Weight and Nutrition
A snapshot
- A healthy weight and good nutrition can improve your chances of conception
- Men and women who are trying-to-conceive should follow a healthy, balanced diet – a Mediterranean-style diet has been shown to be ideal for fertility
- Weight and nutrition should ideally be optimised three months prior to conception, which is how long it takes for eggs and sperm to develop
- Women should supplement with folic acid and iodine - most women need a folic acid supplement to achieve the levels known to reduce the chance of gross abnormalities such as spina bifida
- Women with a BMI of more than 32 must lose weight in order to become eligible for publicly funded fertility treatment
- Ideal BMI for fertility is between 20 and 25
- Obesity in men is associated with infertility by causing impaired semen quality, decreased libido and erectile dysfunction
- In women obesity decreases fertility and may be associated with conditions such as PCOS, and can also impact pregnancy health
- Low body weight can prevent normal ovulation and may also reflect a poor nutritional status which can ultimately affect the health of the pregnancy and baby
Lifestyle
Good preconception health can improve chances of conception, a healthy pregnancy and healthy child
Maturation of the sperm and egg takes 3–4 months, so ideally preconception health should be in place for this long
- Recent studies report a world-wide decline in sperm number and quality over the past 50 years, although this seems to have leveled off in NZ over the past 15-20 years
- Men and women should follow a healthy, balanced diet – a Mediterranean-style diet has been shown to be ideal for fertility
- Avoid (or reduce) alcohol and caffeine consumption
- Women should supplement with folic acid and iodine - most women need a folic acid supplement to achieve the levels known to reduce the chance of gross abnormalities such as spina bifida
- Avoid recreational drugs and nicotine
- Exercise extreme caution when self-prescribing any medication or fertility device
- Maintain a healthy weight
- These factors are equally important for women and men
- Moderate exercise – too much or too little can be detrimental to your fertility
- Men should avoid increased testicular heat
- Avoid environmental toxicity as far as possible – in your home and work
- Proactively manage stress and prioritise self-care
- These lifestyle factors can also impact success of IVF