Lifestyle Choices that Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

What lifestyle choices affect your ability to conceive or the odds of fertility treatment working? How do diet, drinking alcohol, and exercise affect getting pregnant and miscarriage risk? Do supplements work? Host Dawn Davenport interviewed Dr. Sheeva Talebian, a board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and infertility specialist at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, based in Manhattan. Dr. Talebian contributes to publications including Women’s Health, Well + Good, and Women’s Running. Outside of work, she is an avid runner and cyclist, and is frequently approached for her expert advice on incorporating exercise while attempting to conceive.

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How much exercise should you be getting:
- pre-conception (assuming you aren’t in fertility treatment)?
- during treatment?
- during the 2 week wait?
- during pregnancy?
Does exercising during pregnancy lead to bladder problems later in life?
How soon after birth can you resume exercise?
How does diet affect your chances of getting pregnant?
Are their specific foods you should eat or avoid when trying to conceive?
How much excess weight affects your ability to get pregnant.
What’s the scoop on supplements?
Should we take prenatal vitamins if trying to get pregnant?
Should we take a general multiple vitamins?
How important is sleep when trying to get pregnant? During pregnancy?
“We have been trying to conceive for almost a year and a half. For the first 6 months I stopped having anything alcoholic to drink because I always thought that this month is the month. I found that constantly passing up a glass of wine because just in case I might be pregnant or getting pregnant that month was a constant and frustrating reminder that I wasn’t getting pregnant and that there was a problem. If I only drink a couple of glasses a wine once or twice a week, is there any problem continuing to drink until I miss my period. As soon as I’m late, I would gladly make the sacrifice, but I’d like to keep living my life until then. We are saving up money now and will be going to see a specialist soon. Clomid didn’t work.”
Do people who are more relaxed get pregnant easier than people who are stressed? What role does stress play in conception?
Do you know of any studies on the impact of stress on IVF success?
How does depression affect conception?
What Eastern medicine or Chinese medicines do you recommend for someone going through fertility treatment?
Tips for making good lifestyle choices. If you could only tell someone 5 things that they need to know, what would they be?