{"id":138,"date":"2021-03-30T10:01:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-30T14:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/138\/7-things-to-avoid-while-ttc\/"},"modified":"2024-12-31T14:13:59","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T19:13:59","slug":"7-things-to-avoid-while-ttc","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/138\/7-things-to-avoid-while-ttc\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven things to avoid while TTC"},"content":{"rendered":"

We always hear about ways you can boost your fertility, but what about the things that may be hurting you? Here is a list of the top things that every person who is TTC should take care of and avoid.<\/p>\n

1) Smoking<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not just bad during pregnancy – smoking<\/a> or vaping while you are trying to conceive can also have drastic implications for your fertility and your chances of getting pregnant quickly. Cigarettes and vapes are loaded with various chemicals, and these chemicals can seriously interfere with your health, including damaging the genetic material in eggs and sperm.<\/p>\n

2) Binge drinking (alcohol, that is)<\/h3>\n

Another thing to avoid when trying to conceive, is binge drinking. Doing this while TTC may make getting pregnant more difficult. Although the exact link between alcohol and fertility<\/a> remains under investigation, the statistics don\u2019t lie: one 2009 study from doctors at Harvard found that women undergoing IVF were 18% less likely to conceive if they had more than six alcoholic drinks a week. This isn\u2019t to say that you have to abstain from alcohol completely. Still, given the unknown effects of alcohol on fertility and the known risks during pregnancy, cutting down on alcohol can have some major benefits.<\/p>\n

3) Excess Caffeine<\/h3>\n

Excess consumption of caffeine is linked to impaired fertility. Studies in mice show that too much daily caffeine<\/span> can prevent eggs from maturing properly, which makes conception much more difficult. Because the suggested safe limit for caffeine in\u00a0pregnancy<\/a> is about 1 cup of coffee per day, it\u2019s definitely a good idea to cut back on your caffeine intake while TTC.<\/p>\n

4) Calorie restriction<\/h3>\n

Keeping healthy is important for conceiving, but if you are losing weight, it\u2019s better to do so in a balanced way, as opposed to restricting calorie intake dramatically. Your body needs enough energy to ovulate and have a regular cycle.<\/span> Not enough eating could throw off your body\u2019s ability to ovulate regularly or at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

5)<\/b> Over-exercising<\/b><\/h3>\n

Going hand in hand with eating enough is number 5. Although it\u2019s great to get plenty of exercise when trying to conceive, there is definitely such a thing as too much. Physical activity without enough fuel (think Olympic-level workouts, not morning runs) or a lack of body fat can disrupt the body\u2019s normal hormonal functioning, resulting in irregular or absent ovulation. So, if your workouts are intense enough that your cycles are irregular, you should check with your healthcare provider or scale back.<\/span><\/p>\n

6) Fish high in mercury<\/h3>\n

Bigger fish<\/a> like shark, swordfish, and tilefish, among others, are high in the heavy metal mercury. Mercury can be devastating for a baby\u2019s neurological development in the womb, so you should make sure that any fish you eat before or during pregnancy doesn\u2019t contain high levels of it.<\/p>\n

7) Water-based lubricants<\/h3>\n

Many people use lubrication, but for those who are TTC, it’s important to choose the right one. Many types of lubrication, particularly water-based ones, are not sperm-friendly, so look for FDA-approved lube that\u2019s fertility-friendly!<\/p>\n

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