Couples who want to have children tend to focus on the health of the woman and her fertility, as well as the preparations that she needs to make to get pregnant. Sperm facts to know before trying for a baby are often overlooked even though it’s the woman who will be carrying the child. Remember that conception involves both men and women
Understanding how sperm functions is important when preparing to become pregnant. The male partner is equally important. While women go through hormonal cycles to prepare their bodies for receiving and nurturing an embryo, men also play a role. The quality and quantity of sperm can have a direct effect on a couple’s chances of conceiving. Lifestyle, diet, age, and medical history can all affect sperm quality.
10 Sperm Facts Every Future Parent Should Understand
Understanding the basics of fertility when it comes to starting your family is crucial. Sperm health is an important aspect that’s often overlooked. Knowing how sperm works can be a huge help in the journey towards parenthood, whether you are actively trying to get pregnant or just planning. Ten important sperm-related facts every future parent needs to know to navigate through this sometimes exciting, but also challenging process
1. Speak to Your Mother About Your Medical History
Ask your mother for your medical history as a child. Even conditions or situations you experienced as a child or before your birth may affect your adult fertility. Being born prematurely or having undescended testicles can affect your ability to produce healthy sperm.
Dr Marcin Stakiewicz, medical director of Adelaide’s City Fertility Centre, explains that the production of sperm begins when a boy is in the womb. Early childhood issues or complications can impact a man’s fertility as an adult. Men need to talk openly with their mothers about their medical history to understand any conditions they may have had as children that could affect their fertility in adulthood.
If a man has had problems with his testicles in his teens (such as undescended testes) or has suffered from painful inflammation due to mumps, it could be a warning sign for future fertility issues. Understanding these early issues will help men to make informed decisions and to take proactive measures before trying to get pregnant.
2. What You Choose to Do With Your Lifestyle is Important
It’s easy when preparing for a pregnancy to focus only on the health of the woman and ignore the lifestyle choices of the man. Men’s lifestyle choices have a significant impact on sperm quality. DDrStankiewicz stresses that the process of sperm creation is a long one that can take up to 70 days. During this time, sperm cell development goes through different stages. Negative lifestyle factors such as stress, poor diet or substance abuse can interfere with the process, resulting in lower-quality perm.
Smoking, excessive alcohol, stress and lack of exercise can all affect sperm production. It is, therefore, important that men adopt healthy lifestyle habits before trying to conceive. Men can improve their sperm quality by improving their diet, exercising, and managing stress.
3. Three Months Preparation
Dr. Stankiewicz recommends that men start preparing for conception three months in advance of actively trying to get pregnant. Why three months before trying to conceive? It takes about 70 days to mature sperm. Men who want to improve their sperm health should make lifestyle and dietary changes early to give them time to see the results.
It is important to allow three months for improvements in diet, lifestyle, and exercise to be noticeable. It may take too long to see significant improvements in your sperm’s health if you make changes to your diet and lifestyle right before trying for a baby. It’s important to begin as soon as possible to make sure that your sperm are in the best condition for conception.
4. What You Eat Affects Sperm Quality
Men need to eat well to maintain fertility. Diet is crucial for sperm motility, morphology and production. Diets rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are known to improve sperm quality.
For sperm health, certain nutrients are essential, including zinc, vitamin D and vitamin E, as well as folic acid, magnesium and selenium. Zinc helps to form sperm, while selenium acts as an antioxidant and protects the sperm against oxidative damage. Folic acid plays a vital role in cell division and DNA synthesis, both of which are crucial processes for sperm production.
Dr Stankiewicz suggests that you include foods such as leafy vegetables (especially spinach), shellfish, fruits, Brazil nuts and dark chocolate in your diet. These foods contain the antioxidants and nutrients needed to produce healthy sperm. Natural antioxidants and micronutrients are beneficial not only for sperm but for your overall health.
You can increase your chances of successfully fertilizing an egg by ensuring you eat a diet rich in nutrients. Men should also prioritize their health.
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5. Maintain a healthy BMI to keep sperm cool
The temperature of the sperm-producing testes is important. The testes must be kept at a lower temperature to maintain optimal fertility. Sperm production needs a slightly cooler body temperature. When a man’s body mass index (BMI) is higher, it can cause the temperature of his testes to rise and affect the health of sperm.
DDrStankiewicz says that obesity can cause a decrease in testosterone and an increase in testicular temperatures, which both hinder sperm formation. A higher percentage of overweight men are at risk of infertility because of the effects of excess fat around the testes. Maintaining a healthy BMI will improve sperm quality and, therefore, overall fertility.
Men should maintain a healthy weight by following a balanced eating plan and engaging in regular physical activity. This will help keep the sperm cool and maximize fertility. A healthy BMI improves not only sperm quality but also general health and reduces the risk of other issues that can affect fertility.
6. What to Avoid for Optimal Sperm Health
Men should avoid certain factors to ensure optimal sperm production. Dr Stankiewicz stresses that excessive heat may be harmful to the production of sperm. For instance, placing a laptop on the lap or regularly taking hot baths or saunas can increase the temperature of your testes. This can negatively affect the health of your sperm.
Sedentary living is another factor that should be avoided. Men who sit for long periods or use technology without physical activity can negatively affect their sperm. Dr Stankiewicz suggests that men exercise at least 30 minutes per day to improve their fertility and sperm production.
Men should avoid excessive alcohol consumption and recreational drugs. All of these behaviours can impair sperm, reduce sperm counts, and increase the chances of abnormal sperm that have poor motility or DNA damage. Men can increase their chances of conception by reducing or eliminating their bad habits.
7. Sperm Can Have Bad Hair Days
Like everyone experiences bad hair days from time to time, so can sperm. Dr Stankiewicz says that sperm can change from day to day due to illness, stress or lifestyle choices. It’s important to keep in mind that temporary conditions can affect sperm quality if you are undergoing fertility tests and your results aren’t optimal.
If the initial test results are not favourable, Dr Stankiewicz suggests that men repeat their sperm tests after a couple of weeks. Testing your sperm four to eight weeks later will provide a more accurate picture of your fertility. Sperm quality can change based on lifestyle, diet or health conditions.
8. Act Now!
The age factor is important for both male and female reproductive health. While the decline in male fertility might not be as dramatic as that of women, it is still significant. Dr Stankiewicz explains that sperm counts decrease with age. Older men may also experience DNA fragmentation and a decline in motility. Men over 50 have a 20% lower chance of conceiving than men under 30.
After 35, the quality of sperm begins to decline more pronouncedly. Men older than 35 are 50% less likely to become pregnant within a single year as compared to men younger than 25. It is, therefore, important not to delay conception, particularly if you’re in your 30s. The earlier you begin to prepare your body for fatherhood, the greater your chances of success.
9. Sperm Should be a Chivalrous Symbol
To maximize your chances of conception, the sperm must arrive in the fallopian tubes before the egg. Dr Stankiewicz suggests having intercourse two to three days before ovulation so that the sperm has time to reach the eggs. It is important to do this because sperm can survive in the female reproductive system for several days, but eggs have a shorter life span.
The sperm has the best chance to reach and fertilize the egg if you time your intercourse with her ovulation. Couples who are trying to conceive can optimize their chances of conception by tracking ovulation.
10. Regular Ejaculation Aids
Regular ejaculation will help maintain healthy sperm. Dr Stankiewicz suggests that men ejaculate at least every two to three days when trying to get pregnant. Regular ejaculation helps to maintain a constant flow of sperm and lowers the chance of producing sperm that has abnormal DNA.
It may be tempting to “save” sperm and use it later, but this can reduce the quality of sperm. Over time, the quality of sperm may decrease, increasing the likelihood of DNA fragmentation. Men can make sure that their sperm is healthy, mobile, and ready to fertilise an egg by ejaculating frequently.
Conclusion
Fertility is a shared responsibility when it comes to trying to have a child. Both partners need to take proactive measures to prepare for conception. Understanding the factors that influence sperm quality is crucial to the success of fertilization.
Men can improve their chances of becoming fathers by following these 10 tips, including speaking with their mothers about their medical history, improving their diet, and adopting a healthier lifestyle. You can improve the health of your sperm by making lifestyle and preparation changes.
