If you and your partner have been trying for a baby for a significant period of time without success in can be emotionally draining as well causing considerable heartache. Of course, it is possible to get IVF treatment in Bangkok, but before you do this, you may want to consider making some small but powerful changes to your lifestyle as well as your partner’s.
Staying Healthy
IVF Treatment in Bangkok is always an option, but you could save yourself much money if you make some changes to how you live your life. It should be common sense, but if you and your partner are in physically good condition, your chances of getting pregnant are higher. Diabetes, asthma and obesity are all contributory factors when it comes to lowering your chances of becoming pregnant.
Chances of Becoming Pregnant
Research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that more than 80% of couples will become pregnant within one year if they have regular sex (two or three times a week) and don’t use contraception. Of the remaining 20%, half will become pregnant in the second year. Those that don’t become pregnant after this time should consider making lifestyle changes or visiting a fertility clinic in Bangkok, such as First Fertility.
Lifestyle Changes
Most of us lead busy lives which can mean that we eat on the move and have a sedentary lifestyle, spending most of our working day behind a desk. Temperatures and air quality in Bangkok aren’t conducive to exercise outside with many expatriates drinking alcohol to levels that are more than healthy recommended limits. All of these factors combined can significantly reduce our chances of becoming pregnant.
Healthy Weight
When most of us think about weight issues, we usually think about being overweight but being underweight can be equally damaging when you are looking to conceive. If you are carrying too much or too little fat, it is likely to lead to cause irregular periods or, in extreme circumstances, they may stop altogether. When this occurs, your chances of becoming pregnant diminish.
Your body mass index (BMI) can play a vital role when you are looking to conceive. A healthy BMI is between 20 and 25. As a general rule, those with a BMI of below 19 or above 30 are likely to encounter problems conceiving. Males with a BMI of over 30 are also likely to have fertility issues.
Alcohol, tobacco, prescription and non-prescription drugs
If you are considering trying for a baby or you are pregnant already, it is highly recommended that you avoid alcohol to keep the risks that your baby may be exposed to at a minimum. Also, your partner should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week which should spread over a minimum of three days. Alcohol can quickly damage the quality of a man’s sperm.
Tobacco is unhealthy to both males and females with smoking causing the most significant damage. Smoking and passive smoking should be avoided where possible before becoming pregnant and during pregnancy. It may reduce your fertility and cause harm to a developing foetus. Although at present, there is no direct proof, it is believed that smoking leads to poorer quality sperm. It has been proven that it does negatively affect your partner’s overall health.
High levels of caffeine, which is found in tea, coffee and some soft drinks are believed to cause fertility problems, although further research needs to be carried out. Both prescription and non-prescription drugs can interfere with male and female fertility. If this is something that is a concern to you, you should contact your primary healthcare provider.
Sugar
An excessive amount of sugar in the diet has been linked to obesity and is the leading cause of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Obesity and diabetes both have a negative impact on fertility, so sugar should be reduced or eliminated from the diet. Sugar substitutes such as honey or artificial sweeteners should be used as an alternative. Fruits, especially mango, contain high levels of sugar in the form of fructose. Therefore, your 5-a-day should comprise of mainly vegetables with only a small selection of fruits.
Carbonated drinks such as Coke should also be kept to a minimum.
Exercise
In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is recommended that you carry out some moderate exercise each day. It would help if you tried to take 10,000 steps per day, but you could also consider swimming, going to the gym or activities such as aerobics or yoga.
Best Time to Get Pregnant
You and your partner may want to alter your bedtime routine to increase your chances of becoming pregnant. The best chance of becoming pregnant is if you have sex within one day of ovulation when the female’s ovaries have just released the egg. It is approximately 14 days after the first day of your last period.
Once the egg has been released from the ovaries, it only stays alive for between 12 and 24 hours. For you to become pregnant, the sperm must fertilise the egg during this period. The male sperm can survive inside the female’s body for up to seven days. It is crucial to have sex every two or three days throughout the month. Timing sex around ovulation is only recommended if you are experiencing problem conceiving.
Do Sexual Positions Make a Difference?
Although there is no evidence to suggest that position make much difference to your chances of conceiving, the overall thought is that positions that allow deeper penetration may help, especially if the man is less well endowed. Positions such as doggie and missionary will bring sperm closer to the cervix.
Lubrication
If you require lubrication for penetrative sex, it is best to avoid KY jelly, saliva, olive oil and petroleum jelly as these can hamper the sperm’s ability to swim inside the cervix. As an alternative, you should consider pre-seed oil, mineral oil or canola oil.