5 Reasons I Had Issues Conceiving

I recently read an article on Parenting.com with 10 reasons you’re not getting pregnant. I had read so many things on how TO get pregnant while trying but not much about why I wasn’t having any success.

Looking back, here are 5 things I think may have contributed to my infertility issues:

1 – Stress. My job was super stressful and the emotional rollercoaster we were on as we tried to get pregnant was taking a toll on me. I made a tough decision at work to step down from a position (which lessened my stress) and we stopped tracking and obsessively trying to make a baby.

2 – Caffeine consumption. I used to drink way too much Mountain Dew. Who knows how all that sugar and caffeine was affecting my system?

3 – Being overweight/unhealthy. These factors can certainly disrupt your menstrual cycle. I was yo-yoing up and down as I struggled to shed pounds. I also started eating better. I’m still overweight, but I eat better and exercise more regularly unlike before. Heck, I barely ate more than one meal a day back then. I skipped breakfast and often worked through lunch. Meals I did have were all too often fast food.

4 – Smoking. I finally kicked the habit for good when I found out there was a bun in the oven.

5 – Irregular ovulation. This made it hard to figure out when to try since I had no clue when I was ovulating.

I don’t think any one of these things caused my infertility by itself, but I think the combination added to our struggles. If I knew then what I know now – I would have addressed these factors better.

Have you struggled to get pregnant? Do you think any of these things contributed to that?

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.