Emma Cannon is a fertility expert, and the author of Fertile: Nourish your body and prepare it for pregnancy. She reveals five common fertility mistakes that men make.

Emma Cannon is a fertility expert, and the author of “Fertile”: Nourish your body and balance it for pregnancy.

The sperm maturation process takes about 90 days, but is more like two-and-a-half months. Diet and lifestyle are crucial in this. Healthy sperm matures for about 50-60 days in the testicles, and then is excreted to the sperm-maturing tubes, or epididymis. This process takes another 14 days.

Healthy habits, such as diet and lifestyle, increase the chances for a healthy conception. They also improve the future health and development of the child. The genetic material of sperm is a reflection of stress, nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxins.

Is your effort to have a child becoming futile? Emma Cannon suggests that you make your man aware of what he might be doing to their health by saying nay to (or all of) the following:

1. Too much heat

A laptop on your lap can cause your genitals to overheat

Do not cook your testicles! Heat can affect the quality of semen, so it’s important to keep your testicles cool. Nature has created them to be hung in sacks, so that they can keep cool. Saunas, excessive exercise, using laptops on your lap, and external heat sources like ovens, hot tubs, car seats and saunas can all affect sperm quality. Chefs, for instance, are more likely to experience infertility because their testicles remain exposed to heat. Cycling and wearing tight underwear can also affect sperm.

Chefs, for instance, are more likely to experience infertility because their testicles remain exposed to heat.

2. Partying too much

The male fertility can be affected by excessive alcohol consumption, weed smoking and cocaine use. A study published in British Medical Journal on the alcohol intake by 1221 Danish recruits suggests that a moderate intake of alcohol of at least 5 units per week can lead to a lower sperm count.

Marijuana can have a negative effect on sperm and make it less mobile. While cocaine can boost libido in the short term, long-term cocaine users experience a decline in sexual function. This includes difficulty maintaining an erection or ejaculating.

Long-term cocaine users have reported a decline in sexual function. This includes difficulties maintaining an erection or ejaculating.

3. Exposure to environmental toxic substances

Czech Republic studies from 2000 showed that men who live in areas of high air pollution had a higher percentage of abnormal sperm. They also had a decreased motility, and their DNA was fragmented. Their sperm had been damaged at the DNA level. These findings were confirmed by other studies. In one study, DNA damage was found even when the other aspects of sperm appeared to be normal. Most clinics and GPs don’t measure DNA damage. It is therefore important that men who live in heavily polluted areas consider the fact that a normal sample of semen does not reveal any DNA damage.

Men who live in areas of high air pollution are more likely to have abnormal sperm.

Pollution can damage DNA

Avoid soft plastics at home and opt for natural products. Bisphenol A, which is found in food and plastic packaging, can be an endocrine disruption. It has been shown to reduce both sperm and sexual function. Glass and other non-BPA products can be used to replace plastics found in the kitchen.

4. Save sex for ovulation

Sex must be regular in order to increase the chances

Ejaculate frequently. Couples who are trying to find the “fertile window” often make this mistake. The couples mistakenly believe that having sex during ovulation will increase their chances. It is not true that sex should only be done at ovulation.

The sperm must be the strongest possible. It may be past its “sell by” date if it’s been waiting all month to be ejaculated during ovulation.

Evidence also suggests that couples who have regular sex outside the fertile window tend to be more fertile. This is true unless the man has a very low sperm number (i.e. not enough sperm). There is evidence to suggest that waiting until ovulation before sex could be beneficial.

It may be past its “sell by date” if sperm is sitting around waiting to ejaculate at ovulation.

5. You can shrink your balls if you use too many steroids

Anabolic Steroids are used by men to boost their athletic performance. They fool the body, which thinks that they do not need the testicles to produce testosterone.

The body produces less testosterone, and the follicle-stimulating hormone is no longer released. This combination of factors results in the shrinkage of testicles, and very little sperm production. This condition is mostly reversible within three months of stopping performance-enhancing drugs.

Emma Cannon, a fertility expert and women’s healthcare specialist, is the founder of The Emma Cannon Clinic and a speaker and mentor. From her fertility rooms, she has helped many patients realize their dreams of starting a family. She is the author of four books, including the best-selling the Baby-Making Bible.