When you think "I want a child" or "I want to prepare for future pregnancy", what should I do first? There must be a lot of people who have anxiety and doubts.
Pregnancy doesn't have to be difficult. The basics of pregnancy are a regular lifestyle and a healthy body.
There are things that both men and women can do during pregnancy. It is easy to understand for those who are about to start pregnancy and those who have just started pregnancy, and I will explain what to do in pregnancy and what to be careful about.
Find out in this article
- What you can do during pregnancy [for women]
- What you can do during pregnancy [for men]
- Points to keep in mind during pregnancy
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What you can do during pregnancy
Pregnancy means raising knowledge about pregnancy and preparing yourself for pregnancy. For women, the chances of getting pregnant gradually begin to decline in their 30s, so it is wise to start early if you are interested in trying to conceive. Start by learning about your own body, both men and women .
Woman
When a woman wants to know her body, it is recommended to measure her basal body temperature . You can learn about your menstrual cycle, ovulation timing, and hormone balance.
In a normal basal body temperature table with hormone balance, the menstrual cycle consists of two weeks of low temperature and two weeks of high temperature. However, if the hormone balance is disturbed, the basal body temperature cannot be divided into two clean layers.
If the basal body temperature does not divide into two layers, ovulation may not be occurring or hormone secretion may not be normal. If your menstrual cycle is irregular and your basal body temperature is not on a two-layer graph, see a doctor.
male
When a man wants to know about his body, it is recommended to check the state of erection and ejaculation . Insufficient erection and ejaculation can lead to infertility.
When you have sex, check to see if you're erect enough to penetrate the vagina and if you're ejaculating inside. If you don't have enough erections, you may have erectile dysfunction. Also, if the sperm does not come out even after ejaculation, reflux ejaculation, in which the sperm flows into the bladder, is considered. If you are concerned about your symptoms, seek medical attention.
Let's know the state of the body by examination at the medical institution
If you want to know more about your physical condition, we recommend that you have a medical examination. For women, the presence or absence of ovulation, hormone secretion status, and abnormalities in the ovaries and uterus can be checked, and for men, the number of sperm and the motility of sperm can be checked .
The cost of the examination seems to vary slightly from hospital to hospital.
- Blood test (female): several hundred yen to about 5,000 yen
- Ultrasound examination (female) about 1500 yen
- Semen test (male) 2000-5000 yen
If there is an abnormality in either the man or the woman, the chances of getting pregnant are low, so both couples should see a doctor.
Points to keep in mind during pregnancy
Keeping your body healthy is the most important thing when trying to get pregnant . Just because you're trying to conceive doesn't mean you'll get pregnant right away. In order to improve the quality of eggs and sperm and to normalize the secretion of hormones, it is necessary to maintain a regular lifestyle and build a healthy body.
Our bodies are made up of the accumulation of our daily lives, so let's review our lives once. In everyday life, there are many things you can do.
However, even if you want to review your lifestyle, many people may not know what to specifically do. Here are some points to keep in mind in your daily life.
Anti-stress
Stress can affect ovulation and menstrual cycles . There are quite a few people who feel pressured when they are unable to conceive, or feel impatient when people around them announce their pregnancy. Find your own ways to relax and take care of each other so that you and your wife or husband can live comfortably.
Reference: https://jp.rohto.com/dotest/lnln/11/orderly life
It has been reported that women with short sleep duration or sleep disorders have a lower chance of becoming pregnant 1) . The ideal sleep time is 7-8 hours. Getting plenty of sunlight in the morning will help you sleep better at night. Also, in order to prevent the awakening of the brain, it is better to refrain from using smartphones and computers before going to bed.
Cold sensitivity measures
The coldness of the body makes the blood circulation of the whole body worse, so the nutrition to the ovaries and uterus is not enough . Do you prefer cold drinks and foods that cool your body? Clothing that cools the neck, wrists, and ankles can also cause sensitivity to cold. Try to refrain from eating, drinking, and wearing clothes that cool your body.
balanced diet
Eating a well-balanced diet is important for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, such as regulating the menstrual cycle and promoting ovulation . Some may skip breakfast, which has been reported to have a negative impact on menstrual irregularities2). Foods to eat during pregnancy include whole grains, omega-3 fatty acids, fish, and soy. In addition, folic acid and multivitamins prevent birth defects during pregnancy and enhance the ability to maintain pregnancy3).
reach a proper weight
An unreasonable diet can upset the secretion of female hormones and prevent ovulation, but obesity also increases the risk of infertility . The standard BMI (weight kg/height m/height m) is between 18.5 and 25. In addition, as a result of investigating the relationship between daily exercise time and pregnancy probability, it was reported that those who exercised lightly for 5 hours or more a week had a higher chance of becoming pregnant than those who exercised for 1 hour or less. 4). Maintain a healthy weight by continuing moderate exercise.
refrain from smoking and drinking
Smoking and drinking alcohol are harmful to both men and women trying to conceive . Men who smoke may have an increased risk of erectile dysfunction or impaired sperm production, and women who smoke are 1.45 times more likely to develop dysmenorrhea than non-smokers5). In addition, it has been reported that women who do not smoke have strong menstrual symptoms if they have been exposed to tobacco smoke since childhood6).
Excessive drinking leads to a decline in male hormones, which has a significant impact on pregnancy, such as erectile dysfunction and a decrease in sperm count. Furthermore, studies have shown that women who drink alcohol are at risk of infertility and have adverse effects on the fetus, but the detailed mechanism is not clear7). If you want to prioritize your pregnancy, let's refrain from smoking and drinking each other.
Read the following articles together
What you can do to make your body more fertile
If you have any concerns or questions about trying to conceive, consult a medical institution.
Pregnancy and childbirth become more difficult with age . Depending on whether you are in your 20s, 30s, or 40s when you start trying to get pregnant, the way you think about getting pregnant and what you do will change. If you feel uneasy or if you have any questions, we recommend that you consult a specialized medical institution.
summary
We have introduced what you can do for men and women about pregnancy, and the knowledge you want to know about each other. Pregnancy is not something that either one of you can work hard on. It takes a couple's cooperation to make a body that is easy to get pregnant .
Pregnancy and childbirth are not goals, but the beginning of a new life. Try not to get too nervous and try to live a healthy life while taking care of each other so that trying to conceive does not become stressful.
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References
1) Wills SK et al.: Female sleep patterns, shift work, and fecundability in a North American preconception cohort study, 2019 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30987736/
2) Tomoko Fujiwara: Skipping breakfast adversely affects menstrual disorders in young college students, 2009 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19468949/
3) Chiu YH, et al.: Diet and female fertility: doctor, what should I eat?, 2018 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001502821830428
4) Wise LA, et al.: A prospective cohort study of physical activity and time to pregnancy, 2012 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3340509/
5) Qin LL et al., : Association between cigarette smoking and the risk of dysmenorrhea: A meta-analysis of observational studies, 2020 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32294123/
6) Hiroko Sakai, Kazutomo Ohashi, : Effects of past environmental tobacco smoke exposure on the menstrual cycle and menstrual phase-related symptoms: A cross-sectional study, 2021 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33103300/
7) NK Mello: Neuroendocrine consequences of alcohol abuse in women, 1989 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2662859/
