Most couples take it for granted that when the time is right, they will have no problem conceiving. What do you do if you are not yet ready to have a baby but you are hoping to have a baby someday? What can you do to minimize your risk of infertility?

Infertility, or the inability to become pregnant after trying for 1 year, affects over 6 million American men and women or about 10% of reproductive – age couples in the United States alone. Many women are misled, by popular TV and magazine stories about women in their late forties or early fifties who are having adorable little babies, into believing that fertility is a power that can be turned on at will and at any age.

Do not wait too long

The reality is that there are few words in the English language which evoke as much fear and anxiety in women as the words “biological clock”. Unlike men who continuously produce new sperm, women lack a similar mechanism for making new eggs with the number of eggs declining steadily as they age. Not surprisingly, fertility in women peaks at about age 27, and drops off more rapidly after 35. This does not mean that you should go out and get pregnant if you are not ready to start a family. The point is that you can not put off pregnancy indefinitely, because it may not be so easy as you get older.

 Here are some fertility numbers to keep in mind:

• A female fetus at 20 weeks gestation has about 6 million eggs in her ovaries and at birth the number of eggs declines to about 1 million.
• At puberty only 300,000 eggs survive in the ovaries.
• By age 37, only 25,000 eggs remain in the ovaries, explaining why there is a decrease in fertility as you get older.
• A woman at age 50 has about 1000 eggs in her ovaries and she may continue to ovulate well into her fifties but few if any, will experience a successful pregnancy at that age.

Age is not the only factor affecting your ability to conceive. There are several things you can do proactively to protect your fertility down the road and keep your fertility fitness in peak form.

Protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases (STD`s)

Sexually transmitted diseases (STD`s) such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, and HPV can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes and precancerous cervical conditions. Sexually transmitted diseases affect 1 in 3 sexually active people by age 24, so practice safe sex, and do not skip the condom. If you are in a monogamous relationship you may consider taking birth control pills. They may lower your risk for sexually transmitted diseases and ovarian cancer and they provide some protection from endometriosis which can cause infertility.

Watch what you eat

Studies suggest that a healthy diet high in unsaturated fats can improve fertility of women experiencing a problem with ovulation. Other studies have shown that mercury from heavy seafood consumption can increase your risk of infertility. So keep your eggs healthy, enjoy your olive oil and avocados, eat fish moderately and skip the Twinkies.

Maintain a healthy weight

Everyone is aware of the health risks associated with obesity, but did you know that obesity can also interfere with normal ovulation and result in infertility? Excess fat produces extra estrogen, shutting down the ovulation process as if the woman is on birth control pills. However, being too thin is not too good either. Very low body fat is associated with low estrogen levels which may prevent ovulation.

Kick the habit

What’s unhealthy for your lungs and arteries is also bad for your eggs. Nicotine in cigarettes constricts blood vessels to the ovary. This may decrease the number of eggs within the ovary and can cause infertility and premature menopause. Smoking or just being around a partner who smokes (passive smoking) has been shown to predispose your eggs to genetic abnormalities and increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking can also increase your risk of having an ectopic pregnancy, where the pregnancy implants outside of the uterus and in the fallopian tube.

Smile and try to be happy

High stress levels in general and depression in particular have been shown to interfere with ovulation. Go out for long walks or exercise daily to stimulate those feel good chemicals in your brain or develop whatever tools work best for you to help you deal with stress. Some find meditation, tai chi, biofeedback, acupuncture or yoga extremely helpful.

Don’t forget your yearly visit to the gynecologist

Listen to your body. If you find yourself curled up in a fetal position during your period, you may be suffering from endometriosis. Do not ignore the symptoms and see your gynecologist regularly. Ask your doctor to perform a Pap smear and test you for sexually transmitted diseases.

Counting your eggs

If you are concerned about your age and the quality of your eggs, you may ask your doctor to perform blood tests to evaluate your ovarian function and to perform a vaginal ultrasound to estimate the number of eggs left in your ovary (Antral Follicle Count or AFC). Hormonal tests, such as estrogen   and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)   are done on the third day of your menstrual cycle to help your doctor evaluate the health of your ovaries. A high AFC is associated with good fertility potential, but if your AFC score is low, you may want to consider starting a family earlier.

Avoid unnecessary surgery

Ask your doctor about non surgical treatment, such as birth control pills, for endometriosis   or simple ovarian cysts. Surgery can result in scar tissue formation around the ovaries or the fallopian tubes which may cause infertility. If you need surgery, share with your doctor your concerns about the risks of infertility.

Freezing your eggs

You may want to consider egg freezing   if you are about to undergo cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, surgery or radiation which may destroy your eggs and cause infertility. Freezing eggs is now possible thanks to a new rapid freezing process called vitrification which allows the eggs to be more safely frozen. The procedure is most successful if you are young with good quality eggs. Keep in mind that the process of freezing eggs is expensive and the long term survival of the eggs is still uncertain.