Can alcohol affect your chances of getting pregnant?

There are many issues that may affect your chances of getting pregnant. Along with stress and smoking, alcohol is also a factor that can decrease your chances of conception. Not only can alcohol affect your fertility, it can affect your partner’s fertility as well. To increase your chances of getting pregnant, you should limit or eliminate your alcohol intake, especially if you think you might already be pregnant.

It has been proven that alcohol, when heavily consumed, can cause hormonal imbalances. The hormonal imbalance can affect your menstrual cycle and by association, your ovulation cycle making it difficult for you to conceive. In addition, men who are moderate to heavy drinkers tend to experience low sperm count or low immobility of sperm movement. All of these are factors when trying to conceive.

Women who drink large amounts of alcohol, especially those over 30, can take up to twice as long to conceive as women who do not drink at all or drink very seldom. If you have reached this age and are trying to conceive, it is a good idea to minimize or eliminate alcohol altogether. It may be difficult, especially if it is a frequent event. However, you wouldn’t drink while pregnant so it is good to maintain the mentality of what it will be like to be pregnant. At the very least you’re preparing yourself for when you do conceive.

If you find that eliminating alcohol is a problem for you, it is best to speak with a counselor. Counselors can help you determine a plan to eliminate alcohol from your diet and keep you alcohol free. Alcohol dependency is an issue that should definitely be resolved before attempting to conceive and before conceiving. Since alcohol can be detrimental to conception and pregnancy, taking action sooner rather than later is recommended.

Alcohol can affect your chances of conceiving in many situations. Heavy drinkers are more likely to take up to twice the amount of time to conceive over someone who is not a drinker. While women suffer the most effects of alcohol on the fertility issue, men who are heavy drinkers can exhibit low sperm count or low mobility in their existing sperm. Since alcohol can affect both men and women’s fertility, it is recommended that alcohol consumption be minimized or eliminated when trying to conceive. If you experience problems lowering or eliminating your alcohol intake, it might be a good idea to seek counseling before trying to conceive.