Lifestyle recommendations while trying to conceive – Part 1

As part of our new patient counseling at Reproductive Resource Center (RRC), we discuss a patient’s lifestyle choices.  This can encompass many things– from diet to exercise to sleep.  The following six recommendations appear on a handout that we provide to our patients and are the first of 12 that appear on the list.  Look for the second half soon!

Do you have any “lifestyle-related” fertility questions?  Leave a comment and we’ll get you an answer from our board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr. Celeste Brabec.

1. Strive to get 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night.

2. Try NOT to miss meals.

3. Exercise should be limited to no more than 4 hours total per week, with no more than 1 hour in any one day.  Limit total # miles walking, running on treadmill, Stairmaster, and walking the dog to not more than 10 miles per week.

4. Avoid hot tubs, dry saunas, and sun-tanning booths.  Self-tanning creams are OK.

5. Hair color, highlighting and acrylic nails are thought to be OK.

6. Maintain a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index).  Weight that is too low or too high for height reduces your chance of pregnancy, increases your risk of miscarriage and increases pregnancy risks for mom and baby.  For more on infertility and obesity, please refer to our previous blog post on the topic:  https://rrc1.wpenginepowered.com/blog/2013/05/infertility-and-obesity-is-there-a-link/

*image courtesy of daveynin / flickr creative commons