Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
S2E3: Future Dads, Listen Up: How Your Health Impacts Pregnancy, Mom, and Baby—Starting Before Conception (#38)
65 Plays2 months ago
Conception isn’t just about the person carrying the baby! Think it's all on mom? Think again—this episode breaks down how a future dad’s health, especially semen quality, can influence conception, pregnancy outcomes, maternal health, and even baby’s long-term well-being.
In this episode, we talk about…
- How sperm health impacts fertility and baby’s long-term health
- How semen quality impacts mom
- Key factors affecting sperm health & fertility like nutrition and supplementation, sleep and stress, substance use, environmental toxins and lifestyle factors
- Timing and planning to implement these changes
- And my husband’s specific preconception protocol
Resources:
- Follow me at @taylorraeroman, everywhere
- Full episode transcription and citations: https://taylorraeroman.com/on-the-outside-podcast
Keep In Touch:
- Visit taylorraeroman.com
- Instagram @taylorraeroman
- TikTok @taylorraeroman
- YouTube @taylorraeroman
- ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/taylorraeroman
- Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/taylorraealmonte — includes my baby registry picks and postpartum favorites
Discount Codes:
Natural Cycles: Use code TAYLORRAE for 15% off an annual plan + free thermometer / natural-cycles.sjv.io/xLQLkx
Tinyhood: Use code TAYLORR20 for 20% off up to 12 months of membership / https://tinyhood.sjv.io/c/2688864/957205/12776.
Disclaimer: The information shared on On the Outside is for informational and educational purposes only. I am not a doctor, medical professional, or licensed healthcare provider. The content of this podcast is based on my personal experiences and research, but it should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions related to your pregnancy, health, or well-being. Every pregnancy is unique, and what works for one person may not be right for another.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Preconception Health
00:00:07
Speaker
Welcome back. My name is Taylor Rae and this is another episode of On the Outside.
Why Sperm Health Matters
00:00:19
Speaker
In today's episode, I talk about preconception health for men. I'm so excited to get into it. On this episode, I discuss how sperm health impacts fertility and baby's long-term health, how semen quality impacts mom. Oh, such a good topic.
00:00:37
Speaker
key factors affecting sperm health and fertility like nutrition, supplementation, sleep, stress, substance use, environmental toxins, and lifestyle factors, timing and planning to implement these changes, and sharing my husband's specific preconception protocol that worked really well for us.
00:01:00
Speaker
When my husband went to get his semen analysis, which is something I talk more about on this episode and why you might want to get one also, we found that we had a little bit of pushback.
Obtaining Semen Analysis: A Personal Story
00:01:11
Speaker
A lot of doctors, and we just went to his like general everyday physician, a lot of doctors won't really order a semen analysis unless you've been trying to conceive for around six months and have not had success.
00:01:25
Speaker
For us we really wanted to know what was going on before starting our preconception planning, before our TTC journey.
00:01:36
Speaker
we ah really wanted to just have more information. And it did take a little bit of pushing, a little bit of communication. kindly, nicely insisting that we really wanted semen analysis. I'm so proud of my husband, honestly, for advocating for himself because I wasn't at the appointment with him.
00:01:54
Speaker
So it wasn't like a team effort that he like had a support system there. He advocated for himself and he was able to get his semen analysis ordered. So, so proud of him because I think that that can be really hard when you're getting pushed back at the doctor, which you might've experienced before.
00:02:09
Speaker
Once he did get his semen analysis, it was super simple. It's kind of a similar process to like ordering lab work, like blood work. So his doctor ordered it, then he was given the proper kind of containers that he needed for it.
00:02:24
Speaker
He was able to do it at home. collect his sample, as one might say, and to bring it in to the lab facility. So he didn't bring it back to his doctor's office. He brought it to a specific lab location that they told him to bring it to.
00:02:37
Speaker
And when he was there, it was like so funny how he described it to me. He said the receptionist was just like, yeah, okay, where's your sample? And he was like, oh, I have it here. he actually He actually had to keep it in his waistband of his pants to keep it body temperature. That's what he was instructed to do.
00:02:55
Speaker
So he literally had this like cup, like little container, like in the waistband of his pants. And she's like, yeah, you can just put it on the counter. And he's like, just right now, just like take it out of my pants and put it on the counter. And she's like, yes.
Interpreting Semen Analysis Results
00:03:08
Speaker
So he like does that and she's like, okay, So it was a very seamless, easy process, probably a little bit embarrassing for him, but honestly funny for him to tell me, um for him to recall that story, but that's how a Steven analysis went.
00:03:24
Speaker
Then you get it back, and we kind of just Googled each of the different areas that it was measuring. Like, I had no idea what these terms meant and what they meant, ah or I had no idea what these terms meant and what we should be looking for. i didn't really know at the time, like, what the standard was.
00:03:42
Speaker
And that is not something that I'm going to go too deeply into today because it is very technical. And realistically, I think it's actually easier if you just Google each term, see the kind of numbers that you're looking for and be able to compare it right in front of your own eyes versus me kind of just throwing out a bunch of numbers out there. Again, y'all know I'm not a doctor.
00:04:02
Speaker
and that this isn't necessarily my specific area of expertise or research or practice or anything like that. So I'm not gonna go too deep into those specific facets, but we will talk more about semen analysis and why you might want one later in the episode.
00:04:18
Speaker
Now, before we dive in I want to remind you as always that again, I'm not a doctor. I'm not a medical professional. Everything I share in this episode and all of the episodes is based on my personal experience and research.
00:04:30
Speaker
Always check in with your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health, pregnancy, or preconception journey.
Sperm Quality and Long-Term Health
00:04:39
Speaker
Let's get into it.
00:04:44
Speaker
First, going to talk about just kind of the basics, how sperm health impacts fertility and baby's long-term health. So semen quality, particularly sperm count, motility or movement, and DNA integrity significantly impact fertility by affecting the likelihood of fertilization.
00:05:03
Speaker
So just the likelihood of even being able to get pregnant. All these things are impacted by semen quality. Research suggests it can also influence a baby's long-term health by potentially contributing to things like developmental issues, especially when sperm quality is poor due to factors like advanced paternal age or environmental exposures. And as always, I'm sharing all of my sources on my website. So if you want to read these studies, if you want to get a little bit more into it, you can definitely read them there.
00:05:32
Speaker
But i feel like the value of this podcast that I hope to bring, honestly, is that a lot of people get very overwhelmed when they're reading a medical journal and they're like, I don't really know what this is saying. So again, I'm always trying to bring that to you here.
00:05:46
Speaker
So low sperm count, let's go into a couple things. It makes it harder to conceive as there's just fewer sperm available to fertilize an egg. So that's lower sperm count. Poor motility or movement.
00:05:58
Speaker
Sperm with poor movement struggle to reach the egg, reducing fertilization chances. So that's poor motility. Abnormal morphology is when an abnormally shaped sperm also can have difficulty fertilizing an egg. And these are some of the things that you're checking in on if you decide to get a semen analysis.
00:06:17
Speaker
Studies suggest a link between poor semen quality and a higher risk of things like certain childhood diseases. baby's health later in life, or other developmental issues. Now, I don't want to fear monger. I don't want to freak you out. i don't want to get too deep into this research because again, it's not something that I would be talking about as a medical professional, but I will say that it was pretty shocking some of the links that they've made to poor semen quality and developmental issues and other issues with baby's development. I would really encourage you to look into that if you really want to know more.
00:06:54
Speaker
I think it can be one of those things that can be really scary. It can be kind of scary to think about and talk about if it has no bearing on you and no impact. If you do a semen analysis and you see, huh, we have some issues with the quality of the semen,
00:07:09
Speaker
how can we remedy this? How can we work towards it?
Male Factors in Fertility
00:07:12
Speaker
Maybe you work with an expert, you work with your doctor, you work with a nutritionist, you work with a different, you know, maybe someone that works specifically with the endocrine system or with hormones.
00:07:22
Speaker
You might be able to find a really great expert that helps you remedy some of these issues. Otherwise, you might have very healthy, great, amazing sperm, you or your partner, and you might not need to worry about this.
00:07:34
Speaker
So I feel like that's not worth going into too much. Every single childhood disease and developmental issues and all of those things that might happen with low um semen quality, but it's definitely something that exists.
00:07:48
Speaker
It's something that we have some really, really good research on. Some really interesting studies have been done. And so if that is something that's in specific area of concern, you can definitely look into it a little bit more, but I'm not trying to freak you out right now, babe.
00:08:00
Speaker
Probably yeah have nothing to worry about. That's my wish for you at least. um Again, research suggests a significant link but poor between poor semen quality, particularly high levels of DNA fragmentation, and an increased risk of miscarriage.
00:08:17
Speaker
So we're not talking about a developmental disorder. We're not talking about childhood illnesses like I just mentioned. In this moment, we're really talking about that link between semen quality and risk of miscarriage.
00:08:31
Speaker
There are more and more studies being done that are really finding this link super, super important and finding that a significant amount of miscarriages are actually being caused by semen quality.
00:08:43
Speaker
I think a lot of times, especially just in our culture, in our society, a lot of stress is being put on the woman, on the person with the uterus, ah on the person that is carrying the baby in their womb, as this is the only person that really needs to be worrying about this stuff.
00:08:57
Speaker
But we're finding more and more that that is simply not true. true. That is the point of this episode. So really listen to this with your partner and really think about the ways in which you can make sure that that semen quality is as good as possible because we are finding more and more that link.
00:09:15
Speaker
So that's why I find a semen analysis can be very useful. Again, it's not necessarily standard. It's not like a standard thing that your doctor's gonna say, oh, you're trying to conceive? Do a semen analysis.
00:09:26
Speaker
That's not necessarily what you're gonna get. This is something that you're goingnna have to ask for. I am really happy that we did it. We found that you know my husband was in great shape and that was really reaffirming because we knew if we did have any issues,
00:09:39
Speaker
Some of these things that you have to look into as a woman, as a person with a uterus, they can be a little bit more invasive, they can be a little bit more intense. For him, it's very simple. He just collects a sample. So i was really happy that he went forward with doing that. So if we did have any issues trying to conceive, I could then say, okay, what's going on with me? What's going on with my body?
00:09:59
Speaker
Maybe we're doing some of these more invasive procedures and testing, but we got the easiest thing out of the way first Now let's talk about how semen quality impacts mom.
00:10:10
Speaker
Research is still developing here. Like I said, a lot of these things are still developing. i think it really signifies a huge shift in our culture that we're really willing to have these conversations, so I love it.
00:10:22
Speaker
But there are links between semen quality and the following. Miscarriage, like I said, but also preeclampsia. Preterm birth or low birth weight. Placenta formation.
00:10:34
Speaker
Poor embryo development and inflammation throughout the reproductive tract. Now, each of these things can be super, super important. Preeclampsia associated with high blood pressure can later turn into eclempsia right so it's pre eclampsia, which is before eclampsia.
00:10:53
Speaker
This is something that is a very big concern when you are pregnant. It is something that your doctor is talking to you about, that you're thinking about, that you're monitoring with your blood pressure, especially when it comes to women of color, Black women, Latina women. This is something that we really need to be thinking about.
00:11:09
Speaker
Personally, I take my blood pressure several times a week to be really aware of this, but pre-eclampsia is a big concern during pregnancy. Placenta formation is also huge. Having an issue with the placenta, all of the nutrients, the life-sustaining stuff is coming through from the placenta to the baby.
00:11:31
Speaker
And having your placenta formation impacted by semen quality is something we should really be thinking about, something that we should really be aware of. um And then lastly, inflammation in the entire reproductive tract, of course, something that we really want to be thinking about.
00:11:47
Speaker
So all of these studies are still developing. This is a pretty new conversation that a lot of people are starting to have. I made a TikTok with some of this information, and it got over a million views so quickly. because people were shocked at this information.
00:12:04
Speaker
But I also was getting so many encouraging comments from people that are looking into this research, that their organizations are looking into this, that they are you know really excited to start having more of these conversations.
00:12:15
Speaker
Most
Factors Influencing Sperm Health
00:12:16
Speaker
research around fertility and pregnancy, no wonder, is focused on women and places a lot of the responsibility on the woman. So while these conversations are developing more every day, i definitely encourage you to really think about the fact that there is you know this baby of each person.
00:12:35
Speaker
And while the person with the uterus is the person responsible for carrying this baby and bringing them into the world, we should absolutely be focusing on what 50% of that, you know, input looks like as well coming from the man. Okay.
00:12:52
Speaker
Okay. Key factors affecting sperm health and fertility. Of course, when it comes to nutrition, I'm gonna say the same thing I've been saying in so many of these episodes. I think y'all know what to do.
00:13:04
Speaker
You need to just eat well. We're gonna talk about leafy greens. We're gonna talk about eating fish. That's everything you're gonna see. As soon as you Google, what should I be eating for preconception health? That's what you're gonna see, but you wanna have a balanced diet. Of course, all of these things are pretty standard.
00:13:20
Speaker
When it goes into supplements, now my husband didn't take all of these supplements. I actually didn't even learn about some of them and how they might impact male um you know semen quality until after I was already pregnant.
00:13:32
Speaker
But coenzyme Q10, I did use myself and that was part of my personal preconception protocol. But it actually has very good evidence um to be used by men also. It can improve sperm motility count and overall quality by reducing oxidative stress. So that's COQ10.
00:13:50
Speaker
Omega-3 fatty acids supports sperm membrane support and improves motility. My husband did take omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oils.
00:14:01
Speaker
Zinc is essential for testosterone production, sperm count, and motility. And a lot of times if you're taking kind of a multivitamin, it's going to have some of these things in it as well. Folate helps reduce sperm DNA damage. Folate is absolutely so, so crucial for women to take for that neural tube development, and it's also very useful for men to take, which we see here.
00:14:23
Speaker
Ashwagandha, which my husband also took, supports testosterone production, reduces stress, which will impact fertility. Stress honestly impacts everything, let's be honest, and improves sperm count and motility. So that's ashwagandha.
00:14:36
Speaker
There are also quite a few more that I've seen some books recommend, things like vitamin C, vitamin D, just so many different vitamins under the sun. And if you're taking a multivitamin, that's going to cover kind of your basis so that you don't have any deficiencies.
00:14:51
Speaker
It's really the deficiencies that we don't want. So taking a multivitamin, that's awesome. And then supplementing with some of these other things, fish oil, so you get those omega-3 fatty acids, folate, coenzyme Q10, zinc might even be in your multivitamin.
00:15:10
Speaker
So a combination of these things. um In terms of ashwagandha, for example, my husband took it in a greens powder. It had an adequate amount of ashwagandha in it, and that was how he was able to get that supplement in.
00:15:23
Speaker
So there's a ton of different ways to get these supplements into your you know daily habit, but those are kind of the most important ones. When it comes to sleep and stress, again, I think I've talked about this in every episode at this point, it's pretty much what you expect. Sleep and stress really impact our health in so many different ways, everything from physical to mental health.
00:15:45
Speaker
So all of the recommendations that you might assume, those are the same exact ones that I'm going to be you know recommending that i've that I've seen in books and studies.
00:15:57
Speaker
Nothing new, nothing crazy. Substance use. Limiting alcohol during preconception is something that I'm super passionate about because I have seen it discussed in so many different ways that really shows how un impactful it can be.
00:16:11
Speaker
A 2021 study found that paternal alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of birth defects. A study in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology found that paternal drinking three months before pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of congenital heart disease. And that was the first article that I ever actually read about the connection between alcohol consumption and preconception and the health of the baby.
00:16:39
Speaker
And it freaked me out so hard. I will say that that is only one study, but that connection was seen and was evidenced in that study. Animal studies have shown that paternal alcohol consumption can increase the risk of adverse neurodevelopment, including anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment.
00:16:59
Speaker
So again, we're seeing this research continue to develop more and more with a connection between alcohol consumption during those months leading up to starting to try and conceive.
00:17:11
Speaker
My husband didn't drink for six months. i didn't drink for six months leading up to August, which is when we began trying to conceive and when we also got pregnant.
Lifestyle Changes for Better Sperm Health
00:17:20
Speaker
i think that this is something that is very much worth discussing, thinking about, talking about.
00:17:27
Speaker
And I'm going give you a hot take right here. If you are not willing to stop drinking for a few months for the health of your unborn child, then... I'm really questioning what kind of decisions you're going to be making when that child is born. i know it's a hot take.
00:17:40
Speaker
know it's a hot take, but if we can't sacrifice a couple months of alcohol, how are we going to grapple with all the sacrifices required when it comes to being a parent? I'm sure that might make some people feel kind of spicy. Some people might not love it.
00:17:53
Speaker
But I would really encourage you that if that is triggering you to feel some type of way, that we look inward and marinate and meditate on that. because it's definitely something that is evidenced and that I would really consider doing more of a deep dive in if you're not fully believing it.
00:18:11
Speaker
um Let's get into environmental toxins. These are the exact same things that I shared when I talked about my preconception protocol last week, so I'm not going waste too much time on them. But in my first episode, I also shared kind of an overview when I discussed preconception health. So you can listen to those episodes for more specifics.
00:18:30
Speaker
But again, we're talking about endocrine disruptors and cleaning products, cosmetics, microplastics, and toxins like pesticides. All of those things are still ringing true. Lastly for this section, i want to talk a little bit about lifestyle factors.
00:18:46
Speaker
All these things, you can take it or leave it. There's some good research that um indicates that these are things to consider, especially if you're having other issues with semen quality. So the impacts might be pretty small, but if you're already having issues in other ways, then every little bit counts.
00:19:03
Speaker
So we have things like hot tubs, saunas, and heated seats. Excessive heat can reduce sperm count and motility by damaging sperm-producing cells in the testes. And I even quoted from one of my favorite books in that first episode where it was a recommendation to you know not be in these super hot environments. So there are definitely some doctors that take it very seriously.
00:19:24
Speaker
Then there's others that say it's you know it's negligible, it's very small, it's a very tiny um impact that it's going to make, don't worry about it. So again, take it or leave it.
00:19:34
Speaker
Cycling. Cycling puts pressure on the perineum, reducing blood flow to the testes, potentially leading to lower sperm count. Same thing could be said said about prolonged sitting, um which can also increase scrotal temperature.
00:19:49
Speaker
So again, take it or leave it. And lastly, tight underwear. Tight clothing can increase testicular temperature, negatively affecting sperm production. These things we see ah little bit.
00:20:00
Speaker
They're not the hugest impact. It's definitely going to mean a lot more if you are supplementing, living a healthy lifestyle, cutting out alcohol than if you're sitting for a long period of time.
00:20:11
Speaker
That's what the research is indicating. Now, let's get to timing and planning to implement these changes. Sperm quality can improve within three months of making lifestyle changes.
00:20:24
Speaker
This is because it takes about 42 to 76 days for sperm to mature. So three months should be kind of that golden number that is in your mind.
00:20:35
Speaker
When you think about, okay, we're going start trying to conceive in this month, at least three months before, let me really get on my game. Let me really get my life together. Let me really get my supplements together. Let me start, stop playing around and eating a little bit more healthier. Let me get my semen analysis. Let me schedule that appointment. All those things, really three months is when we want to start conceiving. considering it.
00:20:59
Speaker
I would say it's kind of nice to do six months out because then you have kind of three months to get your life together. You can do your semen analysis and then you can just keep on doing the same thing for three months or make some adjustments as needed for three months.
Preconception Protocol: A Husband's Journey
00:21:12
Speaker
But again, it takes about 42 to 76 days for sperm to mature.
00:21:19
Speaker
Finally, friend, I'm going leave you with this. With my husband's specific preconception protocol, these are all the things that he did. A year before, we rocked a little bit of couples therapy, which I shared also in last week's episode.
00:21:35
Speaker
We discussed how to support me and prepare for fatherhood. managing his expectations for things like that first trimester, i told him i might not be able to get out of bed, i might have morning sickness every single day, i might be super fatigued and exhausted, and I need you to believe me.
00:21:54
Speaker
and need you to support me, i need you to have my back 100%. I need you to never question me and think, oh, are you just being lazy? This is what I need from you. Having that conversation a year before was incredible because by the time i was already experiencing those symptoms, I didn't need to worry about it. It had been planted. That seed had been planted.
00:22:15
Speaker
He knew what to expect. And also the expectations around fatherhood. What kind of dad am I imagining my partner to be? What do I need? What does he need?
00:22:26
Speaker
How does he expect I show up in motherhood? Having these conversations a year in advance, I think took so much pressure and stress off of us because we kind of know what our expectations are. Sure, things are going to pop up. Things are going unexpected. We've never had a child before. Who knows what unknowns are going to be there?
00:22:45
Speaker
But having those conversations, I think, is so, so key and really reassured me that I would have a partner by my side for my pregnancy. um A year before, he also focused on improving overall health and with um fitness, diet, exercise.
00:22:59
Speaker
He was also training for the New York City Marathon, so it was kind of perfect timing because he was super, super on his A-game during that time. Eight months before, he did his semen analysis, and luckily, everything came back great, so we didn't really have any lifestyle, environmental, supplementing things that we needed to change.
00:23:20
Speaker
um or that he needed to worry about. Six months before, cut out alcohol. He never used any other substances, but if you're using any other substances, especially tobacco, you want to stop doing that.
00:23:32
Speaker
So six months before, and that's also when he started taking his supplements, his multi, fish oil, which has ah those omega-3s, ashwagandha. He was taking a greens powder, um and removed all the environmental toxins, same as I shared in mine.
00:23:47
Speaker
And then three months before, he did stop using hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, and just those hot environments. It wasn't something that he did a ton, but we do have a sauna in our building, and he stopped going. And honestly, it wasn't really a huge deal, but he did want to really just do every single thing that he could, so that was his decision.
Shared Responsibility in Preconception
00:24:07
Speaker
Now, friend, I think it is so crucial that we really pay attention to this conversation. It is not only the woman's responsibility to bear this child, to grow this child, to put in all of the things necessary for him or her or them to come out healthy and amazing.
00:24:30
Speaker
There are, of course, genetic factors which no one can really control. There are environmental factors that one also might not be able to control depending on where you live and the access to different things that you might have around you. There are so many things, once again, I always want to note that we cannot control. There might be prescription medications that you take or that your partner takes.
00:24:54
Speaker
There might be so, so, so many different things that are impacting your fertility journey. My goal is really just to synthesize the information, the things that were helpful for me, and share them with you.
00:25:05
Speaker
So again, if these things don't apply, if you've got something else going on, then I'm hoping and and wishing that you're working with a medical professional that can really get you where you need to go.
Conclusion and Next Episode Preview
00:25:17
Speaker
But I hope this is a solid foundation with what the current research is saying.
00:25:24
Speaker
On next week's episode, I'll be discussing prenatal must-have vitamins and supplements, including what they are, why they're important, how to find out what supplements are good and not so good, why they're all different, why there's like a million different kinds of prenatal supplements, and what we should be looking for.
00:25:42
Speaker
You can, of course, follow me at Taylor Almonte. As always, a full transcription of the episode along with citations can be found on my website. All of those links are available in the show notes.
00:25:54
Speaker
See out there.