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Lee Trask is an advocate for women dealing with issues of infertility and miscarriage Having struggled through more than six years of infertility three miscarriages and high-risk pregnancy she is now happy raising her two…
FAST FACTS
All right, you're thinking, Cripes! I've already quit smoking cigarettes, cut down on my caffeine intake, and now you want me to give up crack? When will this end? I know I joke about this, but drugs and baby making should never go hand in hand. Remember that great commercial "This is your brain on drugs", (with the egg sizzling in the cast iron skillet)?
Well, that metaphor extends to your reproductive system too. And although you may think some recreational weed smoking, (or those martinis on the weekends), won't affect baby making, here comes the buzz kill.
Let's start with the seemingly harmless stuff: alcohol. While you wouldn't down a few drinks once you were pregnant, drinking them now could double the time it takes for you to get pregnant. When test animals were given "intoxicating" amounts of alcohol 24 hours before mating, there was a 50% decrease in conception. And the more often you drink, the worse the problems become. Excessive amounts of alcohol can result in everything from ovulation irregularities to early miscarriage due to abnormalities in the fetus from alcohol exposure. And alcohol use in men can cause decreased amounts of sperm, irregularly shaped sperm, and decreases sperm motility. In fact, alcohol disrupts the body's ability to absorb zinc, a key mineral needed for male fertility.
And marijuana? No better. Tests done on female monkeys showed that "moderate" exposure to marijuana stopped ovulation anywhere from 3 to 4.5 months! Also stated in the same test, the THC in marijuana may be toxic to eggs in development. The head researcher, Dr. Carol Smith said ""There are nervous pathways into the hypothalamus (a gland that regulates the reproductive cycle) that are being suppressed."A study led by Lani J. Burkman, at UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, (which carries out sophisticated testing for couples experiencing infertility), blames the THC for problems male infertility as well. He states, "The sperm from marijuana smokers were moving too fast too early. The timing was all wrong. These sperm will experience burnout before they reach the egg and would not be capable of fertilization." THC is stored in the fat of your body, so it is unknown how long it takes for this chemical to be processed out of your system. So, if you are smoking and or drinking, and you want to get pregnant, the sooner you quit, the better.
And the really hard stuff, crack, cocaine, meth: if drinking and pot can screw with you this much, I would have to type my fingers off to go into what devastating consequences these other, more potent drugs have on your reproductive system, and your body in general. In fact, if you are doing anything more serious than alcohol or marijuana, get yourself into treatment, and get clean before even considering a pregnancy.
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CATEGORIES:
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CONDITIONS AND COMMUNITIES:
Alcoholism
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Cocaine Addiction & Recovery
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Endometriosis
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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
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Heroin Addiction & Recovery
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Infertility
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Infertility, Secondary
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Male Infertility
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Marijuana Addiction & Recovery
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Meth Addiction & Recovery
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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
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Pregnancy After Loss/Infertility
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Trying To Conceive
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You said it Ms Trask!!!! when i see a pregnant woman smoking or at a bar it infuriates me! i wish they could all read this article!