Many patients ask if stress or a poor diet can cause infertility. Smoking is a known risk factor for decreased ovarian and tubal function, while marijuana has been shown to adversely affect sperm counts. Rather than focus on a specific diet, it is recommended to eat a well-balanced diet to maximize your chances of having a healthy pregnancy. It is best to exercise and maintain ideal body weight, and drink caffeine in moderation. While it is ideal to decrease stress, there is little evidence that infertility is caused by stress.
The time to start a fertility evaluation is:
- if you have been trying for pregnancy for 1 year
- if you are over age 35 and have been trying for pregnancy for 6 months
- if you have a known cause of possible infertility (for example, if you have irregular menstrual cycles, blocked tubes, endometriosis, or a low sperm count).
