Center for Reproductive and Fetal Medicine

HOW DOES YOUR WEIGHT AFFECT FERTILITY?

HOW DOES YOUR WEIGHT AFFECT FERTILITY?

Can obesity affect your chances of getting pregnant?

Many combinations of diseases cause infertility in women, often making diagnosis difficult. Learn more about how body weight can affect your chances of getting pregnant and find out what you can do about it.

The relationship between obesity and fertility

Being overweight can affect your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby. Obesity and fertility don't go well together because they can create hormonal imbalances that affect ovulation. Obesity in women is also associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, a common cause of infertility. These conditions can not only make it difficult to conceive, but can also make it difficult to maintain a pregnancy to full term. Women with a particularly high body mass index who are trying to conceive are more prone to the risks of pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and more. Also, maternal obesity can increase the chances that the baby will become obese as an adult or have other health problems.

Can weight loss increase fertility?

If you have an elevated body mass index, losing weight can help many factors in your overall health including your chances of conceiving a child. Commit to a healthy fertility diet and regular exercise program, not only for your baby's health, but for yours as well. However, don't risk your health by losing too much weight. Being underweight can also negatively affect fertility. On average, the ideal BMI for fertility is between 18.5 and 24.9. Every body is different, however, so the best weight goal for you should always be calculated by a health professional.

Consult our fertility experts

At the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Fetal Medicine-Dr. Alexandros Traianos, we work to find possible causes of infertility problems and aim to continuously educate women. Visit our practice to get all your fertility questions answered and start a treatment plan today.

Center for Reproductive and Fetal Medicine

Effective doctor-patient communication is vital to providing high-quality health care. Any communication regarding your medical profile (getting results, instructions, answering questions, concerns) will be done directly with the doctor. This means no midwife or secretary will interrupt your conversations. Instead, if you call with any concerns, they will be there right away to address your needs. Contact us by calling 694 649 8771 or by completing the relevant Contact Form.

Dr. Alexandros Traianos

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

Call (+30) 2310 277 032 or visit the Frequently Asked Questions

This site uses cookies to ensure you have the best experience on our site.

SELECT SERVICE *
SELECT DAY AND TIME *
FULL NAME *
e-mail *
COMMENTS
PHONE *
en_GBEN

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

The association of IVF drugs with cancer risk is a major concern for women enrolled in these programs. But the plethora of bibliographic reports collected from credible scientific studies and published in reputable medical journals worldwide are reassuring and do not confirm this concern.

Of course not. In about a third of cases, infertility is due to the woman (female factor), while in a third of cases, it is due to the man (male factor). The remaining one-third is due to both (both men and women) or even to unknown factors.

The quantity and quality of a man's sperm can be affected by his health and lifestyle. Some factors that can reduce the quantity and / or quality of sperm are:

  • the alcohol
  • drugs
  • environmental toxins, including pesticides and lead
  • smoking
  • health problems
  • medicines
  • radiotherapy and chemotherapy
  • the age

Success rates vary at each IVF Center. Very important factors are also the age of the woman, the levels of her hormones and of course the sperm of the husband. Rates generally range from 45% or slightly higher for women up to 35 years old.

Infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after one year (or 6 months, if it is a woman over 35) with normal, regular sexual intercourse. In other words, when a year passes without the woman becoming pregnant, the couple should consult their doctor to determine the cause of the pregnancy and then treat it. We must all, however, be aware and not forget that the age factor is the most critical for female fertility and that the individualized approach of each couple is the "golden key" that solves the problem.

The number of treatment cycles a woman can undergo is not specified. It is certain that in our country there are high level obstetricians-gynecologists and organized infertility treatment centers, which offer impeccable medical services at this level. If there are correct indications (eg ovaries that respond to stimulation therapy, good quality endometrium, etc.) the success rate -especially with the use of newer techniques and biotechnological drugs, which show increased bioactivity compared to conventional drugs from urine- totals approximately 65%-70% after 4 cycles of treatment.

At the Center for Reproductive Medicine of Dr. Traianos we offer egg / sperm cryopreservation services for those who have a personal or medical reason and need this service. We use the most modern vitrification technique in the freezing of sperm and eggs.

The collection of eggs takes 10-15 minutes, it is not painful, it is done under intoxication and after the end of the process you return to your activities.

In general, experts agree that the fact that a couple has already had a child can be considered evidence that there is no infertility problem in the first place. It is like a small test that has been done and proves that they "succeeded" at least once. On the other hand, we need to know that in the meantime things may have changed and a problem may have arisen (eg the man may have had some inflammation that affects the quality of his sperm or has mediated something that affects female fertility: an inflammation, a gynecological surgery, an abortion, etc.). In any case, if a reasonable period of time (one year) passes and a couple can not achieve a pregnancy, then he should with the help of his doctor investigate if there has been a problem that causes infertility.