Getting Pregnant Naturally_ Healthy Choi - Winifred Conkling [34]
There are six main types of yoga; the two most common in the United States are hatha yoga and tantra yoga. (Hatha yoga is what most people think of when they mention yoga.) When practicing hatha yoga, you concentrate on your breathing while assuming a series of physical postures, moving between them slowly and with concentration. Tantra yoga is more meditative and involves the elaborate use of rituals. Both forms build physical strength and relieve stress.
For background on yoga postures and practicing the technique, check out a book on yoga from your local library, take a class at a local “Y” or recreation facility, or rent a yoga video. For professional assistance, look in the Yellow Pages under “yoga” or contact the Integral Yoga Institute, 227 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011, (212) 929-0586.
FERTILITY CHECKLIST
COUPLES
Have an orgasm.
Join a fertility support group.
Don’t adopt a child because you think it will help you conceive.
Practice stress management, including:
Biofeedback
Deep breathing
Massage
Meditation
Progressive relaxation
Visualization
Yoga
8
Lifestyle: Keys to Conception
To conceive a child is a remarkable feat. Think about it: It requires precise timing, exquisite hormonal balance, overall good health—and perhaps a touch of divine intervention. While some of these factors are beyond your control, how you live and how you treat your body can have an impact on your overall health and your fertility. That goes both for how you behave now and for what you may have done—or not done—in the past.
HERS
Lose Weight Gradually
Your brain chemistry affects your fertility, and a sudden drop in body weight can throw off the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone by the hypothalamus in the brain. Crash diets and the corresponding shift in weight can confuse the body’s hormone production, possibly resulting in infertility.
If you are overweight, try to lose weight, if possible. Ideally, you should not try to get pregnant until you lose the weight and give your body a chance to adjust to your new physique. Take at least one month of dieting for each six or seven pounds you want to lose (or gain). After reaching your target weight, wait six to eight weeks to give your hormone levels a chance to stabilize before trying to get pregnant. (More under Couples.)
Exercise—But Not Too Much
Regular exercise can help keep you lean and fit, but excessive exercise can keep you from having a baby. If your body fat level dips too low, you may stop ovulating. Or, if you work out more than an hour a day, you may disrupt the timing of your reproductive hormones.
One study found that women who exercised vigorously for more than an hour a day were more likely to experience infertility. Researchers speculate that the endorphins—the feel-good chemicals released during exercise—may alter a woman’s prolactin levels, interrupting the timing of ovulation. Don’t use the information as an excuse to turn flabby, just exercise in moderation.
Moderation means different things to different women. Strive to work out at least twenty to thirty minutes three times per week, but not more than sixty minutes six times per week. Choose any activity that you enjoy, even running or jogging (unless you have had a problem with miscarriage or your gynecologist recommends against it).
Limit Your Use of Caffeine
It appears that the less caffeine you consume, the more likely you are to get pregnant. Research done at the National Institutes of Health show that drinking as little as one five-ounce cup of coffee—or other foods with the equivalent 115 milligrams of caffeine—can halve your chances of becoming pregnant in any given month compared to women who do not consume caffeine. Another study found that one caffeinated soft drink per day caused the same 50 percent decrease in conception. While not all women seem to respond to restricting caffeine consumption, it can’t hurt to give it a try. You