Northern Michigan's News LeaderHealthy Living: Infertility IQ

Healthy Living: Infertility IQ

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By Robyn Haines, Anchor - bio | email

Infertility means not being able to get pregnant after one year of trying. Or, six months, if a woman is over 35. With one in eight couples experiencing it, there are a lot of myths out there surrounding it. Robyn Haines tells us what's true and what's not when it comes to getting pregnant.

 

How much do you know about fertility? For instance - will adding more vitamins to your diet help you improve your chances of getting pregnant? That's false… in fact, a healthy normal diet already has the right amount and type of vitamins we need. Smoking: is it ok as long as you stop when you get pregnant? The answer: no. Smoking is detrimental in male and female infertility at any point.

 

Next... does age matter? While about 20% of American women have their first baby after age 35, by age 30 you have a 20% chance of getting pregnant in any given month. After 35, your chances drop to 10%. By 40 it's 5%. What about cell phone use? Could it lower your fertility? In a Cleveland Clinic study, men who used their cell phones more than four hours a day showed a 30% drop in sperm count. True or false, dairy doesn't matter. That's false. A Harvard study found eating two or more low-fat dairy products increases a woman's chances of infertility by 85%.

 

Something else to consider, many people think fertility is only a woman's problem. While about a third of infertility is due to female factors, another third is due to the male. The final third of infertility cases are because of both partners or unknown factors.