How to raise your chance to become pregnant

March 3, 2014  11:30

Some women spend months or even years trying to conceive, others get pregnant effortlessly. Why? Experts concede it's still largely a mystery, Fox News reports.

And yet, there are ways you and your partner could increase your chances of getting pregnant. Try these lifestyle tweaks.

Kick your soda addiction

Women who drink two or more servings of any type of soda a day have about a 16 percent lower fertility rate than women who don't drink any, according to a 2012 study co-authored by Lauren Wise, ScD.

Go to bed early

Research suggests that women undergoing IVF treatments see the best results when they regularly clock seven to eight hours of sleep a night.

Be a better brusher

Gum disease can add an extra two months to the amount of time it takes to become pregnant, 2011 Australian research shows. Make sure you get your teeth checked before trying to conceive.

Exercise, but not too much

Thin women who work out vigorously five hours a week or more are 42 percent less likely to get pregnant than those who don't exercise as strenuously, research suggests.

Don't let him turn into a couch potato

Guys who watch more than 20 hours of TV weekly have a 44 percent lower sperm count than those who watch almost none, a Harvard study showed.

Get a handle on chronic anxiety

"If your stress levels become high enough, you'll simply stop ovulating," explains Dr. Sarah Berga, chair of ob-gyn and women's health at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Try giving up gluten

A recent Columbia University study suggests that 6 percent of women with unexplained infertility have celiac disease. "They produce antibodies that may interfere with the development of the placenta," said study author Dr. Peter Green. After subjects went on a gluten-free diet, they were able to conceive within a year.

Encourage him to lose weight

Men who are overweight or obese are more likely to have low total sperm counts and concentration, according to a study.

...And quit smoking

Lighting up leads to lower sperm quality, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which is why it recommends quitting smoking if trying to conceive.

...And move his phone

Men who store phones on their belts or in their pants pockets have lower sperm counts, according to a review published by the Environmental Working Group, possibly due to the electromagnetic waves they emit.

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