What can a man do to increase chances of pregnancy
How can I improve my chances of becoming a dad – NHS
It may seem obvious, but you need to have regular sex (2 or 3 times a week) if you want to become a dad.
Having sex around the time your partner ovulates (when an egg is released from the ovary) will increase your chances of conceiving.
Read more about the best time to get pregnant.
There are also a number of lifestyle changes you can make to improve your chances of becoming a dad.
Sperm temperature
Your testicles are outside your body because, to produce the best quality sperm, they need to be kept cooler than the rest of you (slightly below body temperature).
If you're planning a pregnancy, taking a few simple measures to keep your testicles cool may help. For example, if your job involves working in a hot environment, take regular breaks outside. If you sit still for long periods, get up and move around regularly.
Wearing tight underwear is also thought to increase testicle temperature by up to 1C. Although research has shown that tight underwear does not seem to affect sperm quality, you may want to wear loose-fitting underwear, such as boxer shorts, while trying for a baby.
Smoking
Smoking can reduce fertility, so you should give up smoking if you want to become a dad.
Smoking around a newborn baby also significantly increases their chances of respiratory disease and cot death (sudden infant death syndrome).
A GP will be able to give you advice and treatment to help you quit smoking.
You can also visit the NHS Smokefree website for more help and advice about quitting smoking, or you can call the helpline on 0300 123 1044 (9am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday).
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol excessively can affect the quality of sperm. The UK Chief Medical Officers' recommendation is to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, which should be spread evenly over 3 days or more.
One unit of alcohol is the equivalent of half a pint of beer or lager, or a single pub measure (25ml) of spirits. A small glass of wine (125ml) contains 1.5 units of alcohol.
Read more about alcohol support and alcohol units.
Recreational drugs
Some recreational drugs are known to damage sperm quality and reduce male fertility. These include:
- cannabis
- cocaine
- anabolic steroids
You should avoid taking these types of drugs if you're trying for a baby.
Medicines
Some prescription medicines and medicines you buy from a pharmacy can also affect male fertility.
For example, some chemotherapy medicines can affect fertility, either temporarily or permanently.
Long-term use of some antibiotics can also affect both sperm quality and quantity. But these effects are usually reversed 3 months after stopping the medicine.
Speak to a GP, pharmacist or other healthcare professional if you're taking a medicine and you're unsure whether it could affect your fertility.
Diet, weight and exercise
Eating a healthy, balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight is essential for keeping your sperm in good condition.
The Eatwell Guide shows that to have a healthy diet you should:
- eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day (see 5 A Day)
- base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
- include some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks and yoghurts)
- eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
Being overweight (having a body mass index above 25) may affect the quality and quantity of your sperm.
If you're overweight and trying for a baby, you should try to lose weight by combining healthy eating with regular exercise.
Stress
Stress can affect your relationship. It can also lower your or your partner's sex drive (libido), which may reduce how often you have sex.
Severe stress may also limit sperm production. So when trying to have a baby, learning to relax and taking steps to reduce the amount of stress in your life will help.
Read more about loss of libido, mental health and wellbeing and breathing exercise for stress.
Getting help
Some people get pregnant quickly, but for others it can take longer. It's a good idea to see a GP if your partner is not pregnant after a year of trying.
Further information
- How can I increase my chances of getting pregnant
- What is preconception care?
- Infertility
Page last reviewed: 15 May 2020
Next review due: 15 May 2023
10 Ways to Boost Male Fertility and Increase Sperm Count
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If you and your partner are experiencing fertility issues, know that you’re not alone. Infertility is more common than you might think.
It affects about one in every six couples, and researchers estimate about one in every three cases is due to fertility problems in the male partner alone (1, 2).
While infertility is not always treatable, there are some things you can do to boost your chances of conceiving. Fertility can sometimes be improved with a healthy diet, supplements, and other lifestyle strategies.
This article lists some of the main lifestyle factors, foods, nutrients, and supplements that have been associated with improved fertility in men.
Fertility refers to people’s ability to reproduce without medical assistance.
Male infertility is when a man has a poor chance of making his female partner pregnant. It usually depends on the quality of his sperm cells.
Sometimes infertility is linked to sexual function, and other times it could be linked to semen quality. Here are some examples of each:
- Libido. Otherwise known as sex drive, libido describes a person’s desire to have sex. Foods or supplements that claim to increase libido are called aphrodisiacs.
- Erectile dysfunction. Also known as impotence, erectile dysfunction is when a man is unable to develop or maintain an erection.
- Sperm count. An important aspect of semen quality is the number or concentration of sperm cells in a given amount of semen.
- Sperm motility. An essential function of healthy sperm cells is their ability to swim. Sperm motility is measured as the percentage of moving sperm cells in a sample of semen.
- Testosterone levels. Low levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone, may be responsible for infertility in some men.
Infertility can have multiple causes and may depend on genetics, general health, fitness, diseases, and dietary contaminants.
Additionally, a healthy lifestyle and diet are important. Some foods and nutrients are associated with greater fertility benefits than others.
Here are 10 science-backed ways to boost sperm count and increase fertility in men.
D-aspartic acid (D-AA) is a form of aspartic acid, a type of amino acid that’s sold as a dietary supplement.
It should not be confused with L-aspartic acid, which makes up the structure of many proteins and is far more common than D-AA.
D-AA is mainly present in certain glands, such as the testicles, as well as in semen and sperm cells.
Researchers believe that D-AA is implicated in male fertility. In fact, D-AA levels are significantly lower in infertile men than fertile men (3).
This is supported by studies showing that D-AA supplements may increase levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone that plays an essential role in male fertility.
For example, a study in infertile men suggested that taking 2.7 grams of D-AA for 3 months increased their testosterone levels by 30–60% and sperm count and motility by 60–100%.
The number of pregnancies also increased among their partners (4).
Another controlled study in healthy men showed that taking 3 grams of D-AA supplements daily for 2 weeks increased testosterone levels by 42% (5).
However, the evidence is not consistent. Studies in athletes or strength-trained men with normal to high testosterone levels found that D-AA didn’t increase its levels further and even reduced them at high doses (6, 7).
The current evidence indicates that D-AA supplements may improve fertility in men with low testosterone levels, while they don’t consistently provide additional benefits in men with normal to high levels.
More research is needed to investigate the potential long-term risks and benefits of D-AA supplements in humans.
Shop for D-aspartic acid supplements online.
Besides being good for your general health, exercising regularly can boost testosterone levels and improve fertility.
Studies show that men who exercise regularly have higher testosterone levels and better semen quality than inactive men (8, 9, 10).
However, you should avoid too much exercise, as it may have the opposite effect and potentially reduce testosterone levels. Getting the right amount of zinc can minimize this risk (11, 12, 13).
If you rarely exercise but want to improve your fertility, make becoming physically active one of your top priorities.
You’re probably familiar with vitamin C’s ability to boost the immune system.
Some evidence indicates that taking antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin C, may improve fertility.
Oxidative stress is when levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) reach harmful levels in the body.
It happens when the body’s own antioxidant defenses are overwhelmed because of disease, old age, an unhealthy lifestyle, or environmental pollutants (14, 15, 16).
ROS are constantly being produced in the body, but their levels are kept in check in healthy people. High levels of ROS may promote tissue injury and inflammation, increasing the risk of chronic disease (17).
There’s also some evidence that oxidative stress and excessively high levels of ROS may lead to infertility in men (18, 19).
Taking in enough antioxidants, such as vitamin C, may help counteract some of these harmful effects. There’s also some evidence that vitamin C supplements may improve semen quality.
A study in infertile men showed that taking 1,000-mg vitamin C supplements twice a day for up to 2 months increased sperm motility by 92% and sperm count by more than 100%. It also reduced the proportion of deformed sperm cells by 55% (20).
Another observational study in Indian industrial workers suggested that taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C five times a week for 3 months may protect against DNA damage caused by ROS in sperm cells.
Vitamin C supplements also significantly improved sperm count and motility, while reducing the numbers of deformed sperm cells (21).
Taken together, these findings suggest that vitamin C may help improve fertility in infertile men with oxidative stress.
However, controlled studies are needed before any definite claims can be made.
It’s hard to get in the mood when you’re feeling stressed, but there might be more to it than not feeling up for sex. Stress may reduce your sexual satisfaction and impair your fertility (22, 23, 24).
Researchers believe the hormone cortisol may partly explain these adverse effects of stress.
Prolonged stress raises levels of cortisol, which has strong negative effects on testosterone. When cortisol goes up, testosterone levels tend to go down (25, 26).
While severe, unexplained anxiety is typically treated with medication, milder forms of stress can be reduced with relaxation techniques.
Stress management can be as simple as taking a walk in nature, meditating, exercising, or spending time with friends.
Vitamin D can be important for male and female fertility. It’s another nutrient that may boost testosterone levels.
One observational study showed that vitamin-D-deficient men were more likely to have low testosterone levels (27).
A controlled study in 65 men with low testosterone levels and vitamin D deficiency supported these findings. Taking 3,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day for 1 year increased their testosterone levels by around 25% (28).
High vitamin D levels are linked to greater sperm motility, but the evidence is inconsistent (29, 30).
Tribulus terrestris, also known as puncture vine, is a medicinal herb frequently used to enhance male fertility.
One study in men with low sperm counts showed that taking 6 grams of tribulus root twice daily for 2 months improved erectile function and libido (31).
While Tribulus terrestris does not raise testosterone levels, research indicates that it may enhance the libido-promoting effects of testosterone (32, 33, 34).
However, further studies are needed to confirm its aphrodisiac properties and evaluate the long-term risks and benefits of supplementing with it.
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a popular culinary and medicinal herb.
One study in 30 men who strength-trained four times a week analyzed the effects of taking 500 mg of fenugreek extract daily.
The men experienced significantly increased testosterone levels, strength, and fat loss, compared with a placebo (35).
Another study in 60 healthy men showed that taking 600 mg of Testofen, a supplement made from fenugreek seed extract and minerals, daily for 6 weeks improved libido, sexual performance, and strength (36).
These findings were confirmed by another, larger study in 120 healthy men. Taking 600 mg of Testofen every day for 3 months improved self-reported erectile function and the frequency of sexual activity.
Also, the supplement significantly increased testosterone levels (37).
Keep in mind that all of these studies examined fenugreek extracts. It’s unlikely that whole fenugreek, which is used in cooking and herbal tea, is as effective.
Zinc is an essential mineral found in high amounts in animal foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, and shellfish.
Getting enough zinc is one of the cornerstones of male fertility.
Observational studies show that low zinc status or deficiency is associated with low testosterone levels, poor sperm quality, and an increased risk of male infertility (38).
Also, taking zinc supplements increases testosterone levels and sperm count in those who are low in zinc (39, 40, 41).
Furthermore, zinc supplements may reduce the decreased testosterone levels that are associated with excessive amounts of high-intensity exercise (12, 13).
Controlled trials need to confirm these observational findings.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a medicinal herb that’s been used in India since ancient times.
Studies suggest that ashwagandha may improve male fertility by boosting testosterone levels.
One study in men with low sperm cell counts showed that taking 675 mg of ashwagandha root extract per day for 3 months significantly improved fertility.
Specifically, it increased sperm counts by 167%, semen volume by 53%, and sperm motility by 57%, compared with levels at the start of the study.
In comparison, minimal improvements were detected among those who got a placebo treatment (42).
Increased testosterone levels may be partly responsible for these benefits.
A study in 57 young men following a strength-training program showed that consuming 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract daily significantly increased testosterone levels, muscle mass, and strength, compared with a placebo (43).
These findings are supported by observational evidence indicating that ashwagandha supplements may improve sperm counts, sperm motility, antioxidant status, and testosterone levels (44, 45).
Taking maca root supplements may improve libido, as well as fertility and sexual performance.
Maca root is a popular plant food that originated in central Peru. Traditionally, it has been used for its ability to enhance libido and fertility.
Several studies in men showed that taking 1.5–3 grams of dried maca root for periods of up to 3 months improved self-reported sexual desire or libido (46, 47, 48).
Studies also suggest that maca root may improve sexual performance. In men with mild erectile dysfunction, taking 2.4 grams of dried maca root for 12 weeks slightly improved self-reported erectile function and sexual well-being (49).
Taking 1.75 grams of maca root powder every day for 3 months also increased sperm count and motility in healthy men (50).
These findings have been partly confirmed by reviews, but the researchers noted that the evidence is weak and more research is needed before definite claims can be made (51, 52).
Additionally, maca root doesn’t seem to affect hormone levels. Taking 1.5–3 grams of maca root per day for 3 months had no effects on testosterone or other reproductive hormones in healthy, fertile men (53).
Many things can help boost fertility, but what works for you depends on the cause of your fertility issues.
Also, keep in mind that fertility and libido usually go hand in hand with your general health.
For this reason, anything that improves your overall health is likely to boost your fertility.
Here are 8 additional tips to boost fertility and sperm count/quality:
- Lead a healthy lifestyle. Unhealthy lifestyle practices impair your overall health, including fertility (54).
- Lose excess weight. Carrying extra weight is associated with infertility. If your doctor suspects that weight may be linked to your infertility, discuss weight loss as one of your health goals (55, 56, 57).
- Limit your alcohol intake. Avoid heavy alcohol consumption, as it may reduce testosterone levels and impair semen quality (58, 59).
- Get enough folate. A few studies indicate that a low intake of folate may impair semen quality (60, 61).
- Get adequate sleep. Getting adequate sleep is vital to maintaining your health. Restricted or excessive sleep has also been linked to poor semen quality (62).
- Snack on walnuts. Eating a lot of antioxidant-rich foods, such as walnuts, seems to benefit fertility (63).
- Consider supplements. Antioxidant supplements also seem to work. Some evidence suggests that coenzyme Q10 improves semen quality (64, 65).
- Avoid eating too much soy. Soy is rich in isoflavones, which are associated with lower semen quality (66).
Infertility is fairly common and affects many men worldwide.
If you’re having fertility issues, one thing you can do is focus on improving your general health. Many of the tips mentioned above are key components of a healthy lifestyle.
There’s no guaranteed fix, but if nutrient deficiencies or low testosterone levels are contributing factors, chances are that these lifestyle tips may help.
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Preparing a man for conception - clinic "Family Doctor".
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- Preparing a man for conception
Preparation for conception is necessary for both a woman and a man.
This is because the child receives 50% of the genetic material from each parent. So, for the birth of a healthy child, his parents must be healthy.
Many factors can affect the male reproductive system. First of all, bad habits should be mentioned, which include smoking and alcohol abuse, as well as constant stress and chronic lack of sleep. It is also the presence of sexually transmitted infections, exacerbation of chronic prostatitis, hormonal disorders, taking certain medications and steroids, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, overheating of the groin and perineum, etc.
When planning a conception, a man needs to exclude the impact of all of the above factors in three months and cure diseases and infections, because. the full cycle of sperm renewal takes three months.
What can you do to improve the quality of your sperm = the genetic material of your unborn child?
1. Remember that sperm do not like overheating.
Therefore, it is advisable to cancel visits to baths and saunas, to keep the seat heating in the car turned on for too long.
2. Reduce weight if you are obese. For men, a waist circumference in centimeters (at the level of the navel) over 94 cm = obese. In adipose tissue, testosterone is converted to estrogens, many inflammatory factors are produced, and this can also lead to type 2 diabetes, etc. Which, as you understand, are not the best companions for easily injured sperm!
3. Exclude sugary carbonated drinks, dyes, trans fats, confectionery from the diet.
4. Do not abuse alcohol. Alcohol, in addition to a direct toxic effect on spermatozoa, reduces the body's ability to absorb zinc, which is necessary for normal spermatogenesis.
5. Stop smoking. According to numerous studies, up to 50% of couples suffering from idiopathic infertility, after stopping smoking, find a long-awaited baby.
6. Try to be less nervous and sleep more.
7. Do not take medicines without a doctor's prescription (many drugs can significantly impair sperm quality).
From here follows the rule: treat your chronic diseases before the moment of pregnancy planning.
In order to understand how fertile you are, you need to come to a consultation with a urologist-andrologist. It is advisable to have at least a spermogram with you. The rest of the list of examinations will be consulted by a doctor of the aforementioned specialty. It is better for a married couple to undergo an examination in parallel so that the treatment does not work out late, because. after the age of 35, a woman loses the ability to bear children faster than a man, and many couples miss the moment just because the man does not want to visit medical institutions.
To make an appointment with a specialist, call the single contact center in Moscow +7 (495) 775 75 66, fill out the online appointment form or contact the receptionist of the Family Doctor clinic.
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12 recommendations for future fathers
In order to have a child in a family, the efforts of both spouses are required.
Usually, women pay more attention to preparing for pregnancy, but problems with conception can also affect men's health. Many factors (from genetics to environmental influences) can affect male fertility (fertility), so it is sometimes difficult to identify the cause of infertility, said Jared Robins, a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
In 40% of cases, the reason for the impossibility of conceiving a child lies in problems with the reproductive health of a man. Scientists have developed 12 recommendations for future fathers, following which can contribute to the successful conception of a child.
Weight control. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, USA, excess body weight affects sperm quality, leads to a decrease in the number of spermatozoa and a decrease in their motility, and is also associated with an increase in genetic damage. Scientists suggest that excess fat can lead to a decrease in testosterone and other sex hormones.
Chronic disease control. Effective management of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes improves the chances of successful conception. Some drugs to lower blood pressure, reduce the severity of depression and pain can adversely affect sperm production, the scientists noted.
Healthy eating. The role of any foods in male infertility has not been studied, but scientists still recommend that men eat a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables are an important source of antioxidants that are beneficial for the production of quality sperm. There is little evidence that caffeine is associated with infertility in men, so it should be avoided if possible.
Regular physical activity reduces stress, improves well-being and overall health. But excessive loads and a busy training schedule can adversely affect reproductive ability.
Vitamins. Scientists recommend that men take vitamin complexes, as this most likely will not cause harm, but may provide health benefits.
Vitamins C and E may protect sperm from the harmful effects of free radicals, experts suggest.
Environment. Exposure to certain chemicals, pesticides, and heavy metals can impair fertility in men. There is speculation that carrying a mobile phone in the front pockets of your pants and placing a laptop on your lap may impair a man's ability to conceive. But scientific studies of these issues have not been conducted.
Underwear. It is widely believed that underwear affects men's health. In 2016, a study of this problem was conducted with the participation of 500 men. It turned out that the type of underwear does not affect the ability of a couple to conceive a child. Scientists recommend that men wear underwear that they feel comfortable in.
Heat. Frequent visits and long stays in a hot bath and sauna or steam bath can lead to an increase in scrotal temperature and a decrease in the quality and quantity of spermatozoa. Since this effect is temporary, sperm quality resumes a few months after the cessation of such procedures.
