There's been another reminder in the news in the last month that men are just as responsible for fertility as women. This time, if your man is overweight, he could be dragging down the team when it comes to a healthy conception.
Australian researchers are finding that prospective fathers who are carrying too much weight may cause sperm damage and therefore put fertility at risk.
So often, women feel responsible if they don’t conceive as quickly as had planned or hoped. The woman is always the first to take herself off to see a healthcare practitioner in order to investigate why this might be happening. But what about the male counterpart?
In my naturopathic practice, I see a number of women wanting to conceive and start a family. Often, they are booking a consultation to be proactive and to ensure they are doing all the right things for a healthy conception. Obviously we discuss in detail their diet, lifestyle and nutritional status. But I also ask them about her partner’s health: his lifestyle, his stress levels and how aware he is of his reproductive system aside from the obvious external appendages.
It shocks me to discover that commonly the women in my practice had not even considered the role of their partner’s health in creating their baby. They are so committed to ensuring they are completely healthy, cleansed and doing all the right things, that they had ignored the importance of also getting their partner’s health addressed.
In approximately one in five infertile couples the problem lies solely in the male partner.
So don’t forget that a preconception health plan should always include your partner.
Here are some tips to get him started:
Have you considered the health of your man when trying to conceive?