Are you and your partner having unprotected sex from last one year and still unable to conceive? Chances are that you may be suffering from infertility. One of the most common reasons for both male and female infertility is weight gain/obesity which in turn causes higher body mass index (BMI).
Are you obese: How To Calculate? Obesity is assessed with the help of BMI. It is a calculator used to analyse the amount of fat in the human body, based on the ratio of weight with respect to the height of an individual. The percentile of BMI is the finest calculation of body fat. To calculate BMI, measure your weight in kilos and divide it by height in meters squared.
For improved pregnancy and conception outcomes your BMI should be in the range 18.5 and 24.9.
BMI and Female Fertility
If you fall in overweight or obese category you are at a greater risk of infertility, and decreased pregnancy success. Obesity causes infertility by the following ways:
PCOS: Higher BMI may increase the risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It is a disease characterized by the presence of unusually large ovaries due to hormonal imbalance. As a result, the release of egg is affected each month leading to irregular menstrual cycles. This, is a one of the biggest reasons for female infertility.
Clotting: Higher BMI during pregnancy may lead to hypertension, gestational diabetes and blood clotting.
Miscarriage: The risk of premature labour pain or premature delivery is increased due to the state of obesity, which may lead to unintentional and untimely loss of pregnancy (miscarriage).
Poor IVF Success: Higher BMI than normal impacts the outcome of the fertility treatment by decreasing the efficacy of medications used to trigger ovulation. In addition, there may be low implantation success and difficulty in retrieving eggs and embryo transfer.
Ovarian Dysfunction: Overweight ladies generally have higher levels of insulin, which may inhibit ovulation and infertility.
Irregular menstrual cycles: Women with higher or lower BMI than normal are at a greater risk of suffering from hormonal imbalance which impacts ovulation and causes irregular menstrual cycles.
BMI and Male Fertility Higher BMI in males is linked to low sperm count, low libido and reduced sperm motility. This decreases the chance of a perfectly healthy lady of getting pregnant.
Obesity is a curable disease; you can treat it easily with a surge of patience and motivation. You should remember that both greater and lower BMI than normal may affect the fertility rate in men and women. By taking proper medications, healthy diet and staying physically actives helps keep BMI in check.
