Men's Fertility

Sometimes the spermies need some help too to enable them to get the job done! :)

Just as with women, men need to take care of their general health too to make sure that their fertility is up to par.

So aside from avoiding commong ttc no-no's such as drugs, smoking & booze, here are some more things men can do to increase the quality, quantity and / or motility of their sperm:

• put away the tight undies & jeans for now and get comfy with some boxers and looser fitting clothes.  The sperm factories need to stay cooler than the rest of the body otherwise sperm production drops.
• stay out of hot baths / tubs and saunas, for the same reason as above.  I read somewhere that it could take up to 3 months for sperm production to return back to normal...
• don't carry your cell phone around in your pockets - studies have linked cell phone exposure to poor sperm quality and decreased sperm production.
• drink lots of water...at least 1 liter per day - dehydration leads to low semen volume.

 And here are some important sperm-health supplements:

• zinc - this is essential for sperm production and especially motility, since zinc is important for forming the sperm's tail
• selenium - needed to maximise sperm formation and is necessary for testosterone production
• essential fatty acids - needed for healthy semen and promotes good levels of healthy, mobile sperm
• Vit. E - helps improve sperm quality and helps fertilization
• Vit. C - it's anti-oxidant properties help protect sperm DNA & it also helps prevent sperm from clumping together
• folic acid - this one is not only good for pregnant women...and men should also start taking them at least a month before conception
• amino acids - L-Arginine, L-Carnitine & L-Taurine are all required for normal sperm production & functioning
• Coenzyme Q10 - essential for sperm motility & energy
• maca - good for increased seminal fluid, sperm count & mobility and helps to regulate hormones

They say it's also better not to have baby-making sessions everyday since that could deplete the store of sperm, so every second day is recommended.  Also abstaining from ejaculating for long periods of time in the hopes of building up a good supply of spermies for your fertile days is also not a good thing - for men who already have low sperm count.

A study has shown that for men who have low sperm count and abstain from ejaculating for up to 2 weeks, have less good quality sperm available - they become less mobile and seem to become sort of stale.  It doesn't seem to affect men with normal sperm count in this way.  So ejaculating about 3 times a week helps to ensure a good supply of healthy spermies.