10 Things that WILL affect your fertility! #2 is...

Clear your throat...SMOKING!

This one is a given, I know. Any habit that causes you to wake up the next morning coughing, can not be good for you, but here are a few additional facts you may not have thought about:

Smoking damages just about every reproductive organ including: eggs, fallopian tubes and sperm. Smoking also increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in fallopian tube) and increases the risk of miscarriage. Both cigarette and marijuana use result in the production of abnormal sperm. Nicotine in the cervical mucus of women who smoke also kills sperm,  making pregnancy less likely. Both men and women will experience hormonal changes if they are smokers. And if you know anything about reproduction / fertility, you know that the entire production is put on by the fluctuation of several hormones. If a hormone level does not reach it's potential, conception could be impossible.

BUT... keep in mind that stopping smoking CAN reverse some of the damage, and infertility issues can be resolved!

So, if you are trying to conceive and you are a smoker, STOP NOW. You may be pleasantly surprised when you see that plus sign in a month or two :)

# 3 coming soon...

10 Things that WILL affect your fertility! First one is...

#1...and keep in mind these are not in any particular order. It depends on your situation, health etc.

Your DIET, yes I said it. And I know no one wants to hear it, but what you eat can have a huge impact on how long it takes for you to conceive.

Here is an interesting article on the matter : http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2007/12/01/fat-carbs-and-the-science-of-conception.html

I remember just shoveling food into my mouth, not once looking at the label. Not paying attention to the preservatives and toxins that I was ingesting. During those stressful years of "trying" to conceive I gave myself the excuse that it was ok, because I was going to be pregnant soon and I was going to gain weight anyway. Right? Wrong! If only I had been following a proper diet, there's a chance I could have been holding my lil ones a lot sooner.

I am not doctor and I can never claim to have all of the right answers, but it is my belief that if you take in good stuff, you get good stuff in return. Kind of like your body's version of good Karma :)

No matter what, just focus on a healthy diet. Limit your "Slow" carb intake and no excess sugars. (That is not good for anyone). Make sure to look at the labels and reduce the preservatives that you take in. Remember, you could be pregnant right now and not know it yet. Make sure you are okay knowing that whatever you are eating, your baby may be eating, too.

As a side note: I have recently started the "Primal Blueprint" diet and I use the term diet loosely because it is more a way of life than a diet. On this plan they enforce living more like "Cavemen". In other words nothing processed, very little dairy, slow carbs not fast carbs like pasta and bread. My husband knows more than I do and I just follow his lead. Within 4 months of Alex's birth, I had lost 42 lbs and I am currently maintaining that weight. Keep in mind I only gained about 25 pounds over the course of my pregnancy. This "Diet" works! I feel great and I have enough energy now to keep up with my two lil men. Ben who is 2 and Alex who will be 7 months next week, wow time flies!

The pic to the right was taken yesterday, it is too sweet to see them together like this. It just melts my heart.

Stay tuned for # 2.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a happy and healthy conception journey :)

So, I am finally starting the BLOG. Yay!

Hello Everyone,

Sorry for the delay in getting this started, but it's now official. I am a blogger :)

Stay tuned for my next post. I am going to start with 10 things can WILL affect your fertility. For any of you that are trying to conceive I highly recommend you check it out!