GET HEALTHY TO GET PREGNANT: GET PREGNANT BY GETTING HEALTHY

 

"YOUR CHOICE"

There was an interesting article published in the Herald Sun “Don’t risk your bub with booze” last week talking about alcohol during and after pregnancy. This article really had an impact on my views towards alcohol before and during pregnancy. Click here to follow the link http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/dont-risk-your-bub-with-booze/story-fn7x8me2-1226272155189

Working in the field of Fertility, I constantly see woman struggling with the issues of infertility. Gone are the days of falling pregnant like our parents did. When I ask my patients about their Mother’s history relating to fertility, most say,  Mum had little or no difficulty falling pregnant. Every woman that walks through my door has some issue relating to fertility. It’s hard enough trying to conceive naturally and if your doing IVF even harder again.

"In the past 40 years, Australian women and girls have stepped up to join the men and boys at the bar," Dr Stone said. This indicates that women have a real issue when it comes to alcohol.  We live in a culture where we think it’s ok to drink.  Have a stressful day at work then have a drink to relieve the stress. Anna Kokavec did a recent study examining the effects of alcohol on hormones. She describes this situation perfectly. In her transcript she  quoted “That's right, and most of us, if you do have that glass of white wine it's not unusual for somebody to say 'oh, I really needed that,' and 'oh, I feel so much better'. So there is this reinforcing effect. So if we are lowering the level of, say, stress hormone in the brain, well we will be feeling more relaxed. That has implications for things such as addiction, because of course if you are stressed you're being rewarded for actually consuming that alcohol, so you're more likely to reach for a glass of white wine the next time you're stressed”.
 
When it comes to alcohol and fertility, the two do not mix. Alcohol has a huge impact not only on your health but also your child’s. We need to take our health seriously when it comes to falling pregnant. All literature and research conclude the same findings that the adverse affects of alcohol range from; infertility, increased risk for spontaneous abortion to impaired fetal growth and development. Bascically, drinking alcohol puts you and your baby at risk for a miscarriage, pre –term birth and other serious health issues.

There are many reasons why we choose to leave pregnancy till our 30s or 40s. For most of us we are in mid to late 30s when make this decision. The decade of the 30s brings security in our careers and relationships, so having children in your 30s makes financial and practical sense. However, pregnancy at any age comes with its distinct advantages and disadvantages. What we are faced with in our 30s is what I call the “odds of success”. We all know that from 30s onwards our eggs are on the decline and the probabilities of conception are reduced with age.  Particularly, if we have made bad lifestyle choices during our 20’s and 30’s, 

The reality is “the older you get, the more lifestyle choices you make influence your health”. When we make the decision to have a baby we make the choice to live a healthy lifestyle. We want to give our children the best possible start to life and this therefore begins with us. Numero uno.  Wanting to have a healthy baby is a primal urge. So most women are therefore capable of being very well behaved while pregnant. It easy, by cleaning up your act it will actually help you get pregnant

What effects does alcohol have?

• Alcohol induces a rise in estrogen levels as a consequence of the metabolic breakdown of alcohol in the liver
• Evidence points to an induces rise in natural or synthetic estrogen levels in woman.
• Increased rate of testosterone- in women
• Decreased rate of testosterone in men
• Decreased rate of estraodial to estrogen
• Decreased levels of progesterone
• Alcohol impairs regulation of blood sugar levels

What does this mean?

• Ovulatory disorder
• Luteal Phase defects
• Alters blood sugar levels
• Impairs reproductive functions
• Interferes with calcium metabolism and bone structure
• Inadequate functioning of the ovaries and testes
• Hormonal deficiencies
• Sexual dysfunction
• Infertility

It can be seen that Alcohol has a wide range of effects on the hormone system and can present many real concerns. When it come to our fertility and having babies,  make the conscious decision to stop drinking before and during your pregnancy. I have a no alcohol rule and I don’t negotiate this with my patients. I witness the struggles of woman everyday. If we remove the external factors that can contribute to infertility then we are already half way there to having a healthy baby and conception. My advice is think twice before you sip that glass of wine. Ask yourself do I really need this glass of wine? Instead, go for a walk, have your favourite cup of tea or have some dark chocolate (80%). Look for the healthy alternative. Remember get healthy to get pregnant and get pregnant by getting healthy.