have picked up as you have grown up and matured. Some bad habits that I have include chewing my lower lip, my stubbornness, and popping my knuckles. However, these are not the habits I had in mind where fertility is concerned.

What you should do now is make a list with 'Good' on one side of the paper and 'Bad' on the other. We are going to take an objective look at the habits that are good and bad for our fertility. Once you and your partner have completed your lists, place them in your Fertility Journal. These lists should be updated on a monthly basis. Let's start with the habits that pertain to both men and women. On either your Good or Bad side list the following:

• Your diet (healthy is good, unhealthy is bad)
• Your body fat (healthy weight or BMI is good, low or high is bad)
• Your level of exercise or activity (moderate activity/exercise is best, none, low, or high should fall into the bad listing)
• Smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use should all be listed on the bad side
• Fertility charting should be listed on the good side
• Intercourse at least three times a week goes on the good side, twice or less a week goes on the bad side

Now, the following is just for the women:

• Breast self-exam done each month should be listed on the good side
• Stress level (the lower the better – little to no stress listed on the good side, moderate to high stress listed on the bad side)

Here are some habits to evaluate for the men:

• Hot tubs or hot baths/showers (warm water is good, hot water or hot tubs are bad)
• Tight underwear or pants goes on the bad side
• Bicycle riding (little or no riding listed on the good side, moderate to daily riding listed on the bad side)

Now that you and your partner have a listing of your 'habits' as they relate to your fertility, let's delve into some areas that we have not yet discussed so you can see why they are good or bad. Smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use all contribute to decreased fertility in both the male and female, and can increase the risk of miscarriage in women. Breast self-exams should be done each month. If found early, breast cancer survival rates are extremely high. Doing a monthly BSE is a habit that every woman should have; it can save a life!

Stress and how you deal with it can effect your fertility. Stress can come from your job, going to school, your family and friends, or your relationship. Learning relaxation techniques can help not only with how you react to stress, but can also help your relationship. The techniques should be learned and used by both men and women.

So, what is so bad about hot tubs, hot baths/showers, tight underwear or pants, and bicycle riding where men are concerned? Simply put, sperm production! For proper sperm production and development, the testicles actually need to be a little cooler than the rest of the man's body. If the man has been told that he has a low sperm count, one of the first things he should do is start wearing boxers and loose fitting pants. Hot tubs and hot baths/showers should be avoided, and any bicycle riding should be kept to a minimum. It takes three months for a man's sperm count to be fully replenished (for brand new sperm cells to be produced and become mature). So just one dip in a hot tub can lower a man's count enough that it is almost impossible for conception to occur. After the above changes have been made, a follow-up semen analysis should be scheduled for three months in the future.

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