Little Known Things that Can Affect Sperm and the Chance of Conception

Conceiving a boy or conceiving a girl depends not only upon the health of the mom–to-be but on dad’s health as well — especially his all-important sperm. You are probably aware that smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can reduce the quality of the sperm a man produces but there are other factors you may not have considered:

His weight makes a difference – It is not just women who can suffer from weight related fertility issues. Overweight (or severely underweight) males can have just as many problems. In a Finnish study researchers found that being just 20 pounds overweight decreased a man’s fertility by 10%.

Get busy in the morning – Scientists have determined that a man’s sperm count is highest in the morning hours, so if you are trying to conceive the AM hours are best.

Give lubricants a miss – Lubricants like KY Jelly can actually impede sperm in their journey or damage and kill them before they reach their target.  The exception to the rule is Preseed, a popular lubricant used by couples having difficulty conceiving.

Folic acid is good for him too – Most women know by now that increasing their folic acid consumption is a great way to be a healthy mom-to-be and prevent possible birth defects. But he should be doing the same while you are trying to conceive. A University of California study recently found that men who had lower levels of folic acid in their diets had a higher rate of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm.

Watch the laptop and cell phone use – There have been a few studies published recently that link lap tops and cell phones with sperm damage. A hot laptop (when used on the lap) may increase scrotal temperature, damaging sperm, while having a cell phone in his pocket for hours a time may have a similar effect.