Coffee, tobacco, alcohol… There are many received ideas about them and their harmful effects on fertility are often underestimated or even hidden. For you who have the desire to get pregnant or to become a dad soon, here is what you need to know to put all the chances on your side to have a baby quickly.

With its 4000 chemical compounds well known for their toxicity on health, tobacco affects at different levels the reproductive system both female and male. Zoom on the harmful effects of tobacco on fertility.

In women

In women, smoking reduces fertility by about a third and on average women who smoke take twice as long to conceive than non-smokers because of the significant hormonal changes induced by tobacco.

In fact, in smokers, there is a 66% higher blood level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which directly regulates ovulation while it should normally only rise when the ovarian reserve of good eggs decreases, therefore with the approach of menopause. Moreover, the latter occurs 2 to 4 years earlier in smokers.

In addition, the growth of the ovarian follicle, which is absolutely essential for ovulation to take place, is often compromised due to the high concentrations of toxic metabolites of tobacco in the follicular fluid. The eggs are of lower quality.

Tobacco also has significant harms in case of in vitro fertilization : the doses to stimulate ovulation must be increased, the duration of the treatment is longer to finally obtain the lower success rates in the laboratory than for non-smoker women.

In humans

Although too often underestimated, the deleterious effects of cigarettes on the male reproductive system are just as important as those induced in women. The time to conceive a child is significantly lengthened for the smoker.

Nicotine and carbon monoxide are directly responsible for erectile dysfunction and increase the risk of impotence by 27 times, even in young people. The risk increases with daily consumption, but light smokers are not spared because erectile capacities are impaired, whatever the level of consumption.

In addition, when looked at under a microscope, the sperm of smokers are less numerous and have less mobility. Which of course decreases fertility. They are also of lower quality in that they have more DNA abnormalities. Smoking in humans thus increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and congenital anomalies.

In case of in vitro fertilization, the chances of success are reduced by more than 40% if the man is a smoker. Male smoking also reduces the likelihood of pregnancy going beyond week 12.

So for people who wish to conceive a child, quitting smoking – both men and women – is not only intended to protect your future child: it is also giving yourself (many) more chances of becoming a parent!

After studying all the research conducted on the subject in 2001, the Organization of Teratology Information Services, based in the United States and Canada, concluded that“Low to moderate caffeine consumption does not seem to decrease a woman’s chances of conception.”

By “low to moderate intake” you mean less than 300 mg of caffeine per day, which is three cups of coffee per day, or six cups of tea, or eight cans of cola drink.

On the other hand, for the women who follow a medically assisted procreation program (IVF or GIFT), it may be wise, as a precautionary principle, to limit the consumption of caffeine. Indeed, one theory suggests that caffeine affects ovulation: it affects hormone levels which, in turn, hamper conception. Conversely, caffeine could promote male fertility by increasing sperm motility!

Likewise, for women who have been trying to conceive for several months without success, it may be beneficial to be careful not to exceed 300 mg of caffeine per day.

To help you with this, here are the amounts of caffeine according to the drinks:

In women

Although total abstinence before pregnancy is recommended to protect the baby, the consumption of a few drinks of alcohol per week would not affect the fertility of the mother-to-be.

A study published on August 30 in the British Medical Journal, conducted by epidemiological researchers at Aarhus University Hospital (Denmark) and the Boston School of Public Health has shown that total abstinence from alcohol is not necessary to improve one’s chances of conceiving a child.

According to this study, moderate consumption – one to seven glasses of alcohol per week – would not negatively affect fertility. On the other hand, beyond 14 glasses of alcohol per week, it would be more difficult for women to conceive a child. Moderation is therefore required to increase the chances of getting pregnant quickly.

As part of a assisted reproduction, alcohol is noxious, even in small quantities. Alcohol absorbed by women in the context of IVF indeed reduces the effectiveness of drug treatment: total abstinence is therefore recommended to obtain the best possible results.

In humans

In men, non-moderate alcohol consumption – beyond seven drinks per week – has a double impact on the reproductive system: sperm production is reduced and their mobility is impaired.

Otherwise, reducing the amount of alcohol may improve the quality of semen.

Note that 2 to 3 months are necessary for the development of a sperm. The future dad will therefore be right to limit excess alcohol from the desire for pregnancy to have a better chance of becoming a dad!