Can someone really be too skinny to conceive? The answer is a resounding, YES! Though obesity has always been known to affect the chances of conception, skinniness is now also linked with fertility problems in couples who are trying to conceive naturally.
Symptoms of being too skinny
According to the new research, being too skinny can be just as damaging as being too fat when it comes to getting pregnant. Being at either end of “too fat” or “too skinny” will bring about complications when it comes to conception.
Skinny women will more often than not have irregular periods and produce low levels of estrogen while obesity will also lead to irregular periods and much more challenging issues such as polycystic ovary syndrome.
How do I know if I am too skinny to conceive?
Experts in Chicago analysed data from 2,362 cycles of IVF involving women under the age of 40. For women who were underweight — with a body mass index (BMI) of between 14 and 18 — the chance of delivering a healthy baby was 34%.
It was significantly higher (50%) in healthy or slightly overweight women (with a BMI of 19 to 28), and was 45% in very overweight and obese women (BMI of 29 to 43).
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) for the NHS say women should ideally have a BMI of 19 to 30 to be accepted for IVF.
Dr Richard Sherbahn, from the Advanced Fertility Centre of Chicago, conducted the study and presented his findings at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference in Orlando.
The good doctor said that it was possible, in evolutionary terms, that being too thin may mean the body does not think it is the best time to reproduce.
Why being skinny hinders conception
Charles Kingsland, a consultant gynaecologist at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, suggested that skinny women may not produce sufficient hormones to produce a womb lining that can sustain a pregnancy.
“It’s a general health issue — if a woman has a BMI of 16 and comes along with a fertility problem, IVF is not going to cure her fertility problem,” said Kingsland.
He added that putting on some weight may be all that is needed to help these women conceive.
Kate Middleton was too skinny to conceive?
Before the conception and birth of Prince George, a top UK doctor warned that Kate Middleton (right) is “dangerously close to being underweight.”
Dr. Chris Steele, who issued the warning, is a well-known television doctor who has appeared on the daytime show ‘This Morning’ for 13 years. The celebrity doctor is well respected for his common sense as well as his medical knowledge.
He added; “If she continues to lose any more weight it’s entirely medically plausible she will have extreme difficulty getting pregnant.”
How to be skinny no more
If you are struggling to put on weight this is your lucky day – we have some tips on how you can put on weight – the healthy way.
You should immediately start having meals with the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and the right kinds of fat such as unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats, olive oil, canola oil, pistachios, almonds and walnuts! Do eat foods that are higher in calories, vitamins, and minerals, as opposed to higher in fat or sugar.
Move away from being too skinny to conceive!
Always pack more nutritious calories in each serving by mixing and combining different types of foods. For example, you may add grated cooked eggs to mashed potatoes, ground chicken to soups and gravies, cheese in casseroles, eggs, and soups, and non-fat dried milk in soups, shakes, milk, and mashed potatoes.
If you’re one of those people that get too full too fast; try having more high-calorie foods or slices of foods as opposed to consuming the whole thing. Instead of drinking a single flavoured juice at lunch, spice it up and order a mix-fruit juice instead; for that higher calorie content.
Do snack in between meals but make sure that its healthy snacks like nuts, dried fruits, and yogurt as opposed to processed foods like chips and chocolate. Always remember that you are trying to gain weight to be able to have a baby therefore treat your body healthily.
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Sources for article: Are you too skinny to conceive?
Yahoo! News UK and Ireland, TheMortonReport.com, WebMD.com