Getting Pregnant Naturally_ Healthy Choi - Winifred Conkling [10]
In men, the sperm are produced in the testicles, then they must move along an eighteen-foot, tightly coiled tube known as the epididymis. The sperm must then travel through the vas deferens, the tube connecting the epididymis and the prostate gland. Many sexually transmitted diseases can cause tubular scarring and infertility; blocked sperm ducts account for an estimated 10 to 15 percent of male infertility. The more sex partners a man has had, the greater the number and type of bacteria he will have in his prostate gland and seminal fluid, and the greater the chance that these bacteria will cause PID in his female partners.
For both women and men, the best way to protect your fertility and to minimize your risk of developing STDs is to limit your number of sexual partners, use condoms, and seek medical care as soon as symptoms appear. In many cases, the damage caused by an STD is irreversible—and the damage is done before the infection is diagnosed and treated. For more information on sexually transmitted diseases, contact your gynecologist or another physician.
FERTILITY CHECKLIST
HERS
Calculate your anticipated day of ovulation using the calendar method.
Learn to recognize changes in your cervical mucus.
Chart the changes in your basal body temperature.
Monitor changes in your cervix.
Try an ovulation predictor kit.
Stay flat on your back for 20 to 30 minutes after intercourse.
Don’t douche.
Take a cough syrup with guaifenesin.
HIS
Ejaculate every two or three days all month.
Take a cold bath a half-hour before sex.
Talk to your doctor if you release little or no seminal fluid at orgasm.
Treat impotence.
COUPLES
Use the missionary position.
Make love in the morning.
Have intercourse every other day.
Avoid oral sex.
Don’t have intercourse under water.
Avoid pharmaceutical vaginal lubricants.
Consider whether either partner has anti-sperm antibodies.
Test for sexually transmitted diseases and treat them promptly.
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Nutrition and Nutrition Supplements:
Eat, Drink — and Get Pregnant
If you’re thinking about getting pregnant, you need to begin eating for two before you conceive. You don’t necessarily need to eat more, but you may need to eat better. Eating a balanced diet high in certain nutrients can help to improve your fertility. And changing your diet is easier—and much less expensive and potentially harmful—than experimenting with reproductive technologies.
But it’s often difficult, even under the best of circumstances, to get all the vitamins and minerals you need for optimal fertility from the foods you eat. The best way to make up for the shortcomings in your diet and to be sure you meet your minimum nutritional requirements is to take daily prenatal multivitamins at least six months before you want to conceive. In addition, other nutrition supplements can be used to enhance your fertility.
SHOPPING FOR SUPPLEMENTS
When shopping for nutrition supplements, look for store brands. All vitamins and nutrition supplements are essentially the same, so skip the brand-name products and look for the bargains. If you reach only for the heavily advertised brands, all you’re doing is helping the manufacturer pay for its advertising.
Don’t pay more for “natural” vitamins and supplements. The biggest difference between natural and synthetic vitamins is cost. Nutrition supplements that come from the laboratory are chemically identical to those that come from the farm. One important exception is vitamin E. The body can absorb and use natural vitamin ? more easily than the synthetic version.
Check the expiration date on the bottle before you buy. Nutrition supplements lose potency over time. The bottle should bear