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Babies. Whether you’re one of those girls that can’t help but go mushy and pull faces when you see one, or you cringe at the thought of motherhood, they’re a reality for many of us at some stage in our lives.
These days more and more women are making the choice not to have children and even those of us that do envision kids in our future are putting it off so we can focus on our careers.
While everybody is different and there is no ‘fool proof’ plan that guarantees pregnancy, there are some things you should be aware of when it comes to your fertility...
The Ideal Time In an ideal world, women would have children in their early 20s. In the real world, few of us are willing to become mothers so young. I spoke with fertility expert Loula George, who said that these days many of the women visiting her clinic are in their 30s and 40s. It doesn’t seem too old to be having kids to most of us, but it would have been unheard of back your Gran’s day! While it is better to have children younger, Loula says a good age to think about having kids is around 25-29 years old. Sure, some women in their early 40s are still conceiving without too many problems, but it’s better to have your children younger to avoid risks.
Can You Have it All? A major problem with our thinking these days is the ‘you can have it all’ mentality. We work hard, party hard and push ourselves to extremes and then somehow expect our bodies to deliver the goods – or the babies – when we ask them to. Loula is increasingly seeing women in her clinic with premature ovarian failure, or early menopause. Some are only in their 30s, but have pushed themselves so hard that their adrenal glands (which make the precursors to hormones) have blown out and their ovaries are no longer producing estrogen and developing fertile eggs. Without getting too technical, they’ve burnt their bodies out and it is very hard for them to fall pregnant. Now, there’s no need to freak out over this and wrap yourself in cotton wool, but be aware of your body and make sure you don’t push it beyond its limit.
Your Body is a Temple Think about how you treat your body. In your 20s you’re at your physical prime and feel bullet proof most days. But your lifestyle right now can affect your fertility in the future. Do you smoke regularly? Do you go on the odd, or frequent, bender with alcohol or drugs? These habits will seriously hamper your fertility and this applies to males too. One study carried out by Sydney researchers found that men who smoke a pack a day are 40% more likely to be impotent than non-smokers. Aside from the uncountable other health benefits that will result from kicking these habits, it will protect your fertility as well.
Things to Avoid No one likes to talk about them, but STI’s are more prevalent today than ever. Even the so-called treatable ones, like Chlamydia (our most common in NZ), cause huge problems when it comes to fertility and are a major contributor to miscarriages. A recent study by Durex showed that gonorrhoea is up by 52% and Chlamydia by 28%. Always practice safe sex and have regular check ups with your doctor. STIs can go undetected for lengthy periods of time and will do irreversible damage if left untreated.
Be aware of what you expose your body to. Without getting too paranoid, just look at what we deal with in our environment these days compared to women a hundred years ago. Fumes, toxins, and chemicals coating everything we touch and eat, not to mention what we slather on our bodies every day. (Have you ever looked at the ingredients in your face wash?) The longer we are exposed to all these pollutants, the more it breaks down our bodies.
What You Can Do Now Actively trying to live in a cleaner environment can make a difference long term. Simple things like using natural products on your body when you can and using environmentally friendly cleaning products will only be beneficial. Think about what you put inside your body as well, as this will affect your fertility. You often hear that foods such as oysters, shark’s fin, ginseng, pine nuts and prunes will boost fertility, but unfortunately most of this information is myth and clever marketing. The best thing you can do for your body is maintain good eating habits. The influence of a healthy diet on your body and fertility cannot be stated firmly enough.
Make sure you consume good protein, colourful fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish, legumes, nuts and seeds and clean water. Avoid processed food, sugars and trans and saturated fats. Try to fuel your body with good food – the more organic the better. Going hand in hand with good eating habits is, of course, exercise. Obesity plays a huge part in the inability to conceive for some women and it is important to maintain your weight and fitness. Make sure you get regular exercise, even if it’s only half an hour a day, and your body will reap the benefits.
When You’re Ready… When you decide the time is right, there are a few other things to think about. The pill needs to be considered: even when you stop taking it, remnants of the drug stay in your system for up to a year. There are also some women with purely medical reasons for infertility, with endometriosis and polycystic ovaries being common problems. If you are ready to start trying, the best thing to do is see your doctor first and talk to him or her about these issues. All these things said and done, it’s really up to your body when it’s ready to conceive. Stress is a major factor affecting many young women and your body is more sensitive to it than you think. Living a life where you never stop and are constantly under pressure will put your system under strain, so altering your lifestyle to alleviate stress can be hugely beneficial. It’s simply a matter of looking at your life and seeing where you can make changes.
Ultimately, your body will know when it’s ready to fall pregnant and this is more likely to happen when you are happy, healthy, and able to care for another human being. Taking the time to look after yourself now will prepare you for bringing a child into the world in the future – whenever you choose the right time to do it.
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go mushy and pull faces when you see one, or you cringe at the thought of motherhood, they’re a reality for many of us at some stage in our lives. 
In an ideal world, women would have children in their early 20s. In the real world, few of us are willing to become mothers so young. I spoke with fertility expert Loula George, who said that these days many of the women visiting her clinic are in their 30s and 40s. It doesn’t seem too old to be having kids to most of us, but it would have been unheard of back your Gran’s day! While it is better to have children younger, Loula says a good age to think about having kids is around 25-29 years old. Sure, some women in their early 40s are still conceiving without too many problems, but it’s better to have your children younger to avoid risks.
Think about how you treat your body. In your 20s you’re at your physical prime and feel bullet proof most days. But your lifestyle right now can affect your fertility in the future. Do you smoke regularly? Do you go on the odd, or frequent, bender with alcohol or drugs? These habits will seriously hamper your fertility and this applies to males too. One study carried out by Sydney researchers found that men who smoke a pack a day are 40% more likely to be impotent than non-smokers. Aside from the uncountable other health benefits that will result from kicking these habits, it will protect your fertility as well.
treated.
Make sure you consume good protein, colourful fruits and veggies, whole grains, fish, legumes, nuts and seeds and clean water. Avoid processed food, sugars and trans and saturated fats. Try to fuel your body with good food – the more organic the better. Going hand in hand with good eating habits is, of course, exercise. Obesity plays a huge part in the inability to conceive for some women and it is important to maintain your weight and fitness. Make sure you get regular exercise, even if it’s only half an hour a day, and your body will reap the benefits.