TTC and bodyfat/weight

J

joannabeske

Cathlete
Hi!

I have a question. I have been ttc for about 4 months. I am currently reading the book Getting Pregnant and I was reading a section about exercise. I currently workout 6 days a week-mostly Cathes and have been working out for 15 years. I do tough workouts most days. I read that high endurance workouts can impact your fertility. Anyone notice this or find this to be true? Should I ease up on my workouts in order to conceive? It also talks about being at a certain weight or bodyfat. I have been eating really healthy, taking prenatals, etc. I have recently put on 5 pounds to be safe. I don't think I am too skinny. My bodyfat is about 22-23%. My periods are regular-28 days. Any advice would be appreciated. Also, Cathe if you are reading this I know you have 2 boys. Did you have any trouble conceiving? Thanks!
 
Hi Joanna, I would recommend another book "taking charge of your fertility". It outlines very well all the signs - mucous, temperature, and cervix position, which when used together (charted)can help you pinpoint when you are ovulating and IF you are ovulating. I have heard of people having a hard time conceiving due to low body fat, but it seems like they were extremely low. I personally workout VERY hard at least 6 times per week. My body fat is probably around 14%, I'm 5'2 3/4 and weigh about 102, and I haven't had any problems conceiving, I really think there are so many factors that need to be considered. Have you just come off of birth control? This can alter your fertility.

Just a few thoughts,

Briee
 
Joanna, I second the motion for reading "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". It really is an insightful book and may help you conceiving. 4 months isn't that long to be trying and you sound like you're at a reasonable body fat level (I'm around the same and didn't have any trouble conceiving). I think if someone has particularly low body fat, they may not be ovulating and that is why they can't conceive. But, this is would be an extreme case, I believe.

After reading Taking Charge, I was so much more informed about my own fertility and when I was ovulating and I was able to help us (I think anyway) get pregnant within 3 months of following that method. I'm 35 y/o and didn't think it would happen so quickly. Assuming there are no fertility problems in either your husband or yourself, I would say you are doing just fine at your current bodyfat and activity level and that by trying to conceive when you are most fertile, you should eventually get pregnant. It takes a while - not always does it happen quickly. Good luck! Helen
 
Hi!

Thanks for your responses. I actually have the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I have been following the book but no luck yet. I went off bc in Oct. and last 3 cycles have been very regular. I was just surprised by the mention in this book of avoiding exercise during conception time. Never heard of it before. The book also mentioned that dieting can affect ovulation. I am always trying some new diet plan-BFL, Zone etc. I think I will just cool it w the dieting and see what happens.
 
I never noticed the mention of dieting and exercise avoidance during conception as a possible connection to not conceiving in this book, but that's probably because I was coming from the opposite angle as you. I don't want to state this as fact, but I'm betting she mentioned these not as probable factors, but as possibilities when all else is ruled out. I believe it's much more likely that being on birth control/artificial hormones has altered your system, sometimes it takes a long time to recover from this as I'm sure she covered somewhere in the book. If it were me, I wouldn't give up the exercise or good diet before giving it more time and ruling out other possibilities - but that's just me. :) :) :)

Briee
 
Frankly, I think dieting and exercising is all mumbo jumbo. Do you know why?? Because back in history women who work in fields and hard labor sweated, moved around constantly, etc...They still had kids and because when I was on a diet, mostly vegetables and fruit, and I worked out 6 days a week for an hour and I still got pregnant anyway. I got pregnant almost right after my period. Frankly, I think it's all mental. ALso, it depends on your age. I do believe the older you get, the harder it is to get pregnant. Especially for the first time. I don't know how old you are. Also, I know if you were previously anorexic or bulimic, it can complicate things because your body is ruined. My cousin is SKINNY and small boned, I mean SKINNY and she had 3 kids and she doesn't even eat that much. I have a question, when you're getting down doing the hot monkey luvin, do you feel stressed out? Like please let me get pregnant, or think about getting pregnant while doing it? If so, STOP! That does not help either. Besides, if you have not gotten pregnant in over a year after trying then I'd go to a doc. If it's less than a year, keep trying. I wish you a lot of luck. Let me know what happens with you. :eek:)
 
Maverick,

I agree w/your take on the physical activity thing, though the authors of the book claim to have had some success in patients who decreased exercise as a means of stress reduction. As we know, there are so many people in our socisety for who exercise is a stress-inducer rather than a stress-reliever.I believe that is where the authors were coming from on this one.


As someone who has endured years of unsuccessful high-tech fertility treatment, however, I must take exception to your "it's all mental" philosophy.
Simply put, it's not.
Surely, stress is a factor to a certain extent, but it is much more often the result of infertility--not the cause.

I cannot tell you how often I have been told by well-meaning (and very fertile) people that I "just need to relax". Not really. When your are trying to conceive naturally and not having much success, one of the realities is that sex becomes more clinical and less pleasurable. To tell someone to "stop" thinking about their desired outcome oversimplifies the issue.

That said, I wish everyone good luck in their pursuits.

Michele
 
Michele,
I know where you are coming from but you must've missed what I said in addition to relax...I told her if she doesn't get pregnant within a year, go see a doctor. I do believe if a woman over exercise, way too obsessed with it, yes she won't be able to get pregnant. I believe highly stressed out people workwise and mentalwise won't be able to get pregnant for a while. Some women just have lousy eggs. Just because you're having a great difficulty about getting pregnant due to fertile problem doesn't mean you can bite my head off. Yes, it is a very delicate subject for a lot of women who can't get pregnant fast or at all. Sometimes women are just not meant to have children. It doesn't make them less of a woman. I know a lot of women who can't get pregnant and they keep trying everything. Some of them are trying to adopt, too. 4 months of trying is nothing. I have a friend who kept trying to get pregnant for 5 months before she finally got pregnant. I have a friend who got pregnant the first time she had sex, too. Every woman differ. You don't have to agree with me but don't get nasty with me on this subject. Everyone's entitled to their opinions. Have a great day, Michie.
 
Hello there,

Just thought I would put in my "two cents" in here. In my training program, we cover Pre-conception fitness counseling. After 15 years of working out, your body is very used to this level of intensity. Your body fat is within range and your periods are regular. I am not a physician, but with your body fat range and your normal periods, I would not think that your exercise regimen would have a big impact your fertility. However, in my home state of NC, we have a big pre-conception counseling program run by the Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the University of NC. Their recommended intensity is 70% for those trying to conceive. I know that this probably seems quite low for you, but just remember that it is only a recommmendation, not an absolute guideline.

Good luck! Let us hear from you.

Sincerely,

Sheila S. Watkins, MLSci.
Founder and National Program Director
Healthy Moms Fitness(R)
www.healthymomsfitness.com
 
Headed in the wrong direction

Hello all,

This thread is headed way off topic and in a "not so nice" direction. The original question was regarding level of exercise and its effect on conception. Now we've gotten into personal opinions regarding a couple's fertility. This is beyond the scope of this forum.
 
RE: Headed in the wrong direction

Hi,

Thanks for all of your replies. It may have more to do w stress for me. I tend to get stressed pretty easily. I will try to relax and have fun. I was just surprised. On the page where it gives recommendations of what to do/not do 48 hours before conception it lists no drinking caffeine, alcohol, drugs, avoid hot tubs,and avoid exercise. It seemed funny to be listed w those items when usually all you hear about is how great exercise is for you.I will keep you updated.
 
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