Planning for pregnancy is not just a woman's work. The mens responsibility, whether you are the husband or partner, has a lot to do with how successful you are at becoming healthy and staying healthy enough to conceive. Having your spouse at your side as you make important lifestyle changes make life easier to cope with. It's good to plan for pregnancy together. For example, his support in joining you in your new exercise routines, your decision to quit smoking or drink alcohol, or sticking to a healthier diet will keep you going for a long time.
Besides playing a supportive role, the man also have to prepare for your pregnancy by maintaining his own health. His sperm takes about three months to mature in his body. If you get pregnant today, the sperm that fertilized your egg was made and matured in his body the last three months. That sperm was therefore exposed to everything he was exposed to during that period. So his health does affect the health of your baby-to-be.
What can harm his sperm?
Well, there are many lifestyle and environmental factors (some of which are discussed on the "Male Infertility") page) that can harm his sperm.
To recap here, alcoholism, drug-use (marijuana, anabolic steroids), smoking, chemicals he is exposed to, stress, a lack of exercise or too much of it, can all adversely affected the formation, quantity, quality and motility of his sperm.
Your spouse has to help you get pregnant by consciously moderating his activities. For example, rather than engaging in long-distance running (more than 100 miles a week), or long-distance cycling (more than 50 miles a week), he can attempt other less strenous sports like swimming in a pool or working out at the gym a couple of times a week throughout the period you're trying to conceive.
By exercising moderately and maintaining a healthy diet, his body will be in an optimal capacity to make healthy, high-quality sperm for a successful conception.
Men have to start taking the idea of preparing for pregnancy seriously.
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