What should men do when trying to conceive?

In the ocean of life, every pregnancy journey is like a long voyage. The notice on "Several Measures on Accelerating the Improvement of Fertility Support Policy System and Promoting the Construction of a Fertility-Friendly Society" issued by the state at the end of this year is like an east wind, helping and escorting our upcoming journey. Both men and women are indispensable in having children. The health status of men is more directly related to the conditions for the departure of new life.

Building a strong hull: Live a healthy lifestyle

On the journey of nurturing life, a solid hull is the basis for a smooth journey. Men's living habits are like the materials used to build this ship. A balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and a healthy lifestyle that avoids smoking and excessive drinking can ensure a solid hull and a smoother journey.

A nutritious diet is the guarantee of sperm quality. Studies have shown that foods rich in zinc, selenium, vitamin C and vitamin E can help improve sperm motility and quantity. Among them, foods rich in zinc generally come from oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts and grains, and foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E include oranges, strawberries, kiwis, tomatoes, spinach, etc.

Moderate exercise can not only improve physical fitness, but also improve fertility. Exercise can promote blood circulation and help improve sperm quality. Regular exercise is especially helpful in balancing hormone levels in the body, especially increasing testosterone levels, which is essential for sperm production. It is recommended to choose low- to medium-intensity exercise such as jogging or swimming, but it should be noted that high-intensity cycling should be avoided.

Sufficient sleep is the key to the body's repair and reconstruction, which is often overlooked by young people. Men should maintain 7-9 hours of sleep a day during pregnancy preparation, avoid staying up late at night, and try to go to bed between 10-11 pm. If you often have sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep or waking up frequently at night, you should seek help from a doctor.

It should be noted that tobacco and alcohol have been clearly proven to reduce sperm quality and affect fertility.

Clear Ocean Charts: Understanding Family Genetic Diseases

Before setting sail, it is important to understand the obstacles you may encounter during your voyage. In particular, understanding your family’s genetic history before planning a pregnancy can help you predict and avoid possible genetic risks.

For example, some specific genetic diseases, such as hemophilia, congenital deaf-muteness, congenital mental retardation, thalassemia, etc., may be passed on to the next generation through inheritance. If there is a history of these special genetic diseases in the family, it is a wise choice to conduct necessary pre-pregnancy genetic screening.

With the development of medical technology, we can avoid more birth defects before birth and provide more reasonable suggestions for eugenics and good parenting for every family.

Setting psychological beacons: a good mental state

The captain's mental state is also crucial to the voyage. Stress, anxiety and mood swings not only affect a person's daily life, but may also affect fertility. Maintaining a positive attitude, proper stress management and emotional regulation can help you keep a clear mind during the voyage and better face the challenges of the journey.

Stress management: Avoid anxiety and learn effective stress management techniques, such as meditation, yoga, or regular consultation with a psychologist. Secondly, engaging in personal interests and hobbies, such as reading, painting, gardening, or other creative and relaxing activities, can also effectively relieve stress.

Emotional health: Maintain a positive and optimistic attitude, and maintain good social connections with family and friends. They can provide emotional support, reduce loneliness and stress, and effectively improve mental health.

Consider the navigation environment: Be alert to risks in the living environment

The sailing environment is also crucial to the safety and smoothness of the journey.

Harmful substances in life, such as heavy metals and chemical pollutants, can affect male fertility. Therefore, it is very important to do a good job of risk assessment of the living environment before pregnancy.

Occupational exposure: Identify and avoid exposure to harmful substances as much as possible. First, avoid exposure to certain chemicals, such as toxic solvents, pesticides, heavy metals (such as lead, mercury), benzene and formaldehyde; second, avoid exposure to radiation, such as medical industry workers (radiologists and technicians), nuclear power plant workers or researchers who may be exposed to harmful radiation; third, avoid high temperatures, such as workers in steel mills, foundries and baking industries who often work in high temperature environments.

Environmental pollution: Pay attention to the choice of living environment and avoid living in highly polluted areas.

Comprehensive sailing test: assessing reproductive health before pregnancy

Before setting sail, a thorough inspection of the ship is essential. The free pregnancy check-up program currently provided by the country, including reproductive health assessment, can help us detect problems early and deal with these problems that affect reproductive health in a timely manner.

Pre-pregnancy physical examination: All provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in my country are now implementing free pre-pregnancy examination services, which include general physical examination, reproductive system examination, MEDline infectious disease examination, blood cell count, blood sugar level, liver function, kidney function and thyroid function examination.

Reproductive health assessment: Examination of the testicles, scrotum and penis can detect reproductive problems early, such as testicular masses, cryptorchidism, small testicles, varicocele, etc. Secondly, you can choose to have a semen test to understand the number, vitality and morphology of sperm in advance, as well as screen for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to determine whether there is reproductive tract infection with chlamydia, mycoplasma, gonorrhea, etc.

Only a well-prepared cruise ship can sail to a distant destination, so a healthy man can contribute his energy in the journey of nurturing life, which is not only related to the health and happiness of the future child, but also to the happiness and stability of the entire family and society. Therefore, in order to safely sail to the destination, having a healthy body and mind is the cornerstone of the road to successful parenting.

During this journey, we need to remember that everyone’s situation is unique, so it is always wise to seek professional medical advice before making any changes or decisions. Communicating with professionals such as doctors, nutritionists and psychologists will help us better understand our physical and mental state and ensure that we are in the best condition to welcome the new journey of life.

Finally, as a future father, your responsibility is huge, but it is also a journey worth cherishing and enjoying. Please be ready to set sail and bravely move forward towards the source of life and the hope of a new family future.

(The author Shao Changhui is the attending physician of Beijing Haidian District Maternal and Child Health Hospital and a member of the "Da Yi Xiao Hu" medical communication think tank)