Changing your lifestyle even slightly may not be exactly easy, but when considering the benefits of a healthy pregnancy, these 8 ways  to increasing fertility are not too much to ask! WebMD explores ways to raise your chances of becoming pregnant, according to fertility specialists. These are the recommended measures to try before turning to assisted reproduction:

1. For  Her: Weight Control

If you are underweight or overweight, it may take longer for your body to conceive.  According to one study, women who are overweight (BMI of 25-39) took twice as long to get pregnant. But being underweight is even worse! Having a BMI below 19 increased the time to conception fourfold.

2. For Him: Lower the heat

Wearing tight underwear or sitting on hot car seats may not affect your sperm viability, but regular sessions in the hot tub may.  Researchers have also found raised scrotal temperatures when guys use their laptops on their laps, which may harm sperm. Another study speculates that keeping your cell phone in your pants pocket in talk mode may negatively affect spermatozoa and impair male fertility. So if you want to be a dad, you might as well put the laptop on a table, and keep your cell phone out of ur pants pocket!

3. For Her: Drink in Moderation

Drinking too much coffee (more than 5 cups a day/500 mg of caffeien- including tea and soda) or too much alcohol (2 drinks a day) can impair a woman’s fertility.  Moderate coffee drinking seems to be OK, but keep it under 200 – 250 milligrams of caffeine a day. Obviously, once you become pregnant you should cut the alcohol out of your diet.

4. His & Her: No Smoking

Research shows that smoking cigarettes can impair both a woman and a man’s fertility.  In women, it affects how receptive the uterus is to the egg. In men, smoking can reduce sperm production and damage DNA. Smoking while pregnant can result in a host of potential problems including miscarriage.

5. His & Her: Timing of Sex

The “fertile window” is defined as the six-day interval ending on the day of ovulation.” And the 3 days before ovulation are when pregnancy is most likely to occur.

Patients often wait until the day of ovulation or later to have intercourse, says Richard Paulson, MD, but his advice is, “Err on the early side.”  To track ovulation, figure that it usually occurs about 14 days before your period is due. You can also use an ovulation predictor kit or the calendar method.

6. His & Her: Frequency of Sex

The more often the better! Delaying intercourse until your body is in the “fertility window” is counter-productive. After about a week of not having sex, the sperm count goes up a bit, but the motility (swimming ability) decreases. Daily lovemaking is best, but not always practical, so ever-other-day or as-often-as-you-can is also good.

7. His & Her: Check your Lubricant

Some lubricants contain spermicides, which actually decrease fertility. Even commercially available water-based lubricants, such as Astroglide, KY Jelly, and Touch may inhibit sperm motility by 60% -100% within 60 minutes of incubation.  So what to use? Canola oil, or even peanut oil, the experts suggest!

8. His & Her: Avoid Chemical Exposure

Men and women’s fertility may be harmed by exposures to pesticides, especially agricultural pesticides.  And women’s fertility can be affected by exposure to some solvents and toxins — including those used in printing businesses and dry cleaning establishments.

For more info on any of these 8 tips, visit WebMD.

feature image from focus photography.