In this case, it makes sense to undergo a survey in order to identify direct and indirect causes of infertility. Sometimes, the survey reveals factors that, it would seem, do not have a direct effect on a woman's ability to become pregnant. So, in particular, women often have a question - does overweight affect conception and ovulation, and how does it happen.
It is well-known fact that overweight is not only not aesthetically pleasing, but can also cause various diseases. The easiest way to determine the presence of excess weight in a woman is to subtract 110 from the growth in centimeters. The figure obtained is the ideal weight for this growth. Exceeding the weight norm by more than 20% becomes a serious cause for concern. There is a formula for calculating the body mass index. To obtain the body mass index, you need to divide the body weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters. If the index obtained ranges from 20 to 25, then the weight is normal, above 25 - excess weight, above 30 - this is already signs of obesity.
Direct dependence of the ability of a woman to become pregnant from weight is not. There are many examples where women with excess weight give birth to several children, and they do not have any problems. And vice versa, when women with ideal weight for years can not become pregnant. And, nevertheless, there is every reason to believe that the presence of excess weight in a woman can be an indirect cause of infertility. In support of this view, there are a number of facts.
In overweight women, menstrual cycle disorders occur more often under the influence of the endocrine factor, which leads to infertility. Often a decrease in excess weight by at least 10% leads to the normalization of the menstrual cycle.
Excess weight disrupts the balance of sex hormones in the body of a woman, which in turn affects conception and ovulation in the most direct way. For example, female sex hormones (estrogens and progesterones) regulate the process of ovulation. In the process of ovulation, the egg ripens. Progesterones prepare a woman's body for the adoption of a mature egg, estrogens in turn control progesterones. Fat cells activate the production and accumulation of a large number of estrogens, the excess of which blocks progesterones. As a result, ovulation is disturbed and the egg does not ripen.
Accumulated in the fat deposits, estrogens signal the brain to the pituitary gland, which produces FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) about its excess. As a result, the production of FSH is reduced, which disrupts the ovaries and ovulation.
In addition, an increased level of estrogen in the body of a woman creates the risk of the formation of various types of tumors, such as fibroids and uterine fibroids, which is also often the cause of infertility.
Another unpleasant consequence of excess estrogen in the body of a woman with excess weight is endometriosis of the uterus (proliferation of the mucous membrane of the uterus). As a result of hormonal disorders, the uterine mucosa is not completely rejected during menstrual flow, which adversely affects ovulation, and as a result leads to infertility.
The consequence of excess weight in a woman can become a disease such as polycystic ovary. Violation of the hormonal background in the body of a woman leads to the accumulation in the ovaries of partially matured oocytes, which again leads to a violation of the menstrual cycle. In polycystic ovaries increase the production of androgen hormones, the accumulation of which slows down ovulation, often ovulation can completely stop. Polycystic ovary is more common in women after 30 years old, who already have children, and can cause secondary infertility.
In addition to hormonal disorders, excess weight can cause other physiological changes in the body of a woman leading to infertility. Of great importance is the distribution of fatty deposits. If the fatty deposits are distributed evenly, it is not so fraught with consequences as the accumulation of fat tissues in certain places of the woman's body. But, unfortunately, most of the fatty deposits are formed in women in the abdomen and thighs. In this case, the blood flow in this area of the body is violated, and consequently the metabolism is broken in the internal genitalia of a woman (in the uterus and ovaries). These disorders can lead to the formation of adhesions in the fallopian tubes, which directly affects the patency in them, and is often the cause of infertility.
Especially dangerous is the excess weight for girls during puberty and the formation of the genital functions of the future woman. Breaking the hormonal background during this period can have the most serious consequences. Excess weight during the ripening period of the girl breaks the hormonal background. Hormones in turn change the structure of the body of the girl, which can contribute to the accumulation of fatty deposits. It is necessary to control this vicious circle during the ripening period. In addition, according to experts, excess weight in adolescence contributes to early sexual maturation, and in the future, the instability of the menstrual cycle and the violation of the process of ovulation.
Will the excess weight affect conception and ovulation? in each case it is impossible to say in advance. When planning a pregnancy, it is advisable to bring your body to full readiness for the load. And reducing excess weight, as a way to a healthy lifestyle, should be at one of the first places in the process of preparing for pregnancy. However, it is absolutely unacceptable to exhaust your body with diets and hours of training during pregnancy planning. The process of losing weight should be gradual and painless for the organism of the future mother.