Easier said than done, right? But it really does make a significant difference. While there are definitely smokers who conceive every day, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, infertility rates in both male and female smokers are about twice what they are in non-smokers who are trying to conceive.
Smoking and fertility
Cigarette smoke can damage and kill off eggs, as well as decrease sperm quality, sperm count, and sperm motility (a sperm’s ability to move until it reaches the egg). This means that women who smoke may go through menopause one to four years earlier than women who don’t, and that the sperm of men who smoke is exponentially less likely to fertilize eggs. Smoking can also make IVF treatments for infertility less effective, and after conception, women who smoke are also more likely to miscarry or have ectopic pregnancies.
Having your fertility as a reason to quit smoking isn’t necessarily going to make quitting any easier, but your healthcare provider may be able to suggest a program that could. Once you’ve quit, be sure to balance your nutrition, eat lots of antioxidant-rich food, and consider starting to take a prenatal vitamin, to counteract the effects smoking may have had on your nutrition levels.
