29 Nov Improving Sperm Quality
Some infertility diagnoses are fixed, and there is nothing you can do about them. However, increasing sperm quality to include count and motility may be in your control. Therefore, we encourage all couples trying to get pregnant to “prepare their bodies for pregnancy,” mainly through healthy lifestyle choices that support natural fertility.
6 Things You Can Do To Improve Sperm Quality
The foundation of preparing your body for conception and pregnancy are eating well, managing your weight, and avoiding substances known to compromise fertility – including sperm count and motility.
You can take action to give your sperm the most fighting chance possible.
1. Get a semen analysis from a fertility specialist
Yes, your GP can order a sperm analysis. However, these results are less accurate than the results that emerge from an endocrinology lab. Every year, we diagnose men with low sperm count or poor sperm quality and receive a shocked reaction because they’d gotten the “all clear” from their private physician.
The problem is that general lab technicians are trained to know a little about everything, whereas endocrinology lab technicians specialize in fertility analysis. Therefore, our lab techs catch things their general colleagues inadvertently miss.
2. Stop smoking pot or consuming cannabis products
Legal or not, and regardless of social acceptance, studies continue to show that smoking and consuming recreational cannabis products diminish sperm count, change sperm shape, and inhibit their ability to move. All of these make it more difficult to conceive at home, especially if your partner has a medical condition associated with female infertility – such as endometriosis, PCOS, or fibroid tumors.
Putting your health aside, establishing a life without recreational cannabis use is a smart thing to do before your baby is born. Getting high diminishes your decision-making skills, and your future child deserves a parent who has a clear head and quick executive function to tackle all the myriad of decisions that must be made along the parenting way.
While you’re at it, you should also quit smoking cigarettes and ensure alcohol consumption is in the low to moderate range.
3. Focus on weight management
There is a direct correlation between weight and fertility. Studies show that women with a BMI (body mass index) between 19 and 24.9 have the highest fertility rates. However, men aren’t excused from the weight management recommendations. Men who are overweight and obese tend to have lower sperm counts and slower or poorer-moving sperm.
4. Focus on a healthy pesticide/herbicide-free diet
There is no doubt that you are what you eat. A healthy diet is part of that “prepare your body…” foundation. That includes avoiding foods grown or raised with pesticides, herbicides, and hormones. All of the mainstream chemicals used to produce conventional foods are linked to poor sperm count, shape, and motility.
Shop for foods with organic labels or advertising they’re grown/raised without harmful chemicals. We also recommend visiting the many farmer’s markets popping up all over the place. That gives you a chance to connect with local farmers. Even if they can’t afford to invest in the expensive certification process required to boast the “Organic” label, most are growing all or a majority of their crops without harmful toxins linked to infertility.
5. Avoid lubricants when trying to conceive
Some studies show commercial lubricants inhibit sperm movement through the vagina and cervix. A study posted in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (March 2022), found that all of the commercial lubricants they tested (including those that advertise “fertility-friendly) negatively impacted sperm function and motion.
That said, egg whites which are remarkably similar to the extra cervical mucous produced before/during ovulation, had no negative effects. If you benefit from a lubricant when trying to conceive at home, try cracking a few eggs and separating the whites from the yolks. Use the whites to enhance your sexual pleasure and function, and save the yolks for your next batch of scrambled eggs.
6. Keep the scrotum cooler than body temperature
The male scrotum and testicles are descended away from the core body for a reason: sperm die off at higher temperatures. So while trying to conceive, men should avoid hot tubs and wear looser underwear and pants. The goal is to keep the scrotum and testicles at an average temperature of 93.2ºF, the optimal temperature for healthy sperm production.
Contact Fertility Center of Dallas for Male Fertility Testing
The Fertility Center of Dallas is here to support all aspects of accurate fertility testing and treatment. Contact us, at 214-823-2692 if you’re concerned male infertility factors are making it harder for you to conceive. Sperm analysis and other male fertility testing are available, and we’ll also provide additional tips for increasing sperm count and motility.