FERTILITY FACTS BY DR. RAMA SOFAT

1.Overall good health isn't necessarily a sign that you or your partner for that matter are fertile

HEALTHY COUPLE

You exercise regularly, eat a nutritious diet, and have enviable cholesterol and blood pressure levels. That's great, but it doesn't mean you're fertile as explained by Dr Rama Sofat. One in 10 healthy couples of reproductive age will experience fertility problems. The causes are variable and equally attributed one-third of the time to the female, one-third of the time to the male, and one-third to unidentifiable reasons or to both partners.

2.Your weight affects your ability to conceive

Over-weight Woman

Twelve percent of all infertility cases are rooted in weight issues. If your body is chronically malnourished or overexercised, since a minimum of 22 percent body fat is necessary for normal ovulation and reproductive competence. On the other side of the scale, being overweight can alter hormone chemistry and help prevent ovulation. The good news is that shedding or gaining weight can easily remedy weight-related infertility; more than 70 percent of women conceive spontaneously once they reach healthy weight parameters.

3.The biological clock ticks for men too

As per research it is discovered that while only 8 percent of men younger than 25 fail to impregnate their partner after a year of trying, that number grows to 15 percent after age 35

as explained Dr Rama Sofat.

4.Ovulation day is not necessarily the best day to try to conceive a child

Sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for up to three days after intercourse, so having sex every day, or even on ovulation day, is not necessary. What is critical is knowing when you are fertile. A woman is fertile for a period of six days, the five days leading up to ovulation (when the egg is released from the ovary) and the day of ovulation.

5.Birth control choices have fertility implications

The method of contraception that a woman has used may also impact conception. Women who used progesterone injections of Depo-Provera may have to wait for normal fertility to resume after they've stopped using the drug for six to nine months or even a year as explained Dr Rama Sofat.

And while many women believe that the effects of the pill linger long after they stop using it, that's yet another myth. Furthermore, it's not necessary to wait several cycles to "wash out" oral contraceptives before getting started.

6.Specific foods or diets do not have a large impact on fertility

There is no magic diet that will increase the chances of sperm meeting egg; the best thing you can do is eat a diet high in nutrients and fiber and cut down on your consumption of highly processed foods. It's also important for couples trying to conceive to get plenty of folic acid, which helps prevent birth defects and can improve sperm count as explained Dr Rama Sofat