RESOLUTION TO HEALTHY FERTILITY (Part 1)

A New Year’s resolution is a tradition in which a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their life. Resolutions can be hard to maintain, especially if they require a major lifestyle shift or commitment. Making resolutions is vital as a study found that 46% of participants who made common New Year’s resolutions (e.g. weight loss, exercise programs, quitting smoking) were likely to succeed, over ten times as among those deciding to make life changes at other times of the year.
Here is wishing us a hearty welcome to 2022!

I know a lot of us have long list of resolutions already made.
The desire to have children is powerful and widespread, but for a sizeable minority it is not easily fulfilled. Challenges to fertility arise from genetic abnormalities, infectious or environmental agents, delayed childbearing, behavior, and certain diseases. Awareness of the potential risks may lead some people to adopting corrective behaviors and maintain fertility. Many people, however, find themselves coping with infertility.
The journey for those people who are infertile may begin with unrecognized health problems; continue with difficulties in obtaining services that often are not covered by health insurance; and even after success with physically demanding and expensive medical procedures, it may lead to unexpected adverse effects on their health and quality of life. Each step of this journey is characterized by interactions among the physical and social environment, the biological background and behavior of individuals, and the health care system available for them to access.

We often make resolutions over various areas of life but seldom make resolution towards our Fertility/Reproductive life. Most couple trying for conception may have said “this year is my year to achieve conception” and perhaps have prayed so hard towards it. Having an action plan towards fertility to back our faith and prayer is crucial to success. Most medical cause of infertility may need to be resolved to achieve our dream babies.

Younger people though not desirous of babies at the moment are encouraged to start planning towards healthy fertility as much as possible. We have always known that prevention is better than cure. Some causes of infertility may be irreversible but can be prevented.

It is our fundamental Reproductive Right to easily have children when we desire to, therefore prevention of future infertility is key. These fertility health resolutions are a great way to prepare your body for pregnancy and create the optimal environment for a full-term pregnancy to blossom. Here are some resolutions towards healthy fertility;

Take charge of your reproductive health by educating yourself about your fertility: Male and Female fertility is the ability to conceive a biological child. You and your partner might question your fertility if you have been trying to get pregnant with frequent, unprotected sex for at least one year or at least six months if you’re older than 35 with no success. If you are hoping to get pregnant, you might wonder about your fertility and whether you can improve it. Some factors might be beyond your control, such as medical issues that affect the ability to conceive. But your lifestyle choices can have an effect on your fertility, too. One needs to be equipped with all necessary information regarding their fertility health status as this will help to make the right decisions for the future. Fertilty tests for male and female can be accessed in good fertility clinics followed by consultation from a specialist.

Abstinence remains the best means of preventing unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s): Unprotected sex sure predisposes to sexual transmitted diseases. Infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are a leading cause of infertility for women. Avoid unprotected sex and all its attendant risk and stick to one sexual partner. The use of condom, fidelity or abstinence for unmarried individuals remains recommended best options to stay safe and healthy.

Ensure Post Abortion Care (PAC) and proper management of the complications of abortions, if you have recently had an abortion: Most people who have abortions will have a follow-up appointment in a few weeks. If there are no signs of complications, further medical care will not be necessary. People who experience any symptoms of complications should make an immediate appointment with a doctor. Although it is not common, some abortion complications may require a trip to the emergency room and may affect future.

Maintaining a healthy weight: Being overweight or significantly underweight can inhibit normal ovulation. This is because both extremes of conditions can have negative impact on hormone production.

Ensure healthy diet for fertility: Maintaining healthy diet is essential to maintaining one’s fertility. Adequate nutrition helps in promoting heathy weight and hormone balance e.g. clean water intake is recommended instead of sugary fizzy drinks………………………..…. TO BE CONTINUED