Planning A Baby? Doctor Says Your Winter Habits Might Be Silently Hurting Fertility

As winter cools the world, many couples dream of a baby. However, unknowingly, they might be doing things that can affect their fertility adversely. Binge-watching comfort food loaded with sugars and fats indoors and avoiding sunlight for Netflix binges may seem harmless, but they affect hormonal balance and ovulation. Due to limited exposure to sunlight, doctors warn that a deficiency of vitamin D reduces estrogen levels and the stress and poor sleep during holidays reduce sperm quality.

Could you imagine that hot baths, heavy woolens can trap heat around the groin and festive alcohol toasts might be foes to infertility? In men, high temperature of the testicle lowers sperm motility, while in women, low level of water intake and physical activity raises the irregularities of the period. In conversation with The Daily Jagran, Dr Anindita Singh, Fertility Specialist, Nova IVF Fertility, Kolkata, states the winter habits that might silently harm fertility.

Exposure To Heat And The Subtle Effects On Reproductive Health

Exposure to high temperatures from hot tubs, steam chambers, heated seats, or hot showers increases the pelvic area temperature. Dr Anindita Singh states, “In men, the temperature required for sperm production is lower than the core temperature of the body. Frequent exposure to high temperatures upsets this process, thereby reducing sperm count, motility, and morphology.” These changes can be reversed, but it might take several months. She further states, “In females, frequent exposure to high temperatures might have an effect on the growth of follicles due to changes inblood flow and hydration, sometimes giving irregular menses or ovulation.”

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Comfort Foods, Metabolism And Hormone Disruptions

Also, winter diets tend to be high in added sugars, processed foods, and holiday cuisine. Such lifestyles cause more insulin resistance and low-grade inflammation. Insulin resistance impacts ovarian dysfunction and egg quality in women as well as testosterone secretion in men. Dr Anindita Singh mentions, “Excessive accumulation of fat also impacts estrogen metabolism once again, thereby introducing fluctuations leading to the reduced potential for fertility.” Inadequate ingestion of zinc, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, or antioxidants leads to a deficiency of protective factors against the reproductive cells.

Winter Habits That Harm Fertility (Image Credits: Canva) 

Holiday Travel, Stress And Biological Rhythms

Travelling in winter affects the circadian rhythm, fluid intake, and body exercise. Unsettled sleep affects melatonin, a hormone that is strongly associated with egg maturation and sperm DNA integrity. Dr Anindita Singh says, “Stress from travelling increases cortisol levels, thereby reducing gonadotropin-releasing hormones, which play a central role in regulating reproductive hormones.” Sedentary behaviour for a considerable time affects blood flow in the pelvis, thereby indirectly influencing the functioning of reproductive organs.

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Winter habits appear comforting, but collectively place a quiet strain on reproductive health. Heat overload, metabolic imbalance from comfort food, and the physiological stress of travel interfere with the body’s finely tuned fertility mechanisms. Mindful warmth, nutrient-dense meals, consistent routines, and adequate rest during winter can help preserve hormonal harmony and protect fertility well beyond the season.