Trying to conceive? Watch out for these signs of infertility!

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Say you have been trying to conceive for a year or even more, but have not been able to get pregnant so far. It could be because your fertility can be affected by many factors than you might have thought. Although a woman’s fertility decreases as she gets older, lifestyle choices and external factors can make you less fertile even during her healthy years.

Here are some things that can make you infertile or affect your chances of having a healthy baby:

Obesity

Obesity can mess with your fertility by causing hormonal imbalances and problems with ovulation. As per a 2009 study published in Fertility and Sterility, women who were obese at age 18 were more likely to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and have problems with infertility.

Low BMI

Being pregnant is a hard work! One study showed that women with a BMI of between 20 and 25 had a better chance of conceiving than women with a BMI below or above this range. This indicates that the amount of body fat you have may affect your fertility – which means you need a healthy amount of fat for proper hormone function.

Insufficient sleep

Lack of sleep has been linked to reduced leptin levels that regulate your menstrual cycle. Low leptin production can disrupt menstrual cycles, which in turn can affect your fertility. Try to get adequate sleep for proper leptin production.

Stress

High stress levels have been associated with an increased risk of infertility. Women with high levels of alpha-amylase (a stress hormone) were found to have a lower chance of pregnancy than women with low alpha-amylase levels. They were also found to be two times more at risk for infertility.

Perhaps, several studies have strongly suggested that emotional stress can actually impair fertility both in men and women.

Smoking

Smoking, which is a major risk factor for lung and breast cancer, can also severely affect a woman's chances of getting pregnant in the first place. Smoking can also hurt a developing fetus. One 2014 study even suggested that a woman's smoking may affect the fertility of her sons.