Fertility Expert Encourages Women to Consume Balanced Diet, Seafood to Boost Fertility

Rebecca Ejifoma

The Managing Director of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi has encouraged women seeking to conceive to consume a more balanced diet including seafood to boost their fertility status.

The expert listed other essential diets healthy for aiding fertility status including fruits, lots of vegetables, and a significant reduction in fatty food. 

Speaking at a virtual briefing on the theme, “How to Tackle Infertility in 2023 is also Good”, Ajayi insisted that women can also take folic acid even before pregnancy. Don’t smoke either tobacco or marijuana products; It can affect both the sperm and the egg production of the woman.

The gynaecologist, however, cautioned against the intake of alcohol when couples are trying to get pregnant. He chipped in, “You must also take café in moderation if you must take it.

“As for those who are taking herbs and tea to lose weight, some of the weight loss herbs can affect your ovulation. If you must use herbs, please talk to your doctor.”

According to Ajayi, a co-founder of Africa Endometriosis Awareness and Support Group, there is the notion that the problem of infertility lies within the woman’s physiology, as their reproductive organs can be more easily damaged than that of men.

However, the Nordica boss cited that about 40 per cent of the time, infertility is due to a male factor. “It leaves 60 per cent to women and in 20 per cent, the two parties are responsible.

“Also, the problem rests mostly with populations where women have contracted a sexually transmitted disease in the past, or they have delayed childbearing for reasons known to them.” 

The MD listed physical causes of infertility in women including scarring on the cervix, uterus, or tubes, blocked tubes, and problems with ovulation or the menstrual cycle.

In the words of Ajayi, mumps, and swelling of the testicles which can cause a lower sperm count is the physical cause of damage men experience.

Therefore, the obstetrician encouraged couples desperately trying to conceive to practice a healthy lifestyle and have lots of sex, especially during the ovulation window. 

“A lot of women don’t know when they are ovulating. The fertile window of a woman in the 30-day cycle is five days before the day of her ovulation, and 24 hours of the last day of her ovulation.

“After the five days window, the woman would need to wait for the next month, because even if her husband has the best sperm in the world, she will not be able to get pregnant,” he emphasised.

For effectiveness, Ajayi enjoined women to use the calendar method to calculate their ovulation. “You are likely to ovulate 12 to 14 days before your next menstruation”, while pointing out that there are also different ovulation kits available.