It’s time to think: Lifestyle and its impact on delayed pregnancy

Recent studies have shown that almost 10 to 15% couples in India are affected by infertility or delayed pregnancy owing to issues with the female reproductive system. This shows a huge jump from the statistics about a decade ago when these numbers stood at 5 to 8%.

So what could be the reason for such a drastic increase in the cases of delayed pregnancy and infertility in the country?

Experts, nutritionists and dietitians in the country attribute this to the poor lifestyle choices made by people today. According to a recent study, women who consume larger amounts of junk food, while curbing their intake of healthy fruits and vegetables take a longer time to get pregnant, while also increasing their chances of infertility.

According to a research published journal in the journal Human Reproduction, following a diet which includes no fruit adds on an average two weeks to the time taken for conception as compared to a diet which includes three or more pieces of fruits.

Similarly, women who consumed fast food like deep fried chicken, burgers and pizzas four or more times a week took on an average one month more to become pregnant as compared to those who restricted their intake of junk food to once in two weeks.

In a survey entitled screening for pregnancy endpoints, researchers surveyed a total of 5,600 women based on their diet choices, time invested in exercising etc. Of this group, only 325 women had had any sort of fertility boosting pregnancy treatment before they registered for the study.

Results of the study explicitly confirmed the link between delayed pregnancy and an increased consumption of fast and junk food.

On the extremities, too much consumption of fast food as compared to none at all showed a 41% increase in “time to pregnancy”.

Fertility experts recommend making the flowing lifestyle changes to help you get pregnant sooner:

Exercise regularly
Excessive weight and obesity have major roles to play in your levels of fertility. Women who are overweight are more prone to experiencing hormonal imbalances, which can result in a disturbed and disrupted menstrual cycle.

Tip: Even if you do not get the time to exercise each day, experts recommend light exercise 4-5 times a week to avoid delayed pregnancy.

Eat healthy
As the age old phrase goes, “you are what you eat”. Dietary factors have the biggest influence on delayed pregnancy, which makes it important to mind what you put into your mouth.

Tip: Folic acid is a B9 vitamin which is popularly known to boost fertility. Experts recommend increasing your intake of dried peas, lentils and spinach to increase your consumption of folic acid.

Consumption of two to three portions of fruits each day has also been linked to increased fertility.

Relax - get adequate rest
Stress has an adverse impact on the hypothalamus, which is a gland that releases the hormones required to facilitate the production of eggs.

Tip: Yoga and meditation are the best ways to calm your nerves, soothe your anxiety and help you relax.

Keep a track of your fertility cycle
Understanding and keeping track of the female fertility cycle is the key to boosting your chances of conception. Indulging in intercourse in the highly fertile periods of the female fertility cycle can increase your chances of pregnancy exponentially.

Tip: If you have trouble keeping a track of your cycle, we recommend installing applications such as My Calendar, Period Tracker etc., which not only keep a track of your menstrual cycle, but also provide information related to your fertility window.

Dr Rolika Keshri - The writer is MBBS, MS (OBGYN) consultant obstetrics and gynecology, Hyderabad