Man Up: When Environmental Infertility is About Him

This entry is the concluding one to the Woman Up Series about environmental factors for infertility. Sometimes all of the environmental changes mentioned in this series, being overweight or underweight, being inactive, being over-stressed, smoking/drinking, inadequate nutrition, lack of intimacy, are ones that your husband needs to change. Although they might seem less directly related to infertility, things that can make your body hesitant to accept and build a baby, can also affect the building and formation of sperm in the male’s body. It doesn’t matter how healthy you manage to Woman Up and be in order to get the best baby-making bod possible, if your husband doesn’t have sperm capable of fertilizing your egg.

Have a serious talk with your husband and your doctor (men often need to hear these things from a health professional) about how his personal environmental choices might be affecting the performance of his sperm. The good thing about guys is that they take this information very personally, and are often willing to Man Up make whatever changes necessary, once they understand that it is their personal troops who are not making it to the front.

Regardless, be kind, sensitive, and understand that he will need to process information like this in his own way and time. Be incredibly supportive of him making these changes, and reassure him that he will be able to. Do all in your power to aid his success. And if he is NOT willing to make the necessary changes, love him anyway. Your relationship with your husband is more important than any other relationship-even mother and child. Please do not sacrifice your marriage for a baby - and remember it is dangerous to assume that 'of course we will adopt' or 'of course we will have IVF' or 'of course...' anything.  These are important, highly personal choices that must be made as a TEAM, because he is just as much a part of the child you hope to create as you are.

*Remember- this series of entries is about environmental factors for infertility. Changing these environmental factors may or may not affect your husband’s sperm count or sperm motility, but he will feel happier!